SwiftVets.com

colmurph · Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 11:56 am Post subject:

Proud Liberal wrote:

I'd say that the recent incidents in Iraq are evidence that under frustrating, foreign conditions, soldiers are apt to act in the most "abhorrent" of ways (to quote Bush). If the events at My Lai ( http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/trenches/mylai.html ) aren't documentation evidence enough that atrocities occurred in Vietnam, what would convince you?

Are you saying that because Rusty Calley did it, we all did it? I was commanding A Company 4/3 Infantry in the 11th Brigade of the Americal Division around the same time Calley was a platoon leader in C Co. 1/20th INF, 11th Bde. We NEVER did anything like Calley did. Your statement would indicate that you believe that everyone who was in a leadership position in Vietnam was as poor a leader as Medina and Calley.

I knew both Calley and his Company Commander, Ernest Medina and I believe either Medina gave the order or Calley had blanket approval to do what he wanted to do. The "Pinksville" was a bad area, and units with poor leadership had a high incidence of KIA's/WIA's due to mines and booby traps which probably in large measure contributed to what happened at My-Lai. There was a "Main Force" NVA Batallion that operated in the area but could never be located on sweeps. (We later found out that they had tunnels just like at Cu-Chi) The NVA placed mines and booby traps on likely avenues of approach, all the locals KNEW where the mines were, and units whose leaders let them take the "Easy Path" triggered those devices.

I can understand the frustration of the members of a unit that has suffered KIA's/WIA's on just about a daily basis. It can build up to the point that once the shooting starts they want to avenge their losses to the mines. Once something like that starts, it's probably pretty hard to stop. Mob mentality takes over where the leadership has left a vacuum.

I never had a soldier trigger an explosive device on my watch, I wouldn't let them walk where it was likely that the enemy had placed such devices. I also never had to worry about my men doing something like Calley's Platoon did. My men would grumble about how hard it was to do a patrol with me, but the grumbling would stop as soon as the BN "push" would report a KIA or WIA to a booby trap in the Company flanking us on the operation.

I NEVER saw anything that could be remotely considered a "War Crime" during my tour in Vietnam, other than those acts committed by the VC and NVA against Vietnamese that were percieved by them to be aiding us.
_________________
CO ODA-14, B Co. 3d SFG (Abn) 66-68
CO A Co. 4/3 INF, 11th LIB, Americal Div. 68-69

hist/student · Lieutenant Joined: 09 May 2004 Posts: 243

retracted

DougReese · Former Member Joined: 22 May 2004 Posts: 396

fortdixlover · Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 1:26 pm Post subject:

hist/student · Lieutenant Joined: 09 May 2004 Posts: 243

retracted

Grampa · Lt.Jg. Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 143 Location: Eureka, CA

carpro · Admin Joined: 10 May 2004 Posts: 1176 Location: Texas

Really strange...

No discussion of substance. Just parsing of words.

Reminds me of what the definition of is is.

Liberals have gotten so use to having to parse the words of their own politicians that they can't handle a straightforward presentation by someone with an opposing view.

They just want to parse words.
_________________
"If he believes his 1971 indictment of his country and his fellow veterans was true, then he couldn't possibly be proud of his Vietnam service."

sparky · Former Member Joined: 06 May 2004 Posts: 546

As Rush once said, "Words have meaning."

aaronarnwine · Seaman Recruit Joined: 02 Jun 2004 Posts: 1 Location: DC

Look, I hate the idea of John Kerry and everything he represents. But all the liberals on this sight is right--the sentence's intention was to make it look like the dude served on the same swiftboat as Kerry and at the same time.

What we as conservatives should be pointing out is the letter sent by 11 of the 18 people in the picture John Kerry is using asking him not to use their picture cause they can't stand him.

Liberals cannot deny that Kerry didn't know them because he's pictured with them.

18-11 who hate Kerry = 7
7-2 who died = 5
5-4 who don't want to get involved = 1

And that's the one person of 18 that Kerry will drag across this country saying he is a hero.

Funny how we can include over 30 nations in a coalition and Kerry calls those countries "window dressing" but will laud this one person around the country calling him a hero.

If Kerry is a true hero, he wouldn't run around telling everyone he is a hero...