A Willis man whose son was killed in Afghanistan earlier this year is upset by what he considers a lack of compassion from the White House and is spreading his message of frustration nationwide.
Following the death of their son, USMC Cpl. Joseph D. Logan, 22, on Jan. 19, time seemed to stand still for Tom and Deborah Logan, of Willis. The couple was comforted by the support of military officials, the Montgomery County community and people they’d never met who shared their grief.
“The outpouring of heartfelt support and compassion was amazing,” Tom Logan said. “There was genuine emotion. It helped us deal with our loss.”
The one man the Logans expected to hear from, but didn’t, was the commander-in-chief. Nearly four months after Joey’s death, however, Logan received what he described as a form letter signed by an autopen – a mechanical device used to replicate a signature – from President Barack Obama, delivered by the United Parcel Service.
“I was amazed, hurt and furious,” Logan said. “This is not the way you send condolences to the family of a man killed in combat.”
Logan channeled his anger by talking to the families of the five other Marines who died in the helicopter crash that killed Logan’s son. He said they received the same letter with only the names changed.
Logan’s frustration has become well known throughout the military community and the national media. His story has been featured on the Drudge Report and he has been interviewed by regional and national television stations to talk about his disappointment in Obama’s response.
Since his story has been reported nationally, Logan has received calls, emails and correspondence from people across the country – people he has never met, but who share his grief. But he is still frustrated with Obama.
“I’m not asking for another letter or a phone call or any response from the White House at this point,” Logan said. “What I want is there to be a policy or a protocol in place to handle condolences when a member of the armed forces is killed in action.”
Logan is quick to point out how impressed he and his family were with the compassion of senior officials with the Marine Corps, who made immediate contact with the family and have stayed in touch.
He is equally grateful to the local community that responded with sympathy and support for his son’s memory – including Willis High School, which has a special tribute honoring Joey, who graduated in 2008.
But that respect doesn’t extend to the White House. Logan wrote a lengthy, 3,500-word letter to President Obama expressing his frustration with the lack of a timely recognition of the family’s loss. U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, and U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Houston, helped make sure the letter made it to the president’s office.
“A rightfully upset Tom Logan approached me at a veterans meeting, then came to my office with the letter he received,” stated Brady in an email to The Courier. “After reading it and hearing this family’s story, I wrote to the White House asking for a review of their condolence procedures for military families and Mr. Logan did get to address his grievances to a White House aide.
“Grieving military families should never be treated this impersonally. President Bush understood this and met privately with hundreds of families of the fallen. President Bush also personally signed his condolence letters and in many cases wrote personal notes as well.”
In response to an inquiry from The Courier, Tanya Bradsher, assistant press secretary for National Security and Defense, had the following statement on behalf of President Obama:
“We offer our deepest condolences to the entire Logan family for their sacrifice. The President often says that he has no greater honor and no greater responsibility, than serving as Commander-in-Chief of the United States Armed Forces and he takes seriously the solemn responsibility of personally signing and sending letters to the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of this country,” she stated in an email.
But Logan is not satisfied. Whether or not Obama actually signed the letter or used an autopen is not Logan’s primary issue; it’s the delay in acknowledging the family’s loss.
“I’ve received calls from senior White House officials, but they’re just Trojan horses looking for damage control,” Logan said. “What I want is Obama to use some of his resources to do the right thing for the families of fallen heroes on a timelier basis.”
Throughout the ordeal, Logan has been keeping records of the events, the support and the frustrations he has experienced. He has considered publishing his notes and the experiences he and other families in similar situations have gone through.
“Joey was an amazing kid,” Logan said. “When I think about the brave Marine who flew so many combat missions, it’s amazing to think he was my son.”
Logan has two other children, Thomas and Andrea, serving in the U.S. Navy and Marines, respectively. Tom and his wife Deborah are both veterans of the U.S. Air Force.
“They wanted to follow in our footsteps,” said Logan. “I’m incredibly proud of them.”
Before departing for his second tour of duty with the Marines, Joey and his father traveled to Montana, a place Joey came to love and hoped to buy land when he left the service. Tom Logan plans to acquire land and build cabins where wounded veterans are able to recover or vacation.
“I’d like to build six cabins and call it ‘The Fallen Six’, the name his unit gave the six Marines who died in that helicopter crash,” Logan said. “That’s something Joey would approve of.”
Since January, Logan’s home office has become a memorial to Joey and his two children still in the service. Joey’s medals and elements from his dress uniform are on display or being prepared for presentation – but the letter of condolence from President Obama is not among the artifacts and tributes.
“It doesn’t belong there,” Logan said. “It’s too little, too late.”
What he would like, however, is the missing service medals, ribbons and NCO saber that Joey is due.
“Those mean more to me than a form letter delivered by UPS four months after his death,” Logan said.
retiredff posted at 10:31 pm on Mon, Oct 15, 2012.
Hey hasbeen!! Your times up!! You can glue your lips back on" The Chosen One's" Backside !!!
hasbeen posted at 10:33 am on Mon, Oct 15, 2012.
Did Obama start our involvement in the middle east conflicts? Is he working to bring soldiers back home? Will Romney personally write notes to families of dead soldiers? Will he work to bring soldiers back home? Did George W. Bush personally write letters to all of the soldiers who dies under his watch? How about the thousands who died in VietNam, or during the 2nd World War, did their families get hand written or personally signed letters from the sitting President?
RevLeRoyjacksBrown posted at 7:14 pm on Sun, Oct 14, 2012.
what would you expect from someone who hates America and hates Americans. He's muslim to the bone. Codolences to the Logan family.
grumpyme posted at 6:20 pm on Sun, Oct 14, 2012.
I don't know how Obama can even show his face!! These men went over there for all of us and the least our "President" could have done was to contact the family in a timely manner. This is such poor judgement on his or his party's part. What a shame!!
I am so sorry this happened to the Logan's. We appreciate all the years you and your wife has given to the American people and that all of your children are and have given. God Bless you!!
retiredff posted at 10:05 am on Sun, Oct 14, 2012.
Our sincerest condolences and heartfelt gratitude to Cpl. Logan and his family, for their service and sacrifice, for " Our sake ". There is no greater man than he who would lay down his life for his brother. May God continue to comfort and bless you. Semper Fi.
retiredff posted at 9:54 am on Sun, Oct 14, 2012.
Masked man, Evidently, You haven't suffered that unique pain. Check out the interview with the Mother of one of those lost in Benghazi, who has been treated in the same manner. As the father of a marine and soldier, who have made it through Afghanistan, I believe he has shown his true contempt for our deployed personnel through his jacked up " Rules of Engagement"! Keep your mask on , or your head stuck in the sand, whichever you prefer. I'll stand with somebody who actually has " skin " in the game.
GMABREAK posted at 8:27 am on Sun, Oct 14, 2012.
Have you ever thought that just maybe the family needs to vent their grief in this manner and nothing more. I do not care which political party is in office, to wait 4 months and then send a form letter is unacceptable. And yes I do believe it was a form letter and auto signed. So maybe expressing the way he feels is also helping with the grieving. And the attack in Benghazi, the ones who once again lied to the American people and blaming others is the ones stirring the pot.
masked man posted at 4:01 am on Sun, Oct 14, 2012.
So the whole point of this article is that Obama is bad?, or deficient, or un-American, or doesn't value the troops, or what? What's the point of this story? Couldn't have a political motive....oh no. No shameless politicking here. No one would use the loss of someones loved ones to try to score some votes, just think of the recent tempest in a teapot about the loss of lives at the Ben Ghazi consulate....who's stirring that pot? There's got to be a special place in hell for people that exploit people's losses for political gain.