SwiftVets.com

[jdan76]

Vets, PLEASE don't back down!

Words are inadequate to express how much I and thousands of others around the country appreciate what you all are doing. Those who maintain this site, worked on the book, are doing interviews, did the ads, all have contributed in this "war" for the truth. Just as in the physical military we need army, navy, air force and marines, in the war of information some provide "air cover" by doing on-air media interviews, some are "ground troops" by doing public appearances, etc., but every aspect is important and beneficial.

My main word of encouragement is to remind you that your being "under fire" as you are now will not last forever. However the election turns out, in three months those who have chosen to attack you will no longer have the motivation to continue, and you will be able to get back to your (hopefully happy) lives. But as you all know, sometimes events require that men of unique qualities rise up and be willing to do things that only they can do.

Those of you who served with Kerry are the only ones who have the first hand experiences necessary to refute the propaganda being put out by his campaign. You are our "special ops". No one else has the special skills you have to blow the strategic targets in this war. I know this seems like a great burden, but I make you this pledge.

If you commit to staying the course in this war, I and thousands of others like me will not abandon you as we shamefully did thirty years ago. I know this brings up old wounds psychologically, but maybe this is a way for all of us to heal: healing you by seeing the thousands of Americans that really do support you; and healing us by giving us an opportunity to correct the negligence and apathy we showed when you needed us most.

We are all really blessed in a way. Many times in life we make mistakes and never have an opportunity to make restitution to the ones we hurt. We have to carry the burden of the damage we did for the rest of our lives, as do the victims. But God is above all merciful, and we have been given a rare chance to do the right thing now, and in some small way make amends for the sins of the past.

The core of the people who founded this country signed on to a statement of principle over two hundred years ago. It said "with a firm reliance on the protection of the Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor". Every election is a "Declaration of Independence", a Revolutionary War, an opportunity to re-establish the principle that the purpose of government is to preserve our rights, not control our lives. Every past generation has borne the burden of doing what was necessary to maintain the freedoms those first patriots won. And fortunately for us, they heeded the call and met the challenge.

So now it's our turn. In some ways, the American people don't even have the right to ask these vets to sacrifice at all. They already did it once, and we turned our backs on them. It would serve us right if they just said, "Forget you, we put our tails on the line, and you abandoned us". But these heroes have already shown they are better men than we. They led by example, did all the background work necessary to get their information out, and have now begun to make themselves public targets by their visibility. Not for fame or money, because from my experience I know this will cost them more in time, money, reputation and every other resource than they will ever recoup. No, they are doing it for one reason, and one reason only: because it is right. And we have NO RIGHT to stand idly by while these men absorb the fire being generated by their actions. We must be willing to do whatever is necessary to provide cover, diversions, resources, strategies, whatever is needed, until they are able to complete their mission successfully.

I encourage everyone who reads this to do whatever you can to help. Contribute financially, help organize state by state, post ideas to this forum, contact them and offer to help in your area. Vets, please let us know what you need. Post your needs on this forum, create an email list for emergency notices, whatever would help.

Finally, and probably most importantly, don't forget about Divine Providence. If the founders had a "firm reliance" on it, we need it no less. Pray for these men, for their protection, for wisdom, and for the resources we need to win this fight. The Creator who gave you your rights wants you to keep them. All He asks is that you look to Him. So Praise the Lord...

...and Pass the Ammunition.


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[Navy_Navy_Navy]

Thank you, jdan76 - when they pop in here to read, I know it must do their hearts good to see messages such as yours.
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~ Echo Juliet ~
Altering course to starboard - On Fire, Keep Clear
Navy woman, Navy wife, Navy mother

[LewWaters]

Although not a Swift Boat vet myself, just an Army Vietnam vet, I and many thousands like me have no intention of backing down. The swifties are doing a wonderful job and they have the firsthand knowledge of the weasel, Kerry.

Those of us who served but never knew Kerry, know what he did upon his return from Vietnam. We are the ones who have lived under suspicion, ridicule and seeing fear from those around us because we did serve, instead of being honored for serving. We don't forget easy.

I believe it safe to say the Swifties have a lot more support in this than does Senator John "F"in Kerry, from Vietnam vets.
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Clark County Conservative

[PhilDragoo]

My father served on USS Saratoga (CV-3) and my son-in-law is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.

The issue which John Kerry has made of his Vietnam one-third-tour is the Faustian reef on which his ambitious bark will break.

In point of fact his first Purple Heart is not supported by any documentation--because John Kerry refuses to sign Form 190 to release his military records.

By his own admission, and the testimony of witnesses, he is the sole Vietnam veteran he witnessed in the commission of war crimes.

His execution of the wounded enemy combatant is a violation of the Geneva Accords to which he pays such pious lip service.

In times of danger his instinct was not to lead, but to flee.

After obtaining his disgraceful early exit, he not merely abandoned his "band of brothers", but he betrayed them with the most despicable slander.

NVA Col. Bui Tin credited the Communist victory to the antiwar movement ("How North Vietnam Won the War", The Wall Street Journal, August 3, 1995) and John Kerry lead the VVAW in the vanguard of this fifth column treachery.

The men who served honorably and now speak the truth are vindicated in the eyes of all patriots who have defended the Republic.

The craven cowards who snipe at them with litigious bullying and anonymous harrassment clarify all the more sharply the moral question.

As we select our commander-in-chief for another four years in the war on terror, we must choose wisely and eschew the hollow man, the Quisling, the Benedict Arnold.

[mattv_ct]

Our country owes you guys so much that it is overwhelming. Though I had not yet been born, had I been alive during the time of the war, I can only hope that I would have had the courage and character to do what you men did. The way that America has treated our veterans has been utterly deplorable and despicable. I support all of you and will not accept how the Left is attacking you.

America owes you a giant debt of gratitude and you veterans more than anyone have paid so dearly for your right to speak. Thank you for what you are doing, and I will continue to support you in any way that I possibly can. God Bless you all and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[FireBoss59]

I am not a Vet, BUT, I am here to help Vets that are still fighting the fight....! You guys fought for this country when asked, and did an "OUTSTANDING JOB".....! Now, the ranks are bustin wide open with "fresh blood".....

I have fought many battles, fire battles, but battles none the less. I will stand "WITH" you to the end. And if "being wounded in battle" for me,were a purple heart, my chest would be FULL....! I have been "wounded" many times, never got a medal, never wanted one, was just doing what I knew I had to do and what I knew HAD to be done....! NOTHING HAS CHANGED.....!! To me, and alot of others, this is a "5-alarm fire call"....!! I think that the "DLC" has letf the Democratic Party behind....!! As we say in the Fire Service,"There's no retreat on this line".......!!

Craig

[kate]

I surfed a lot of blogs and forums [nonmiltary] and found more positive remarks than negative for the swifties. Search of headlines, excluding McCain & the G.Elliot articles, shows some favorable press ..... the libs cant control the internet!

http://ace.mu.nu/archives/039997.php
The McLaughlin Blog
On a scale of one to ten, one indicating no damage from the ad, ten indicating complete metaphysical destruction, how do you rate the ad's effectiveness and likely impact on the presidential campaign?

> The ad scores between a 6 and an 8 on the political damage scale. The ad doesn't prove any of the allegations, nor even precisely detail them; but if there's one thing the Democrats have taught us all in the past two years, it's not necessary to prove an allegation for it to be damaging. It is enough to simply assert it enough times that the public begins assuming that at least a good fraction of it is true. [For the record, I think everything they're saying is true-- whether that can be proven, however, is a different story, as is whether a generally-underinformed public can be persuaded to look at the available evidence and make a competent decision.]

The tone of the ad-- sober and reasonable -- makes the ferocious charges leveled all the more damning. As Polipundit points out, had this ad been filled with the typical cheeseball conventions of the negative political ad-- creepy synthesizer chords, grainy black-and-white photos -- it would have diminished the ad's power. Instead, each of the heroic Vietnam veterans is simply allowed to speak as a chyron displays their name, rank, and decorations earned in battle.

The ad is potentially devastating. Vietnam is John Kerry's only claim on the White House. If that "fortress" becomes damaged by the public beginning to suspect that at least part of what these men say is true (just as the Democrats have convinced the public, absent strong evidence, to believe at least part of their "Bush lied, kids died" thesis), then Kerry's support will drop by two to four points -- enough to swing a tight election.

And Kerry will be forced to answer difficult questions about how exactly he did come to be transferred to the safety of a Pentagon office after serving only four months in Vietnam. He cannot be helped by answering such questions, even if he's telling the truth. Because the truth of the matter is -- no matter how much the media wants to hide it -- that John Kerry began filing Paperwork over Papercuts from the moment he got into 'Nam in order to get his rich pampered white ass home as soon as possible. Even if he did nothing illegal, that's not the part of his Vietnam Legend he wishes the public to be focusing on.

And that doesn't even take into account his slanderous blood-libels against his fellow veterans. All that crap about widespread atrocities -- which Kerry claimed to have personally witnessed -- is all preserved on videotape.
The media has been hell-bent to ignore Kerry's vicious pro-enemy lies until now. This ad could force them to actually examine them.
How damaging the ad will be depends on the coming weeks-- how frequently the ad is run, how disciplined the media is in closing ranks, mafia-like, around their wounded liberal capo. Assuming minor penetration, the ad will score a hit, a palpable hit, but not a deadly one.

With actual media follow-up -- and this does have the potential for a major shitstorm--
Kerry could be politically crippled in a month.
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http://polipundit.com/2004_08_01_polipundit_archive.html#109182392485967718
PoliPundit
The Swift Vets Ad
Yesterday, I played down the potential significance of the Swift Vets ad because I didn't think enough ground work had been done to prepare the public. In other words, viewers would discount the ad because the allegations would sound too fantastical.

But now I'm thinking things over. The ad is not the climax of a campaign to focus on Kerry's Vietnam record. Instead, it seems to be the beginning of such a campaign.

With a small ad buy, Swift Vets got the ad, and the damning allegations in it, across to millions of voters. That won the vets appearances all over TV and radio. Then there's an already-best-selling book about this coming out in a week, followed by a press conference which will be widely reported. Then vets will shadow Kerry at campaign appearances, undercutting his ability to bring up Vietnam. Soon, any mention of Vietnam by Kerry may become a net liability.

If I'm right about this, those vets are running an unconventional, but savvy campaign, which bypasses the lying liberal media. By making such a shocking ad, they've drawn attention to their cause. And unlike most political campaigns, which climax with harsh advertising, theirs has just begun.
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Anti-Kerry Group SwiftVets Win Round One
August 07, 2004
http://www.washingtondispatch.com/page2/archives/000471.html

Old media suffered a stinging defeat on Friday at the hands of the anti-Kerry group Swift Boat Veterans For Truth and should learn a stark lesson--never underestimate the power of the new media. In a breaking story clearly carried by the Internet and talk radio, the new media taught the old media how important and relevant it can be on news stories the old media tries to ignore.

The SwiftVets skillfully used the Internet and talk radio to get out a rebuttal and it worked to perfection. They had to win this round as the Kerry legal team had attempted to use The Globe report to pressure TV stations into pulling the ad and their credibility was at stake.

Round One Advantage--Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

This is only the beginning what appears to be a campaign that the SwiftVets are willing to carry to Election Day. They are organized and very sharp and are willing to fight the old media and John Kerry with alternative resources in the new media. The book “Unfit For Command” that coincides with the release of the powerful ad that has caused this uproar will not even be released until next week. More publicity will follow then. The book is currently Number One on Amazon.Com.

They already have a round one victory under their belts and are moving forward.

Underestimating them is a mistake.
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one of..... We The People

[Navy_Navy_Navy]

Kate, thanks so much for digging up that material - I haven't had a chance to investigate much into what's going on in the blogs and opinion pages.

The tide has begun to turn!
_________________
~ Echo Juliet ~
Altering course to starboard - On Fire, Keep Clear
Navy woman, Navy wife, Navy mother

[MeekOneGOP]

I support what these folks are doing and am voting for Bush.

I thought ya'll might like to see the pic I made a couple of days ago. I hope posting images is allowed here. Forgive me if I mess up. I'm new here. Long time poster at FreeRepublic.com.



There is the link to it. The image wouldn't preview.

Go, SwiftVets !! :^D


Edited to fix your picture. EJ
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Meek

[Navy_Navy_Navy]

Meek1 is great with these graphics and was generous enough to let me use one on one of my other boards.

Welcome Meek1 - we're glad to have you aboard! I don't get to freerepublic nearly as often as I'd like to. Nice to see you here.
_________________
~ Echo Juliet ~
Altering course to starboard - On Fire, Keep Clear
Navy woman, Navy wife, Navy mother

[djv]

While I thank all you vets out there, I have a concern about the men and women currently overseas. I read the entries at www.anysolier.us nearly every day. Yesterday, there was a new navy entry. These men and women are on a ship. They can't talk to the locals. And it sounds like they are only getting the partisan press so it is getting to them. I will be mailing two letters tomorrow (1 male and 1 female).
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David J V

[Jette]

After watching the Sunday morning talk shows, it is crystal clear that the message of the Swift Vets must not be silenced. How ironic that 30+ years after the fact, Kerry, through his surrogates, is once again maligning the veterans who served in war. Never give up and never give in. I fear that the Vets' worst battle may be on the horizon. May they have the strength and courage to persevere.

[minnie presley]

on some of the other boards we are e-mailing and calling foxnews to protest the way some of the talk show hosts are saying rasmussan is telling the truth and the vets are lying, I have a list of all the e-mail addresses for the talk shows, and I also have 2 phone numbers to call foxnews, I don't know if I would be breaking any rules by posting them here, if I can let me know if not, private message me and I will give them to you. we must do this to get foxnews attention as the CEO has endorsed kerry.



Minnie, please don't put your personal info into the public view. People can PM you for the info. Thanks, EJ

[Bob Chamberlain]

My wife and kids could not understand why I was so up in arms against Kerry. They know nothing of the war (my wife was only a year old when I first set foot in Vietnam and the schools do a miserable job of teaching about the war) or of the protests organized by women like Jane Fonda and men like John Kerry that rendered vain all of our efforts. I was absolutely aghast that a man like Kerry could be nominated for President - and use his military record as reason to vote for him! I felt like I had fallen through the Looking Glass into Wonderland. Nothing made sense and I felt helpless to do anything about it.

You Swiftvets have rescued me. I feel I am a member of a community. I am no longer alone. I have a venue that lets me take action. You men of courage and honor deserve nothing but the greatest respect for your stand. In the highest traditions of our Founding Fathers, you have once again pledged your lives, your fortunes and your sacred honor. Our country is blessed to have men such as you. I have but limited means, but I will do whatever I can do to help.

Thank you.

[NavyBrat]

Meek One-

Love your picture!
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Laura~