SwiftVets.com

[d19thdoc]

I was hoping to have researched this more completely but that is not going to happen before the election, so here it is. After thirty-five years, at a recent reunion of my unit, I learned of these things for the first time. The first example is fairly straight forward. The second I am still gathering details on.

I just want it known that the Kerry legacy is not just a matter of “hurt feelings” among “bitter old veterans.” It is also much more personal to untold thousands of Vietnam Veterans than the much more important geo-political fallout from the anti-war movement that overcame South East Asia, and America’s place in the world, and its military readiness in the 70’s.

There were real consequences to real individuals to the words and actions of John Kerry and those he followed, led and supported. And please stop focusing on only his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. That was merely the low point of a two year full time career effort for Kerry, and his part in it was only one major part in a widespread effort to undermine our military and our country.

The first story. In mid-1968, my Battalion Commander was coping with one of the worst periods in my unit’s history in Vietnam. Real atrocities were committed against his men by an enemy whose officially sanctioned strategy really did involve acts of terrorism and atrocity. He had to see those results. He had to write the letters home. He had to not tell the families what really happened to theirs sons.

In the midst of this, his wife, home alone trying to raise three children, became the object of organized harassment by anti-war activists. It became so bad that the FBI had to become involved over fears for their safety. He was helpless to protect them, ten thousand miles away, and had to hear of this and try to deal with it while coping with overwhelming military responsibilities.

This is an officer who served in World War II as an enlisted man, and who later got an education on the GI Bill, and through ROTC eventually became a senior officer in the Army. This is the thanks this member of “The Greatest Generation” got for his lifetime of service to his country.

This is the vicious, anti-American, subversive mindset that was supported, advanced and championed by John Kerry.

The second story. A soldier from Detroit joined my company a month or so after I came home. He knew some of the comrades I left behind, worked with them and seemed alright, except for smoking a lot of pot and having an active imagination, of the “wannabe sort” according to his platoon sergeant - everything that happened that was in the slightest way action-related was exaggerated by him in the retelling, and his role in it became central, rather than minor. Sound familiar to anyone?

A few months after he came home, this soldier wrote a letter to the editor of a local paper, alleging war crimes committed by his comrades – my comrades. He refused to name names, at least in the beginning. Later he joined a group (I have not yet found out which one, but let me guess . . . . ) and made public statements at rallies. Then he began to name names.

The result was, ten of my comrades, apparently just named at random, were implicated in crimes – real crimes. The Army CID (Criminal Investigation Division) launched an investigation that spanned several years and went all the way back to Vietnam. Men were cornered at work and on Army bases if still on active duty, and interrogated in closed rooms and threatened with prison and sworn to silence by the investigators. No legal representation, no recourse provided. In spite of the fact that some of them were never in the place alleged, some had no duties like those required for the mission alleged, all knew nothing of the circumstances alleged, yet all suffered this fear, intimidation and suspicion.

Then the case just disappeared and none of the accused ever heard any more about it. Obviously because there was nothing to follow-up on once the facts were investigated. I am working now on obtaining that CID report. Who knows how much time and effort and taxpayers money was wasted in the effort.

How many times these kinds of outrages were perpetrated against our veterans will probably never be known.

What is known is that the fallout from this kind of thing affected all of us, to one degree or another.

It was not just “hurt feelings.” It was ruined lives, and often psychological damage that was never overcome.

Douglas Brinkley on O’Reilly tonight said it was never Kerry’s intention to hurt POWs, and any one who says so is crazy. As if his intentions mattered.

Kerry had no intention one way or another about POWs. He could have cared less. He did not care that his words and actions would hurt innocent veterans, even those he served with directly. He knew very well that he was a propaganda agent for the enemies of this country in a time of war, and that was just fine with him.

Anyone who says otherwise is not crazy. They just have no idea what they are talking about.
_________________
For The Honor of the Fifty-Eight Thousand.
"He Can Lose, But He Can Not Hide"

[jim_nyc]

Excellent post.

A belated thanks from this American.
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NEED SOME WOOD?

[dmackto]

Please send that to Hannity, O'Neill, Boortz and Rush.

It's powerful stuff.

Let me add my belated thank you and welcome home too!
_________________
Deborah
The FROZEN CHICKEN Journal

This is no time for ease and comfort. It is the time to dare and endure.
- Winston Churchill

[coldwarvet]

Thank you for your hard work. Thank you for your service.
_________________
Defender of the honor of those in harms way keeping us out of harms way.

"Peace is our Profession"
Strategic Air Command - Motto

USAF 75-79 Security Police

[stevec]

Excellent post.

John Kerry's words not only effected those that served in Viet Nam, but also those that served afterwards.
First his made-up stories about atrocites and war crimes, damaged those he left behind, and those that came back. We have all to ofter here and in other forums, heard the rage that they felt upon coming home. Their names smeared, their duty tarnished, and all for one man wanting political gain.

John Kerry also effected the military into the 1980's. It wasn't till Ronald Regan came and built up the military to combat the Cold War that it was even considered OK to join the military.

I graduated in 1978, since 1975 was involved with the US Navy, Sea Cadet Corps. I knew when I was 13, what I wanted to do. My graduating class was 481 students, ONLY one person went into the military out of high school. My year books have comments about my NAVY, in them and what I could do, and this was after Viet Nam. The wounds were still there.
Imagine how many others never served because of the attitude that John Kerry created in this country.

That's why I'm fuming mad.

In reality John Kerry not only BETRAYED those that served in Viet Nam, but also every person in this country, man, women, and child.

Just imagine what it would have been like with Ronald Regan, Cater would have continued to gut the services and we would be in a different world then what we have today.

Had Regan been there for the Iranian hostages, alot of these fanatics would not have been encouraged by Carter's lack of backbone.
_________________
Keep Kerry Out
Kerry is a TRAITOR
Kerry is UNFIT


Steve Christensen

[coldwarvet]

[Wynne]

Thank you for this posting, d19thdoc. I have a friend who is a liberal Democrat and who served in the Navy from 1958-63, not in harm's way. He just doesn't seem to get it no matter what I tell him about Kerry. This morning he sent me an email saying he remembers seeing the Viet Nam War protestors and at the time he hated them but he has let all that go. He asked me, Why can't the SBVT just 'let go' of this whole thing.

I have been thinking all day how to answer him.

With your permission, I am going to copy your post to him.
_________________
TRUTH IS ALWAYS THE VICTOR

[Kathy Kay]

[d19thdoc]

Wynne wrote:

[army72]

I don't think there are very many people (other than some in the middle east) that plan to hurt others with their actions. Some do things without thinking of the consequences. Others really don't care as long as they get what they want (sound familiar?).

Your story is a powerful one and very sad. I thank you for your service to our country. I believe there are many many more people that also appreciate your contribution. We did not forget.
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Hillary and Kerry in '08? Something smells!!

[Rdtf]

Thank you so much for posting this.
My belief is that if John Kerry had any character he woud applogize for what he did. The fact that he has not says everything, and the American people should realize that. But I hope he doesn't. The mere act of apology for what his 'unintentional' actions caused could win him the election.

[d19thdoc]

There are other threads on this board concerning the apology topic. This is my reaction to the whole idea of a Kerry apology.

[d19thdoc]

A letter dated October 13, 2004 arrived today from the National Archives II at College Park, Maryland. Concerning the allegations of war crimes committed by members of my unit in Vietnam, it says, in part:

[Tom Poole]

[Wit]