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AN OPEN LETTER TO SENATOR JOHN F. KERRY

September 27, 2004

Senator John F. Kerry
Former Chairman of the Senate Select Committee
On POW/MIA Affairs U.S. Senate
Candidate for President Of The United States

Dear Senator Kerry:
My name is Col. David L. Hrdlicka formerly of McConnell Air Force Base. I have a question for you. I am a POW from the Vietnam War, captured in Laos on May 18, 1965, a few years before you decided to accept your 3 purple hearts and to take your war service medals back home with you after serving 4 months in Vietnam. Since then, I have learned that you threw away your precious medals and swore before Congress under oath that Vietnam Veterans and POWs like me who fought for our Country committed atrocities, were war criminals and baby killers. Not so.

I have been here in Laos serving my country for thirty-nine (39) years, four (4) months and one hundred and nineteen (119) days at the time of the writing of this letter after being captured alive and left behind for dead in Laos. There were many broadcasts, reports and pictures of my capture that were released in 1966 and intercepted by our American forces. One such picture showed me very much alive being marched along in the jungle with an armed guard behind me holding my parachute.

Senator Kerry, when you were Chairman of the Senate Select Committee investigating my whereabouts and the plight of some 324 other POWs known to have been captured alive but who were never returned by the North Vietnamese in Operation Homecoming in April, 1973, my beloved wife, Carol Hrdlicka showed you a photograph of me taken at the time by my enemy captors documenting that I was alive and had been from the moment I hit the ground in enemy territory. My faithful wife, Carol asked you when she testified before your Committee if she could ask you a question and you rudely responded that, “I ask the questions. You supply the answers.” Carol has never given up hope that I am still alive.

Senator Kerry, over the ocean the weak and the strong wait for the nation to come bring us home. We are being held against our will, locked away from yesterday many thousands of miles from home. Senator Kerry, Don’t you know I’m alive? How long do we have to suffer? Don’t they know we’re alive? No one knows degradation. No one feels the pain that I’ve known. So I’ll just wait for the nation to get here and bring me home. I’ve waited so long. The weight of the nation…how much more do I have to give? Is there a soul in the nation who could agree just to see if I live? Doesn’t anyone feel the sorrow? Doesn’t anyone feel the pain?…Lest we forget the brothers and sisters who fought for this great nation.

Senator Kerry you conducted the Investigation and declared I was dead! But you rejected the evidence from Ivan Schredov a Russian reporter from Pravda who met with me in prison and from Ivan Loboda a Russian war correspondent who saw me alive in a cave in Laos at a press conference held by my captors in 1969. Vietnamese and Russian newspapers gave accounts of my capture. Carol my wife provided your Committee with confidential government live sighting reports in 1989 and 1992 confirming that I was still alive. Attorney Arnold L. Beizer, President of Let Freedom Ring Inc., at the request of my wife met with Ivan Loboda who emigrated to Tel Aviv, Israel after the War and Mr. Loboda once again confirmed that he saw me alive being paraded as a War Trophy of our enemy. Defense intelligence agency (DIA) documents obtained by my wife reported, “General Chang was holding D. Hrdlicka and friends.” You ignored all this evidence. Why? No confirmation to hear what they said. No confirmation if we’re living or dead? I’m still alive. Bring me home!

On page 2 of The Report of the Senate Select Committee published January 13, 1993, Senator Kerry, you wrote, “ The most basic principle of personal honor in America’s armed forces is never willingly to leave a fellow serviceman behind.” You added that, “The black granite wall on the Mall in Washington is filled with the names of those who died in the effort to save their comrades in arms.” Your Report also states, “Amidst the uncertainties of war, every soldier is entitled to one certainty—that he will not be forgotten.” Senator Kerry, you profess to be a patriotic American who served his country, but you left us behind and left us for dead. Why? I was prepared to fight, to be wounded, to be captured, to be tortured by my captors, and even prepared to die, but I was not prepared to be abandoned.

Senator Kerry, Your Senate Investigating Committee was created you said because of the need to reestablish trust between our government and our people on this most painful and emotional of issues. You promised to investigate and tell publicly the complete story of what the government has known and has been doing on behalf of POWs. There were over 2300 Americans listed as “unaccounted for” from the Vietnam War. I am one of them. But you have forgotten your obligation and your promise and you have forgotten me.

Since you would not answer my wife Carol’s question, I have a question for you Senator Kerry. You are running for President Of The United States and have proclaimed yourself as a hero of the Vietnam War and a trustworthy leader of our country. Why should Any American believe you or follow you as a leader when the leader misleads the American people on an issue of trust as important as the POW issue? You have failed and neglected to live up to the responsibility of personal honor owed to your fellow Americans by willingly leaving us behind. You have broken your promise to me and to your comrades and written us off as expendable while you have moved on (DOT ORG) to bigger and better things for yourself. This is not the definition of a selfless leader but of a selfish and untrustworthy serviceman and public servant. Senator Kerry I’m still alive. If you do nothing else, please send me an absentee ballot.

Sincerely,

COL. David L. Hrdlicka
34th Fighter Squadron
U.S. Air Force
cc Pres. George W. Bush

Photo of David Hrdlicka in Captivity

Carol Hrdlicka wife of Col. David Hrdlicka comments on John Kerry

Please add my name to the list against John Kerry. At the beginning of the Senate Select Committee hearings on POW/MIA Kerry promised to get at the truth.

Instead he once again abandoned our men. Kerry had the opportunity to show integrity but instead chose to support the Vietnamese in their quest to get normalization. Senator Kerry was in support of normalization long before he chaired the SSC. I would have thought that to be a conflict of interest.

Kerry had an opportunity to show his patriotism but instead choose to support greed and corruption.

Carol Hrdlicka

coldwarvet · Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:09 pm Post subject:

Thank you Carol Hrdlicka,

The amount of gratitude due Col. David Hrdlicka is beyond the capacity of mortal men. The kind of justice due to Col. David Hrdlicka will only be fully realized on the judgment day. God bless you and be your comfort during these very painful days.
_________________
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

Guest · Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:30 pm Post subject:

POW/MIA FAMILIES AGAINST JOHN KERRY
PRESS RELEASE - SATURDAY OCTOBER 2, 2004

WEBSITE: http://www.powmiafamiliesagainstjohnkerry.com/

In retrospect, it is clear that John Kerry had but one goal as Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs. His goal was to remove the issue of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action, as a roadblock to trade and normalization of relations with Vietnam. The question is.... why?

Wynne · Lieutenant Joined: 19 Sep 2004 Posts: 228

I don't cry easily. Reading this made me cry. And it has made me ever more determined to defeat that... I don't even want to say his name anymore. The nerve of him to cite his 'work' on this committee as more 'evidence of his patriotism'! He has no patriotism; he has no caring for his fellow man. I think of the citation from the Good Book: What doth it profiteth a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? That is what "no name" has done.

My heart goes out to you, dear Carol Hrdlicka and to all POW/MIA families.
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TRUTH IS ALWAYS THE VICTOR

coldwarvet · Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 2:34 pm Post subject:

The 100's of thousands of POW/MIA flags that dot this great nation that represent the support of millions of Americans are going to rise up & defeat Kerry on 11/2/04. I am going to go buy a POW/MIA shirt and car flag. As I cast my vote proudly wearing my POW/MIA shirt my prayers will be going out to them & their families.
_________________
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

Stevie · Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 5:05 am Post subject:

Oh, I don't think I can even say anything about that letter.... I have yet to be able to read NavyChief's article he just wrote - I got the drift from the first few lines and I've read in a previous post that he worked with Kerry on the POW/MIA committee (not the one about the AAR).... I'm just not sure my heart can take more of this....

I'm going to print it out and give and send to everyone I see.

I'll add the pow/mia site address to it.

It xhould be sent to all networks and talking heads...if they don't do anything with it, it's on their souls... Is or has anyone sent it out yet?

Where can I buy a pow/mia flag?
_________________
Stevie
Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage
morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should
be arrested, exiled or hanged.

homesteader · PO3 Joined: 17 Sep 2004 Posts: 294 Location: wisconsin

Is the documentation of Kerry telling Mrs. Hrdlicka, in so many words to "shut up"? Film or video would be best but even a transcript would be helpful in exposing this arrogant monster.

Think of the impact of an ad showing this loyal wife asking to speak and Kerry telling her "I ask the questions. You provide the answers."

SangRun Hunter · PO1 Joined: 10 Sep 2004 Posts: 462 Location: Zinzinnati

Arrgh! How is it in this country a man like Kerry can even run for office?

I've read all the stories and done so much research about Kerry it's not even funny. I knew about his extreme left wing stance on many issues including the 2nd amendment issues since I'm a life long gun owner.

I am more shocked everday at what this man has done. When I mention to some of my peers they just shrug it off and say all politicians are crooks.

This goes way past being a crook and into the realm of pure evil.

Guest · Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2004 9:06 pm Post subject:

twicearound · PO2 Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Posts: 362 Location: San Antonio

Ecclesiastes 8:11-13 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily thererfore the heart of men fully set out to do evil. though a sinner does evil hundreds of times and his days are prolonged yet surely it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not FEAR GOD!

Another words don't think your getting by with it because you see no repercussions because they are a coming.

I do not believe you can fear God and have done this and whatever a man sews he reaps. I cried when I read the article on these hearings on the swift sight and now this breaks my heart, what if it were my family. I wish this and the picture could be sent everywhere. My prays to this brave man and the many more who are most likely still there and to his wife whose tears are held in God's heart I am praying[/quote]
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twicearound