SwiftVets.com

[James Rebe'l]

Kerry Stumps His Toe

I am a former Marine with just one tour of duty ending in July 1967. I am not a Hero, I did see combat in Vietnam but only the slightest exposure with enemy contact. I was at Khe Sanh during what has become to be know as “The Hill Fights”. I gave comfort to many of our dead and wounded. That is my story . It begins and ends with little fanfare and deserves little more attention than it ever got.
I have always considered my self an “independent” when it comes to voting. Always like to think I voted for the “man” rather than for the party. Always liked to think I put principal before anything else. I did vote for Jimmy Carter and I also voted for Ronald Regan. I voted for Bush senior and with regrets, for Ross Perot.


Frankly, I believe John Kerry is a poser. I believe that his combat photos released by his campaign are staged and or were staged when he was in Vietnam. I NEVER saw
an Officer or anyone taking movie pictures of himself in Vietnam. I NEVER saw movie pictures being taken by Marines at Khe Sanh strutting around with an M16 like they were on a turkey hunt. What struck me more was how clean that uniform is that he is wearing. Check it out, he looks like he just got out of the bathtub. Soldiers, who have lived in the bush, know that dirt is part of their skin. The movie picture was staged and it was staged for a purpose and we are seeing that purpose today... Kerry’s run for President. I resent the use of the battle field being used for a movie production for political glory . I believe it stains our sacred dead. Rather than making a mini-movie of his exploits during a very minor action, he should have been about his job. To be candid, this film of Kerry simply makes me angry as another incident did long ago.

In 1966, a Marine Corps General near De Nang was awarded the purple heart because he stumped his big toe while running for cover during a mortar attack. Unbelievable as it sounds, the incident was written up in the Stars and Strips. I will never forget the feeling of anger and shame; visit Delta Med or the Death Hooch at Khe Sanh in mid 1967 and you understand what a purple heart is all about. Such awards are for the gravest circumstances where the balance of risk and injury are judged by those who have seen real suffering. Kerry may have won three purple hearts, but it is clear that at least one of those was questionable. Like that General, Kerry’s decoration dilutes the sacrifice of so many who never will have a chance to pose before a movie camera and reenact their brave actions. Let me tell you, from what I have seen, few, if any, would be anxious to go back into the hills of Khe Sanh for a photo opt.

Kerry was in Vietnam and I give him credit for his service he was aggressive and I admire that but he was manipulative and utilized his command to stretch the truth to further what clearly are his political goals and much like that Marine Corps General who when awarded a purple heart because he stumped his toe, had lost sight of what that medal represented and thus has lost my respect.


Sincerely,

James Rebe’l
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marineus

[Curt]

I would like to Thank you for your service to this country. I also agree with your assessment.

Curt

[cjg]

Thank you for a well written and honest post.

I must admit it really shook me, I think sometimes I get past the
real reason Kerry must be stopped and start to see it as just a situation
of winning or losing. I do not mean to loose sight of the reasons, I just
get too involved in the politics rather than focus on the real reasons.

The real reasons, of course, are three fold. Return the honor to the
vets who he lied about , make sure that Kerry never becomes CIC,
and to bring the well deserved honor to the men who never came home, whose names are on the WAll. The respect for what the POWs had
to live through is being told now as well, with them telling their
storie about how Kerry's message hurt them.

Thanks, James
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Swiftvets rock!

[Chuck54]

Just the self-aggrandizing filming itself in Nam is enough to question the character of Kerry. I would be embarrassed to have done something like that, let alone tell the whole world. I would be embarrassed to even vote for Kerry.

Kerry is shameless. He is the worst dem candidate ever, including jerk boy Clinton. God help us if he gets elected
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"And no pair has been more wrong, more loudly, more often, than the two Senators from Massachusetts, Ted Kennedy and John Kerry"

Zell Miller