WATCH

LEADERS AND TEACHERS

Since the President's announcement of his new 5 point anti-narcotics program and the embarrassing revelations concerning Mexico's corrupt Drug Czar, there has been a plethora of accusations and finger pointing."DEA has failed, and enforcement is not the answer", many have said. And they are right, enforcement is not the answer but DEA is not the wanton giant it now has become fashionable to portray it as.

Anyone who has ever been a DEA Special Agent or a Narcotics Detective will readily admit that there is just too much drug money involved, our borders are too big, and there are too few drug warriors to defeat narco-terrorist whose wealth and resources are beyond imagination and who in all reality control whole nations. From its inception DEA and its brothers in law enforcement were fighting a rear guard action, delaying a vastly superior adversary until an all-out, all-encompassing counterattacks using all possible forces, could be launched. And, it now appears, President Clinton has massed his resources, education, science, treatment, and enforcement... and is now on the offensive.

DEA agents can be proud of what they have done. They have been beaten, battered and bloodied but they held the line against insurmountable odds. They have held back the tide until their Commander-in-Chief rallied our great democracy to reinforce their noble efforts and go forward with new, well trained and well equipped armies such as "DARE" to grind the enemy of narcotics addiction under America's great heel.

Although hampered by poor management and bureaucratic ineptitude in recent years, the courageous agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration fought the good fight and never once considered the white flag of capitulation. And as in all great offenses, those that have sacrificed so much to let their fellow countrymen sound the bugle and charge into the enemy with flashing sabers, will be regrouped and reorganized so that they also can join the fight. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a Democrat and 3-term President of the US, did just that at the outbreak of hostilities with our World War II adversaries. Scattered bands of sailors, solders and Marines in the Pacific held the lines and extracted a great toll on a seemingly invincible foe until mobilization was complete and vast armadas arrived from Europe's conquered battlefields... and those that had shown that our Pacific enemy was not invincible became the leaders and teachers of Roosevelt's citizen forces.

And the same will be true for DEA's veteran agents. Although the future of the Drug Enforcement Administration is uncertain, its agents, no matter where they are and how they serve, will be leaders and teachers. No one or no agency will be able to detract from the courage, tenacity and experience of America's Drug Enforcement Administration veterans. They wild always he able to hold their heads high for they did better than anybody else. They answered the call and will continue to answer the call as all Americans-All must now do to ensure the ultimate victory envisioned by a resolute and determined president. Bill Clinton has substituted action for lip-service and all Americans must cast aside petty jealousy and prejudice in support of this great undertaking!

As a 23-year DEA veteran and former Marine officer who served in Vietnam, I salute our Commander-in-Chief and continue to pledge my support however and whenever called. I believe I speak for all those I served with in DEA.