SwiftVets.com

[Rittar]

A national hero

Republican Sen. John McCain specifically repudiated the smear campaign being waged against John Kerry’s service record, and called on President Bush to do the same.

The members of the so-called “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” neither served on Kerry’s boat nor have any evidence to substantiate their allegations.

Kerry, on the other hand, has a squad of direct subordinates (some of whom claim to owe their life to him) who have volunteered to tell of his heroism under fire. And, of course, he has the Silver Star, Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts.

Regardless of what you think of him as a presidential candidate, the fact remains that John Kerry is a national hero, and The Eagle dishonors him and all veterans by publishing letters that are full of politically motivated slander.

Lt. Col. (ret.) JOE NORTHROP
College Station

The above letter appeared on Aug. 11, 2004 in our local rag.



My response:

No war hero

There is no “so-called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” (Eagle, Aug. 11). It is Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, no so-called, not supposedly. It is a group of veterans.

Steven Gardener did serve on Sen. Kerry’s boat. If Joe Northrup had bothered to research, there are plenty of facts to substantiate the group’s allegations. How about Kerry’s claims of being in Cambodia in 1968, or his testimony before a Senate committee in which he claimed to have committed war crimes or his meeting in Paris with the leaders of the communist party leaders?

I do not know where Northrup was in 1971 when I joined the Army, but I remember leaving Fort Sam Houston in uniform and being spat upon and called a war criminal and a baby killer. Sen. Kerry’s statement before a Senate committee, along with Jane Fonda, only reinforced this behavior.

John Kerry is no war hero. He tossed his medals away.

<<deleted by me>>
College Station


Of course the local rag choose to edit my signature block. It should of have included CW3, USA, 1971-1994. I guess they only include your military service if you are pro-Kerry.

Rittar

<edit: corrected type>
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USA, CW3 (Ret), 1971-1994

[Navy_Navy_Navy]

Right on Warrant!

Good rebuttal! Thank you!
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~ Echo Juliet ~
Altering course to starboard - On Fire, Keep Clear
Navy woman, Navy wife, Navy mother