SwiftVets.com

[JackMcC]

Powerline is reporting that Steve got fired for his actions with the Swift Boat Veterans. Does anyone know if this is true?

I don't know much about Mr. Gardner. What kind of work does he do, where does he live, what are his skills. Collectively, we should be able to help him find a better opportunity through our networks.

[jim_nyc]

I just read that as well. I'm not in a position to offer anyone a job. But this thread needs to be kept alive until the man can get some justice. According to the Sun Times article he lost his job at this company http://www.millinfo.com/ for speaking out about Kerry. I hope there might be someone involved in this group who can do something concrete for him as I am only able to wish him well and thank him for his courage.
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NEED SOME WOOD?

[noc]

This is up on drudge now:


How Kerry whistleblower suffered for truth

November 29, 2004

BY MARY LANEY

http://www.suntimes.com/output/laney/cst-edt-laney29.html

This is the story of a military veteran whistleblower. He spoke out against someone he thought was dangerous for the nation, talked to local newspapers, and appeared on talk shows. In return, he was vilified by reporters, threatened by a political operative, fired by his company, and now he's broke.

His name is Steve Gardner. He's also known as "The 10th Brother," as in Band of Brothers. He's one of two members of Sen. John Kerry's 12 Vietnam swift boat crew members who refused to stand with Kerry at the Democratic Convention. The other man remained silent.

"They said I had a political agenda. I had no and have no political agenda whatsoever. I saw John Kerry on television saying he was running for the Democratic nomination for president, and I knew I couldn't ever see him as commander in chief -- not after what I saw in Vietnam, not after the lies I heard him tell about what he says he did and what he says others did."

Gardner explains he was sitting at home in Clover, S.C., when he first saw Kerry on television. It was before the primary races. For 35 years, Gardner says, he hadn't talked about his tour of duty in Vietnam. But when he saw Kerry talking about running, he says he got up, called the newspaper in town, called radio stations and "talked to anyone I could about why this man should never be president." Eventually he got a call from Adm. Roy Huffman, who had been in charge of the coastal division in Vietnam, reunited with other swift boat veterans, and the rest is, as they say, history.

Gardner's story is one that bears telling. He volunteered for the Navy, enlisting on his 18th birthday in February 1966. After training, he was shipped to Vietnam and served for two years as a gunner in the swift boat division. His superior, for four months, was none other than Lt. j.g. John F. Kerry.

"I had confrontations with him there. He nearly got us rammed by the VC one night because he wasn't watching the helm. I heard the motor coming close, turned on the spotlight, and the boat was only 90 feet away, coming fast. The VC was aiming an AK47 at us. I shot him out of the boat. We pulled a woman and a baby off the boat. Kerry wrote it up that we captured two VC and killed four more on the beach. None of that was true. The only thing true on Kerry's report was the date. The woman was catatonic and wouldn't call her baby VC and there were no VC on the beach. If we had seen that report before Kerry sent it up the chain of command, he would have been court-martialed and never allowed to run for office. And that's just the San Pan incident. There was much more. He is a self-aggrandizing bold-faced liar. I believe he caused the extension of that war."

Gardner told this story and others to radio stations and he wrote a piece for the local paper. Then, he says, he received a phone call from John Hurley, the veterans organizer for Kerry's campaign. Hurley, Gardner says, asked him to come out for Kerry. He told Hurley to leave him alone and that he'd never be for Kerry. It was then Gardner says, he was threatened with, "You better watch your step. We can look into your finances."

Next, Gardner said he received a call from Douglas Brinkley, the author of Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War. Brinkley told Gardner he was calling only to "fact check" the book -- which was already in print. "I told him that the guy in the book is not the same guy I served with. I told him Kerry was a coward. He would patrol the middle of the river. The canals were dangerous. He wouldn't go there unless he had another boat pushing him."

Days later, Brinkley called again, warning Gardner to expect some calls. It seems Brinkley had used the "fact checking" conversation to write an inflammatory article about Gardner for Time.com. The article, implying that Gardner was politically motivated, appeared under the headline "The 10th Brother."

Twenty-four hours later, Gardner got an e-mail from his company, Millennium Information Services, informing him that his services would no longer be necessary. He was laid off in an e-mail -- by the same man who only days before had congratulated him for his exemplary work in a territory which covered North and South Carolina. The e-mail stated that his position was being eliminated. Since then, he's seen the company advertising for his old position. Gardner doesn't have the money to sue to get the job back.

"I'm broke. I've been hurt every way I can be hurt. I have no money in the bank but am doing little bits here and there to pay the bills," he said.

All the millions of dollars raised by Gardner and his fellow Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, and all the proceeds from John O'Neill's book, Unfit for Command, go to families of veterans, POWs and MIAs.

And, even though Gardner is broke and jobless for speaking out, the husband and father of three says he'd do it all over again. He says it wasn't for politics. It was for America.



We got a fund setup for the Navychief. How about we set up a support fund for Steve? or does anyone know of one setup for him?

[scotty61]

We should set up two. One to cover Steve and his family and another to allow him to take legal action against his former employer.
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John Kerry. A Neville Chamberlain for our times.

[fortdixlover]

Gardner probably did get fired as a result of phone calls from the Kerry campaign.

It's time to put the power of the internet to use. Do I hear volunteers for calling the company's CEO and Board and expressing outrage? I will certainly do so.

Contact and email information is at http://www.millinfo.com/contactus.htm

-- FDL
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"Millions For Defense, Not One Cent For Tribute" - Thomas Jefferson on paying ransom to Muslim corsairs (pirates).

[Uisguex Jack]

For my money Gardener was one of the most potent members of the community.

Allthough the MSM to this day repeats none of the Swifties ever served on deck beside kerry on the same boat, Gardener by merely breathing refutes this attack.

I hope for his sake this all works out very well for him and very soon.

[Route6]

Thank you very much for the link to Mr. Gardner's former employer's Website. I have just sent a fax to Steve Pietrzak, President of Millennium Information Services, Inc., to tell him what I think of his firing Steve Gardner. If anyone is interested, here is where you can tell him what you think:

Fax: 630-285-8285
Phone: 630-285-8282
e-mail: custservice@Millinfo.com

If the Swifties will set up a fund to assist Mr. Gardner through this tough time, I will be happy to make a donation.

Best,
Ariella

[Wescoot2]

I'll start with a phone call......and depending on the feedback which I get, since their corporate offices are only about 15 miles from my home, I may pay them a personal visit.........
_________________
If your Gonna Be One...Be a BIG RED ONE

No Mission To Difficult...No Sacrifice To Great...

DUTY FIRST

[Chuck Z Ombie AC2000]

Maybe John oneill will take Gardner's case against his former comapny.
_________________
John Kerry, R.I.P. (Rot In Paris)

[Slednfool]

Powerline has put up Steve's e-mail if anybody wants to contact him.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/

Thanks to all of our readers who have written offering to make contributions or asking how they could help Steve Gardner. We tracked down Mary Laney, the freelance reporter who wrote the Chicago Sun-Times story that Deacon linked to earlier today. Here's Mary Laney's message:

I'm glad you picked up my column on Steve Gardner. He certainly deserves better than he's gotten for speaking up about what happened on that Swiftboat those years ago. I'm not at liberty to give out his address or phone number, but he has allowed me to give you his email address: sgardner5@carolina.rr.com. I hope a great job can be found for this man.
Best,
Mary Laney
We've already forwarded one message with information regarding available jobs. Let's see if we can help a friend in need.

Posted by The Big Trunk at 02:15 PM | Permalink | TrackBack (0)

[Wescoot2]

I just phoned Millenium, the company which fired Steve, it seems as if they are getting many calls over this, they would only take my name and phone number, and promised that someone would return my call.......I'm not going to hold my breath at this point, but as I said earlier, and to the woman who took my number, I am a local veteran, who could be at your office in about 15 minutes. I just wanted them to know that us Locals, are on their case too......

Keep those calls going gang......
_________________
If your Gonna Be One...Be a BIG RED ONE

No Mission To Difficult...No Sacrifice To Great...

DUTY FIRST

[coldwarvet]

Second email I sent to Steve Gardner's employer

Since you did not respond to my earlier email I believe it is true that you fired my brother Steve Gardner. I am just one of thousands of Steve's brothers & sisters who participated in the Swiftvet community that raised over 26 million in the effort to get the truth out about John F. Kerry. We are posed with wallets in hand to defend our brother’s honor.

CWV
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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

[coldwarvet]

[Wescoot2]

Well that 2 ticked off vets, a few more, we may go pay them a visit, signs in hand, and phone calls made to the local press, how Millineium is unfair to Veterans......
_________________
If your Gonna Be One...Be a BIG RED ONE

No Mission To Difficult...No Sacrifice To Great...

DUTY FIRST

[RogerRabbit]

My email has gone out to these %#*&ing people
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"Si vis pacem, para bellum"