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Dabba55

An excerpt from Kerry's 1971 Senate testimony on the rampant use of drugs:

Senator Symington: There have been many reports of widespread use of drugs by U.S. servicemen in Vietnam. I might add I was in Europe last week and the growth of that problem was confirmed on direct questioning of people in the military. How serious is the problem and to what do you attribute it?

Mr. Kerry: The problem is extremely serious. It is serious in very many different ways. I believe two Congressmen today broke a story. I can't remember their names. There were 35,000 or some men, heroin addicts that were back. The problem exists for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the emptiness. It is the only way to get through it. A lot of guys, 60, 80 percent stay stoned 24 hours a day just to get through the Vietnam-

Senator Symington: You say 60 to 80 percent.

Mr. Kerry: Sixty to 80 percent is the figure used that try something, let's say, at one point. Of that, I couldn't give you a figure of habitual smokers, let's say, of pot, and I certainly couldn't begin to say how many are hard drug addicts, but I do know that the problem for the returning veteran is acute because we have, let's say, a veteran picks up at $12 habit in Saigon. He comes back to this country and the moment he steps off an airplane that same habit costs him some $90 to support. With the state of the economy, he can't get a job. He doesn't earn money. He turns criminal or just finds his normal sources and in a sense drops out.

ASPB · Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2004 8:03 pm Post subject:

As usual he was wrong!

Only 10 or 15 percent of us stayed stoned 12 hours-a-day and only on Park Lanes and Carling's Black Death. Embarassed

The other 12 hours-a-day we were on duty. Wink

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The Ghost · Seaman Joined: 09 Aug 2004 Posts: 160

maybe kerry was stoned when he wrote that he was in cambodia ??

lrb111 · Captain Joined: 28 Jul 2004 Posts: 508

There were 35,000 or some men, heroin addicts that were back. >>>>>>

Anyone ever hear of drug treatment occuring for these 35,000 that would be making the voyage back from VN?
I was a licensced drug and alcohol counselor, beleive me, someone would have noticed 35,000 vets going into withdrawal on the trip home.
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said Democratic Chairman Terry McAuliffe. "It is inexcusable to mock service and sacrifice."
well, when even the DNC can see it,,,,, then kerry is toast.

SonTestedShelter · Seaman Recruit Joined: 04 Aug 2004 Posts: 46

mcb58 · Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2004 11:42 pm Post subject:

YA!!! RIGHT.
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THE GREAT FIFTY-EIGHT

4moreyears · Former Member Joined: 08 Aug 2004 Posts: 591

R*E*S*P*E*C*T find out what it means to me...kerry can't give it and he doesn't deserve it.

He's a bum plain and simple and only bums support him. If you think that's harsh then there's no hope for you. I feel sorry for those kerry victimized not for kerry the self serving victimizer.
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kerry returned to the United States on July 22, 1971, held a press conference publicly calling on President Nixon... for the surrender of the United States to North Vietnam.

fortdixlover

BuffaloJack · Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2004 1:13 pm Post subject:

Dabba55 · Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2004 2:04 pm Post subject:

I feel personally feel that this particular slander did great damage to returning vets, because Hollywood picked it up and portrayed Vietnam vets as hopeless, drugged out losers. This had to have serious consequences for the way the public in general viewed Vietnam vets.

It also, in particular, created a presumption which each and every vet had to overcome in facing potential employers.

Kerry, along with Fonda et al, contributed greatly to this perception.

Imagine doing this, something so morally wrong, to promote one's political career. He almost made a clean getaway folks.