SwiftVets.com

[Navy_Navy_Navy]

[roughfun]

Mike, my unit has an unspoken code, kinda like the Vegas ad, certain things that happened over there will stay over there. We are not in the business of making heroes of ourselves our trying to destroy other Vets by calling them war criminal. Have you never read Homer? Nothing has changed in war and never will. I couldnt see how you could have been in the military and not understand you dont come home while a war is raging and stab your fellow Vets in the back call them war criminals but assign yourself the status of war hero of a war you were against. Got it! Semper Fi.

[Michael B. Smith]

[quote="Sgt-Keeper"]Michael, I am glad you are interested in looking for the truth.

Thank you so much! that's all I want - I didn't expect that my question would elicit some (frankly) offensive responses. I fugured that this would be the place to seek out Vetans who did indeed serve in Vietnam and would give me the frank and IMPARTIAL views. You sir, have done so - an I sincerely thank you.

I will seek out the book you mention and read it. Kerry will not get my vote. But for me, as a 41 year old man (and vet - although no combat while I served) he will not earn my vote because of his Senate record.

Now - let me ask - seriously - are you not concerned that in a climate that seems to me to be very devisive and hateful in our divided country that this debate in society at large could rip us apart? didn't it rip us apart in the late 60's and early 70's? I can't remember as I was to busy playing with my GI Joes and being a kid. Afterwards - I suppose the history books I remember already had a slanted view that frankly supports what Kerry said to some degree. after that - I never had much desire to study the issue - that is until now.

again - thank you.
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Michael B. Smith

[HOV1]

I would suggest you go to http://www.stolenhonor.com/index.asp and see what the NVA did with the testimony provided by Kerry. The small sample of footage from their documentary is sobering to say the least. When you put on the uniform, you take on an obligation to support your brothers. When I was in the Navy, if a shipmate got into trouble, you dove in to help... even if you hated the SOB.. He was your shipmate. John Kerry turned his back on his shipmates and never blinked. His testimony and subsequent collusion with the North Vietnamese was responsibe for a prolongation of the war and added to the names on the wall.

There is a reason that Kerry's picture is on the wall of a museum in Vietnam honoring his "contribution" to the communist victory.
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USN 78-84 STS1(SS) USS George C. Marshall SSBN 654(G)



HOV1

[Michael B. Smith]

[quote="roughfun"]Mike, my unit has an unspoken code, kinda like the Vegas ad, certain things that happened over there will stay over there.

And I totally understand that - and yes - as a veteran myself - I would never speak ill of my fellow vets. Thankfully - vets of my time (82-8 never saw combat - oh except Grenada, but that hardly counts as a Vietnam sized conflict.

I reckon I am confused, because, I have heard opposing arguements from vets about just what happened over there. Again - I am not saying one group is lying and the other isn't. Just don't understand how there can be such huge differences.

sincerely
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Michael B. Smith

[air_vet]

[AMOS]

Mike, most vets who talk the most about war, saw the least, if any. Simple story. I don't talk about it with anyone. They can't relate. Oh, maybe with another vet from same war and someone that I served with there, very possibly. Something like, "Remember the time.....................?" But, nephew, brother, children, signif. other or? Nope. I had just all but forgot about it until Dumbo Kerry acts stupid (again). Except for the occasional dream I'm told I have and of which I remember nothing. Now I'm all p*ssed off again.

And it's not just Dumbo that's making stuff up. Rassmann's a liar, too.

[Michael B. Smith]

[Michael B. Smith]

[baldeagl]

Well, Michael, let's put it like this. Some of the "Kerry vets" are telling the truth as they remember it. Some of them are exaggerating. And some of them are outright lying.

For example, David Alston spoke at the DNC and told the story of Kerry's Silver Medal, which he won for action that occurred on 28 Feb 69. At the time of that incident, David Alston was still recuperating from a severe head wound suffered on 29 Jan 69. Furthermore, we have photographs of the five crew members who were on the boat that day because all of them received medals for that action. Alston isn't in those photographs, his replacement, Fred Short, is.

I'll let you decide if Alston lied or not.

Fred Short has told a story about an action he was involved in where "800 to 900" men died. The record for deaths in one day in Vietnam is about 300. The entire deaths for the US Navy that year was 42 if I recall correctly.

I'll let you decide if Short has exaggerated or not.

Rassmann, the Green Beret officer who Kerry pulled from the water on 13 Mar 69 has been quoted in the press on numerous occasions, telling the story of 13 Mar 69. In those interviews he has placed himself on four different boats. In addition, he has described the hostiile fire that day as "small arms and automatic weapons", "artillery" and "B-40 rockets" in separate interviews.

I'll let you decide if Rassmann is confused or not.

Another of Kerry's "crewmates", Jim McDevitt, introduced at the DNC and on their website as "a Swift boat crewmate", is a US Marine who met Kerry in 1972 when he was in a hospital here in the US recovering from wounds suffered in combat.

I'll let you decide if Kerry and the DNC were lying about that.

I could go on, but that's up to you.
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antimedia
USN OST-6 68-74
http://antimedia.blogspot.com/

[Sgt-Keeper]

Mike,
I had 2 uncles in WWll, Germany, Italy, et all, and a father-in-law in WWll in the Pacific. None of them told war stories, even when the 4 of us were alone. We shared some fun and funny times, but we had no need to talk about the bad times. And, most of us still don't have that need. Remember what I said about the arm-chair-heros, the media and Hollywood. Good stories only. Truth is a secondary consideration.
As far as a country being divided? Yes, to a certain extent it is. But most of it is played up by the media, looking for a story, and Hollywood, for entertainment purposes only, not truth.
It is certainly not the goal of VN vets to divide the country. All I have seen is a concentrated effort to bring truth to 30+ years of lies. This has been accomplished by the SBVs.
_________________
Fix the problem, not the blame.
USMC E5 Nam vet 65-66

[baldeagl]

[Michael B. Smith]

I reckon I can appriciate that sgt_keeper. Never having been in combat (thankfully) I would not know. And my first post was not menat to insult the Swiftvets. Like I said - I defend their right to do this - off subject - one of the things (besides amnesty for wets) that really irritates me about our President is this talk of suing 527's to stop them. I am a free market guy - I think this is a direct assault on our 1st amendment right. But anyway - I am truely concerned about the direction of our country. I know it is hyped up by the media, but as I read various message boards and listen to various talking heads, they all seem hateful and intolerant of differeing opinions (except ORielly who I really like). But Coulter and Hannity, to me, are birds of a feather with Michael Moore and Al Franken. And it's just getting disgusting.

Perhaps this needs to be talked about and then perhaps the wounds can heal.

As for the other fellow who responded before you - thank you for your response - that was informative - I did not know those things, nor have I seen them on otherwise right wing talk shows, of which I generally listen.
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Michael B. Smith

[Michael B. Smith]

It's not a dumb question, and it deserves an honest response. We weren't allowed to talk about it. The accepted wisdom was that we were all baby killers, thanks to John Kerry and Hanoi Jane, and there was nothing left to talk about. We've lived with that lie, and we've moved on.

Then John Kerry comes blowing in like he's some big Vietnam war hero, bedecked with medals, and we all remember him calling us baby killers. We had to shut up and take it back in the 70's because the country was convinced it was true. We ain't goinna shut up now. You start a fight, you damn sure better be willing to finish it.

John started it. We'll finish it.[/quote]

Then more power to you! As I just said to Sgt_keeper - perhaps it will allow the wounds to REALLY heal our country.
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Michael B. Smith

[air_vet]