SwiftVets.com

reconflyer · Last edited by reconflyer on Tue Oct 26, 2004 12:56 am; edited 1 time in total

My wife and I were cleaning out the closet in our office the other week and I found an old torn and tattered paperback book (a big one) called Vietnam, A History; The First Complete Account of Vietnam at War written by Stanley Karnow first published in 1983.

In the first chapter, called the War that Nobody Won, John Kerry is quoted in the following context,

So homecoming troops were often denounced for bestiality or berated for the defeat--or simply shunned. John Kerry, later elected lieutentant governor of Massachusetts, recalled his return: "There I was, a week out of the jungle, flying from San Francisco to New York. I fell asleep and woke up yelling, probably a nightmare. The other passengers moved away from me--a reaction I noticed more and more in the months ahead. The country didn't give a **** about the guys coming back or what they'd gone through. The feeling toward them was, 'Stay away--don't contaminate us with whatever you've brought back from Vietnam.'"

I found this so ironic, that the person this author interviews about homecoming reaction actually contributed to the negative national mood, and in a huge way.

I also found it kind of strange that he actually almost comes out and admits he has post-traumatic stress, but I kind of find it disingenious.

How does he think a bunch of civilians on an aircraft are going to act if he starts screaming and hollering? I would not be surprised if they looked at me funny were I to do that. Still, it strikes me as BS, like after four months on swifts he's a battle hardened vet (not saying it is not possible) who has seen it all, and he has the "thousand yard stare" from being in the sh!t for too long...

Still, maybe the real reason people were repelled was because of his disgusting behavior as an anti-war activist and his obviously questionable patriotism (meeting with the VC in secret, etc)...

Found this interesting, anyway...

reconflyer

P.S. Considering the author's pisspoor judgement to interview the exalted JFK about Vietnam homecomings (the only person quoted), I'm tempted to say that the book is probably not a reliable source of information about the war.
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blue9t3 · Admiral Joined: 23 Aug 2004 Posts: 1246 Location: oregon

It is bs, everything about him is bs.His life, his history, his wife,his job, his opinion of himself, his opinionof others, hes a walking talking lie! Wink

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P. Aaron · Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 12:34 am Post subject:

I read that "Vietnam" book by Karnow. It was a long, long time ago. If I revisit it now, I will probably think differently about it.
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shadowy · Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 12:42 am Post subject:

It just tells me he wanted admiring attention and sympathy and got treated like any common man who starts screaming in an airplane. What an indignity for somebody nursing a noble warrior complex. So he pouted for 30 years.

buffman · LCDR Joined: 21 Aug 2004 Posts: 437

Just goes to show you really can get PTSD for shooting yourelf 3 times. A hero indeed, more like the central character in "No Time for Sargeants".
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Otis · Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 2:16 pm Post subject:

I believe John Kerry's airplane story as much as I believe his Christmas in Cambodia story.
Remember that TV movie back in the 70's starring Henry Winkler as the Vietnam vet? He comes back home to the states and goes through all the cliche shell-shocked post traumatic episodes that the media wanted us to believe every vet went through.
I think Kerry's airplane story was a scene from that movie. I'm surprised he didn't cap the story by saying he put his hand in a garbage disposal too.
The guy is a complete bozo.
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Steve Z · Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 2:35 pm Post subject: Kerry's Nightmare

Do you think this little anecdote about Kerry screaming in an airplane should be spread around just to make Kerry look like he's half bonkers?
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Otis · Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 2:46 pm Post subject: Re: Kerry's Nightmare

Rdtf · CNO Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 2209 Location: BUSHville

If true, then it's more proof of him having Parasomnia

shooter · Seaman Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Posts: 180 Location: New Mexico

You're right. This self serving degenerate knows what he's doing at all times and everything he does is choreographed to produce his desired result. He is one giant walking, talking LIE!

He has spent his whole life perfecting it. It is physically impossible for him to tell the truth about anything.

Anyone catch the pictures of him here in Albuquerque yesterday?? Did you see all the "Vets" around him??? These guys are so caught up in the democratic machine that they can't vote any other way. And that is a damn shame.
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