SwiftVets.com

[saraleslie]

Between the conventions and this Rather flap and the underlying ongoing questions about the President's supposed qualifcations to be Commander-in-Chief based on National Guard Service versus John Kerry's supposed qualifications based on being a Vietnam war hero, I have been doing a lot of thinking.

Since I'm just one of those late night, pajama-clad "******* idiots," I am giving myself the perogative to whatever conclusions my active mind can conjur up.

With that disclaimer:

Kerry is called a war hero, even by GWB, because he went back, alledgedly under fire, to rescue a comrade floundering in the river.

So why was one of Kerry's crewmates in the river in the first place?

He was knocked off the boat when Kerry took off like a bat out of hell.

Not so all the rest of the boats, according to the Swift Boat guys. They stayed to protect the 3-boat that had hit a mine.

So, my armchair psychology tells me that when that 3-boat blew, Kerry nearly wet his pants and subsequent heroism aside, his actions from then on reflect where his head was at back then and frankly, exactly where it still is today. A healthy respect for the horrors of war is a good thing in a Commander-in-Chief, but pure terror and a post traumatic stress disorder, however buried, is a prescription for absolute disaster for the United States of America.

Peace at any cost is not an option for a soverign nation. John Kerry voted against the first Gulf War even though all his criteria he states would be necessary today for him to support Iraq were in place then ... huge international coalition, liberating not invading, etc, etc. He trashed his fellow military comrades in the seventies and he continues to do it today ... only today instead of saying "the soldiers," he says "Bush." But it is all the same. George Bush is not "running" the day to day operations in Iraq, the soldiers, marines and airmen are ... so every time Kerry bad mouths the way things are going, he is doing the exact same thing he did after returning from Vietnam and while that conflict was still active.

Silver and Bronze Star for bravery ... hmmmm, well he did go back and I'll give him credit for that ... but that does not hide the fact that that crewman would not have been in the drink had Kerry not freaked in the first place.

John Kerry as a Senator can use his "fear" to balance out a situation, but a man with such a long standing and provable PTSD history should not be in the White House Situation Room at a time of crisis.

Just my opinion.
_________________
Sara Leslie Jacoby
(formerly spouse of HW Jacoby,
Jan '68 thru Jan'69, Mobile Riverine Force,
Mekong Delta, salvage and repair)
We suffered at home too.

[Tom Poole]

[neverforget]

I like what you wrote and your conclusions. BTW, I love the Murrieta, Temecula, and Wildomar area. Wished it had stopped growing, though.

I would take exception to Kerry having PTSD. I worked for 25 years in community mental health and have participated in VA groups for people with all kinds of Axis I disorders, including PTSD. While it is somewhat true that many symptoms of PTSD can be hidden from the outside world, not one of the veterans I've known and/or treated evidenced the absolute arrogance, complete lack of true empathy, and a very excessive sense of entitlement that Kerry shows to us every day . I am positive he has Narcissistic Personality Disorder and probably many of the characteristics of the other disorders of Cluster B Personality Disorders:

1. Anti-social;
2. Histrionic;
3. Borderline.

Finally, not one veteran I've met with true combat-related PTSD makes those experiences or any awards, medals, or commendations they received a part of their introduction, especially to strangers, as Kerry did and does almost every day.
_________________
US Army Security Agency
1965-1971

[saraleslie]

[Me#1You#10]

Moving to R&R

Thanks

[Stevie]