Showing his arrogant “one-upmanship”, Sen. Barack Obama responded to Sen. McCain’s fallen soldier bracelet story about being given the bracelet by the mother of Cpl. Matthew Stanley, making him promise that her son’s death would not have been without honor, by stating the “I have one, too !!”. In the awkwardness of the moment, Obama struggled to remember the soldier’s name and then glanced it to get Sgt. Ryan Jopek’s name correct.

     The problem with Obama mentioning the bracelet that he was wearing is that, according to a recent story on Michelle Malkin’s website and Newsbusters, the family of this fallen war hero has asked Sen. Obama not only to stop using their son’s story in his campaign, but to stop WEARING the bracelet altogether.  Tracey Jopek and her daughter gave Obama the bracelet in February at a campaign stop in Green Bay, WI, after seeing that John McCain was always wearing one.

Photo/Courtesy of Jopek family

Barack Obama hugs Tracy Jopek while daughter Jessica (left) watches. Tracy Jopek presented Obama with her son’s military bracelet in Green Bay

 Sgt. Ryan Jopek

     However, in March 2008, Ryan Jopek’s father, Brian, stated in a radio interview that his ex-wife had asked the Senator to stop wearing it and using it in his speeches. If Mrs. Jopek asked the Senator to cease using Ryan’s name and stop weraing the bracelet, it is disrespectful for him to do so. She has made it clear that she is an Obama supporter, but has felt uncomfortable with her son’s death becoming a political tool.

      As I stated in a post yesterday, as a kid, I wore a Vietnam POW-MIA bracelet, and to this day I never have to glance at it to remember the sacrifice of Sgt. Michael Brazelton.

See Michelle Malkin’s story and her links to Newsbusters and HotAir:

http://michellemalkin.com/2008/09/28/uhhhhh-family-doesnt-want-obama-wearing-troop-bracelet/