In Their Own Words: Obama's Effect on Military Families

[Geee]

American Thinker:

President Obama seems to have a disregard for those defending America. Recently, on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show, he commented on the death of three Americans and Ambassador Chris Stevens: "... it's not optimal." The mother of Sean Smith, a Foreign Service officer and one of the three killed, reportedly responded to the president: "My son is not very optimal. He is also very dead. It was a disrespectful thing to say[.]"

That is how many families feel about the president's attitude toward those who have died serving their country. Billy and Karen Vaughn spoke with American Thinker about their deceased Navy SEAL Team Six son, Aaron, and their views on this administration's rules of engagement policies.

Aaron Vaughn was one of thirty U.S. service members, including 22 members of SEAL Team Six, killed when the helicopter they were traveling in was downed on August 5, 2011, in Afghanistan. This was the largest loss of life in the history of naval special warfare. At the time of his death, Aaron left behind a two-year-old son, a two-month-old daughter, his wife, and his parents. He became a SEAL in 2004 and joined SEAL Team Six in 2010. He was one of the few SEALs to get his name on the "First Time Every Time Wall," an honor for those SEALs who passed every test on their first try.

Aaron's mother wanted Americans to know that he had received numerous decorations, including the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. She asked American Thinker if she could "tell you about my son, since I don't want people associating him with just a name. There was a purpose to his life. Even after becoming a SEAL, he maintained that calm, quiet spirit. He loved his family and his country, and he was humbled as well as honored to be able to serve his country. We didn't think he would ever achieve his goal of becoming a Navy SEAL when he drastically injured his knee. Yet because he was determined, he put himself on an exercise program right out of high school to develop the muscles around his knee."