SwiftVets.com

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Last Sat. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution had an editorial by Mike King: “Wounds of Vietnam never far from surface.” He wrote of the “gut-wrenching replay of brother against brother between John Kerry and the Swift Boat vets,” and concluded that “this really isn’t a debate over whether John Kerry lied,” but rather: “What it is about … is who lost Vietnam.”

Irritated, I responded with following letter to editor (just received call they’ll publish it, probably next Sat.):


Mike King writes that it’s about who lost Vietnam. Not really. LBJ himself understood Vietnam wasn’t winnable.

And yet millions of us served honorably. That’s what it’s about, and that Kerry falsely and opportunistically accused his fellow vets of atrocities; even adding (for good measure?) that he himself committed the “same kind of atrocities,” and then threw his medals/ribbons away.

But now that it’s politically expedient, apparently forgetting his atrocities, he boasts of his four months in Vietnam and his five previously discarded medals … Kerry “reporting for duty” … with his “band of brothers.”

Even without any evidence from the Swift Boat Vets (Kerry’s “band of brothers” who know what he’s “made of”), Kerry’s blatant and flip-flop opportunism is troubling, whether I’m a veteran or not. Kerry never should have mentioned Vietnam.

Fred Hussey, Acworth GA

PS: Hoping the published letter isn’t too edited. SBVT & this forum are inspiring … I rarely write to editor. God bless y’all.