Charles Woods, father of Ty Woods, the former Navy SEAL who
died while trying to save the U.S. Ambassador to Libya on 9/11, speaking
to Megyn Kelly on the Fox News Channel today:
"I appreciate your introduction, and I do want to reiterate this, and really emphasize again, this is not about politics. This is about--if it were about politics, it would dishonor my son's death. This has to do with honesty and integrity and justice...
This news that he disobeyed his orders does not surprise me. My son was an American hero. And he was going--he had the moral strength to do what was right. Even if that would professionally cost him his job. Even if it would potentially cost him his life. He was a hero who was willing to do whatever was necessary to respond to their cries for help.
If, in fact, those people in the White House were as courageous, and had the moral strength that my son Ty had, immediately, within minutes of when they found there was the first attack, they would have stepped--they would have given permission, not denied permission, for those C-130s to have gone up there. And this is exact--I don't know much about weapons, but it's coming out right now that they actually had laser targets focused on the mortars being sent to kill my son and they refused to pull the trigger. They refused to send those C-130s.
To me--I'm an attorney, this may not legal test of murder. But to me, that is not only cowardice. For those people who made the decision and who knew about the decision and lied about it are murderers of my son.
That's a very strong statement for me to make. But for their benefit, they need to bare their conscience, they need to stand up, and they need to change the direction of their lives.
And I want to say right now: you know who you are. I totally forgive you. But I hope years from now, you change the direction of your life. For your benefit...
This is all a pack of lies. And that's one thing as a father whose son who has been killed--I do not appreciate lies. I do not appreciate cowardice. And I do not appreciate lies.
And I'm a loving person. I love my son, and I want to honor him. And I hope I'm not speaking too strongly, but I am very glad the facts are coming out right now. I do not--the reason I'm even speaking up--we, our family had made the decision not to say anything. But after the facts came out that in real time, the White House, within minutes after the first bullet was fired, they watched my son--they denied his pleas for help.
My son violated his orders in order to protect the lives of at least 30 people. He risked his life to be a hero. I wish that the leadership in the White House had the same moral courage that my son displayed with his life...
I sent you those pictures of him in high school, and I wanted you to show those to the people out there for one reason, and that is so that people can be inspired and know that Ty was just a normal kid, okay? We were an imperfect family, but we were a normal family. And I would hope that his legacy would live on. And that we would raise up a generation of American heroes, and that they would be inspired by his pictures and his life, and that we would raise up a generation of American heroes that are strong morally and strong in every other aspect of their life.
We do not need another generation of liars who lack the moral strength that my son, who was an American hero, had...
I really wish the best to those people that allowed my son to be murdered. And I mean that very sincerely. I want the best for them. But they need to stand up, and they need to change the direction of their lives."
Big Peace
