Elaine Donnelly of the anti-gay Center for Military Readiness (you may remember reading about her testimony at last July's hearings before the House Armed Services Committee) has rounded up a group of 1,000 anti-gay retired military officers to get behind her bigoted crusade.

The AP reports: "A statement issued by the retired officers Tuesday said passage ofthat bill 'would undermine recruiting and retention, impact leadershipat all levels, have adverse effects on the willingness of parents wholend their sons and daughters to military service, and eventually breakthe All-Volunteer Force.' Among the signatories were Gen. Carl E.Mundy, Jr., a former commandant of the Marine Corps; Adm. Leighton W.Smith, a former commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe; Gen. Charles A.Horner, who commanded U.S. aerial forces during the 1990-91 Gulf War;and Adm. Jerome L. Johnson, a former vice chief of Naval Operations. Theretired officers said they strongly supported the principle that 'homosexuality is incompatible with military service' and warned thatrepeal of current law could jeopardize morale and 'unit cohesion.'"

Both Servicemember's Legal Defense Fund (SLDN) executive director Aubrey Sarvis and Unfriendly Fire author Nathaniel Frank criticized Donnelly.

Said Sarvis: "The signers of this petition are mired in the fears and politics ofthe past. More than 75 percent of the American public,including most younger service members as well as many active duty flagofficers, realize the question is not if 'don't ask, don't tell' isrepealed, but when and how."

You may remember Donnelly held a secret strategy meeting last October in Washington DC with Veterans Service Organizations which was busted by PFLAG after they intercepted a letter from Donnelly to the VSOs. It appears this is what has come of that meeting.

PFLAG's Steve Ralls wrote then in the Huffington Post: "Thursday's briefing in Washingtonis a last-minute, last-ditch effort by Donnelly to try and curry somesmall measure of influence on Capitol Hill. To do so, she is likely togive VSO leaders misinformation, as she has done with the press and thepublic, in order to mislead them on the issue and attempt to win themover to her side. As polls of military personnel show that youngservice members and veterans are overwhelmingly comfortable and readyto serve with gay colleagues, she is attempting to reach out to theolder, more conservative VSO membership to try and rally support forher cause."

Watch former Army officer Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Penn) grill and chastise Donnelly at the hearings last July, AFTER THE JUMP…