SwiftVets.com

[Tidemarsh71]

Let's see if this post takes....

As a retired Navyman, I salute SwiftVets' honor, courage and commitment in exposing Kerry for the phony and opportunist he truly is.

I enlisted 11/74 (age 17) so Vietnam was before my time. But I did have the privilege of serving with veteran gun line destroyermen, Brown Water Navy and SEAL sailors, chiefs and officers throughout my career:

75-78: USS Badger (FF-1071)
78-80: USS Whipple (FF-1062)
80-82: Fleet Training Group Pearl Harbor
82-85: USS Benjamin Stoddert (DDG-22)
85-87: USS Peleliu (LHA-5)
87-90: Fleet Combat Training Center San Diego
90-94: Amphibious Squadron 3 staff
94-96: Amphibious Group Two staff
96-04: Fleet Reserve
(Tanned, rested and ready for voluntary recall)

SwiftVets, by inviting the wider public's attention to the loopy legends which are 'seared' in Kerry's mind, you continue to do your country a great service.

I don't know what Kerry did or didn't do in Vietnam. I wasn't there. But from what I do know about the politics of awards and decorations (there is often a fine line between a medal and a court martial) his selective release of his fitreps and citations (try downloading them sometime from the Kerry site) and the vicious attempts to discredit the Swift Boat Veterans' version of events all add up to something more that a reasoanble doubt.

Even accepting Kerry's version at face value, as someone who grew up during that time, what's 'seared' in my mind is the way he disgraced his country's uniform, dishonored its symbols and wrongfully accused his 'brothers in arms' of being war criminals. Unlike Kerry's 'Christmas in Cambodia' (poor baby - try five festive seasons in the IO, Gulf or Somalia sometime, sweetheart) that actually happened.

If it sounds like I'm taking it personally, it's because I am. My dad, two uncles and all my classmates who were old enough were in service at the time. And you weren't immune, post-Vietnam, from hearing 'baby killer,' 'facist' and other such abuse, especially when travelling in uniform. (Rather ironic when you consider we were rescuing boat people in the South China Sea in those days.)

I hold Kerry and his fellow travellers responsible for this. If he was a man of some integrity, he'd admit he was wrong; apologize and seek amends. Maybe then I'd have some respect for him.

But it ain't ever gonna happen.

Regards to all,

Tidemarsh71

[LewWaters]

Permission granted, Tide (or however you Navy dudes said it, LOL. I was Army)

Permission really isn't needed, but we are glad to welcome you and thank you for your support of the Swift vets.
_________________
Clark County Conservative

[I B Squidly]

Once I realized the Brit's lost 1500 men in the Falklands and awarded 300 decorations and the US in Grenada lost a dozen with 40,000 decorations I had second thoughts. Closer aboard a 'sounding' engineer on the Blue Ridge (LCC19/Yokosuka) discovered a flooded space and was organizing a de-watering team when a JG showed up. He demanded an explanation and ordered the hatch opened "to see for himself". The resulting flood wiped out a $100k worth of electronic consoles. The JG got the NCM and the BT took a hit on his EVALS.