Note from marinemom: I am uploading this as a favor to another LLer who asked me to do it for him.







Jan 25th, 2010



HONOLULU —



A letter from a 95-year-old retired World War II sailor in Hawaii to President Barack Obama has stirred up attention on the Internet.






Retired ship's Boatswain Harold Estes wrote the letter and someone in Florida sent it to Congress.org. The letter then bounced around different sites and people questioned whether it was real.

KITV found the retired sailor at home near Pearl Harbor. Estes assured KITV that he wrote the letter.



In the letter, he chastises the president and first lady Michelle Obama.



"I'd say shame on the both of you, but I don?t think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you," Estes wrote. "Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue. You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves." Read Estes' letter.



"I don't think his word is good enough for him to fly around the world apologizing for the United States," Estes told KITV.



Estes said he has received about 1,000 calls about the letter, overwhelmingly supportive.



"Most of them agree. Most of them say, 'Thank you for writing the letter. It's right on the money,'" the World War II veteran said.



Estes said he was unaware of the controversy he caused on the Internet.



"I've never looked at anything on the Internet. I don't follow this. I didn't write this to get publicity," Estes said.





Read more: http://www.kitv.com/HI-Vet-s-Letter-To-Obama-Stirs-Internet/-/8906042/5376994/-/rmiwdo/-/index.html#ixzz27djTDJKk







Harold Estes served in the United States Navy from 1934 to 1954. He mailed this letter to President Obama in 2009. He passed away in May, 2011.