Dear
Senator Kerry:
Since it has become clear that you will probably be the
Democratic nominee for President, I have spent a great deal of time researching
your war record and your record as a professional politician.
The reason
is simple; you aspire to be the Commander in Chief who would lead my sons and
their fellow soldiers in time of war. I simply wanted to know if you possess the
necessary qualifications to be trusted in that respect. You see I belong to a
family of proud U.S. veterans.
I was a Captain in the Army Reserve, my
father was a decorated Lieutenant in World War II and I have four sons who have
either served, or are currently serving in the military. The oldest is an Army
Lieutenant still on active duty in Afghanistan after already being honored for
his service in Iraq. The youngest is an E-4 with the military police. His National
Guard unit just finished their second tour of active duty, including six months
in Guantanamo Bay. My two other sons have served in the National Guard and the
navy.
In looking at your record, I found myself comparing it not only to
that of my father and my sons, but to the people with whom they served. My father
served with the 87th Chemical Mortar Battalion in Europe. They landed on Utah
Beach and fought for 317 straight days including the Cherbourg Peninsula, Aachen,
the Hurtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge.
You earned a Silver Star
in Vietnam for chasing down and finishing off a wounded and retreating enemy soldier.
My father won a Bronze Star for single handedly charging and knocking out a German
machine gun nest that had his men pinned down. You received three purple hearts
for what appears to be three minor scratches.
In fact, you only missed
a combined total of two days of duty for these wounds. The men of my father's
unit, the 87th, had to be admonished by their commanding officer because: It has
been brought to our attention that some men are covering up wounds and refusing
medical attention for fear of being evacuated and permanently separated from this
organization...It was also a common problem for seriously wounded soldiers to
go AWOL from hospitals in order to rejoin their units.
You used your three
purple hearts to leave Vietnam early. My oldest boy came home from Iraq with numerous
commendations and then proceeded to volunteer to go to Afghanistan and from there
back to Iraq again. My sons and father have never had anything but the highest
regard and respect for their fellow soldiers. Yet, you came home to publicly charge
your fellow fighting men with being war criminals and to urge their defeat by
the enemy. You even wrote a book that had a cover that mocked the heroism of the
U.S. Marines who raised the flag on Iwo Jima.
Our current crop of soldiers
has a philosophy that no one gets left behind and they have practiced that from
Somalia to the battlefields of the Middle East. Yet as chairman of a Senate committee
looking into allegations that many of your fellow servicemen had been left behind
as prisoners in Vietnam, you chose to defend the brutal Vietnamese regime. You
even went so far as to refer to the families of the POWs and MIAs as Professional
malcontents, conspiracy mongers, con artists, and dime store Rambos.
As
a Senator you voted against the 1991 Gulf War, and have repeatedly voted against
funds to supply our troops with the best equipment, and against money to improve
our intelligence capability. I find this particularly ironic since as a Presidential
candidate you are highly critical of our pre-war intelligence in Iraq. However,
you did vote to authorize the President to go to war, but have since proceeded
to do everything you can to undermine the efforts of our government and our troops
to win. Is this what our fighting men and women can expect of you if you are their
Commander in Chief? Will you gladly send them to war, only to then aid the enemy
by undermining the morale of our troops and cutting off the weapons they need
to win?
Our country is at war Senator, and as has been the case in every
war since the American Revolution, a member of my family is serving his country
during the war. Now you want me to trust you to lead my sons in this fight. Sorry
Senator, but when I compare your record to those who have fought and died for
this nation, and are currently fighting and dying, the answer is not just no,
but Hell No!
Sincerely,
Michael Connelly / Texas
*
* *
Homecoming Stories - Kerry's people threw blood at us...
I was
assigned to the 32nd Naval Construction Regiment when in Vietnam. I spent a year
and a half up north in I Corps. I witnessed an officer getting a Purple Heart
for bruises received running to a hole to hide in and others receiving Bronze
Stars for desk-bound jobs. Officers nominate each other for medals upon transfer
as a regular practice--but enough of that.
Some of Kerry's people met me
outside of Travis Air Force Base on my return trip. Milk cartons with blood were
tossed at me (I assume it was pigs' blood), as well as stones and obscenities.
We
were warned on the plane to change into civilian clothes (if we had them) before
landing. Such a shame for the soldiers to have to go through this. I have never
gotten over it. A few months later I went to Woodstock, and you bet I didn't tell
anyone I was a veteran. Held it inside for a lot of years.
God bless all
Nam vets.
* * *
I was assigned to CTF 116 (the PBR
force) when I was hit by a B-40 rocket near My Tho, in the Mekong Delta.
My
balls where blown up into my stomach, and I lost a lot of blood. I was sent home,
and it took a year to learn how to walk.
When I got on the plane in San
Francisco, there was a group of Kerry's Vietnam Veterans against the War scumbags
harassing the wounded vets. I was in a wheelchair and was hit with a Coca Cola
can full of urine.
If John Kerry's boys would do that to me, a cripple
in a wheelchair, what will he do to this Country?
Ben Gustofik
*
* *
It seems like waffle time again. Kerry is a waffle,ie, democrat, and
the other waffles endorsed and made excuses for Clinton, who didn't serve and
worked very hard not to. Now they are beating a drum for a guy who served(?) and
then came home, and in my opinion gave comfort to and aide to the enemy with his
claims of American war crimes.
How many POW's suffered even more punishment
because of the efforts of great americans like Jane Fonda, Bill Clinton and John
Kerry? In short if the waffles prevail we all better get used to sex on the job
as business as usual (clinton precedent in the oval office) and learn to speak
Arabic. Incidentally, if Kerry witnessed these war crimes and did nothing about
them then it seems he is as guilty as those alledged war criminals! On the other
had if he only heard tales of war crimes and repeated them for all to hear he
was certainlhy in Hanoi's corner.
* * *
Veterans Should Politically
Banish Kerry for Disgracing The Marine Corps Memorial
by Major Richard G.
("Rick") Erickson, January 26, 2004
On the cover of The New Soldier by John
Kerry and Vietnam Veterans Against The War, hippies clad in a mismatch of military
uniforms are pictured mocking the legendary image of Marines raising the American
flag atop Mount Suribachi in the 1945 battle for Iwo Jima. Today, the Iwo Jima
image is a memorial statue that sits above Arlington National Cemetery and honors
all Marines killed in action since 1775. It is one of the most recognized and
visited sites in our Capitol City.
The New Soldier never made it on the
reading list at our military academies.
In the cover photo that ridicules
the Marine Corps Memorial, one of Kerry's cronies is tugging on our flag, which
is hung upside down as the ultimate symbol of sedition and treachery to all veterans
who rallied behind our flag in battle. On the day of that shameful photograph
and with its mass circulation on the cover of The New Soldier, at least 6,821
Marines who died at Iwo Jima turned over in their graves.
Of all the reasons
why John F. Kerry will not become President of the United States, the biggest
reason has to be that, once he returned home from Vietnam, he betrayed his fellow
servicemen who remained at war. Kerry not only allied with the likes of Hanoi
Jane Fonda, but, before the United States Senate in 1971, Kerry went as far as
to belittle the bravery of embattled troops by generalizing their every action
in Vietnam as an atrocity.
No one questioned General George S. Patton,
III, when he accused Kerry of treason in giving aid and comfort to the enemy,
especially when it was revealed that North Vietnam incorporated Kerry"s exploits
into its communist propaganda machine. However, because of the prevalence of treason
at the time and the monumental task of prosecuting Kerry and his proclaimed "revolutionaries",
Kerry"s actions went unpunished and the associated advances of communism went
unhindered.
Fortunately, today's veterans and Americans who overwhelmingly
support our armed forces tend to disparage those who dishonor military service
and then pretend to be capable of our country"s highest office. This political
reality afflicted Bill Clinton, whose anti-military past kept him from winning
any more than forty-nine percent of the popular vote.
No wonder Kerry"s
presidential campaign is doing its best to subvert his estrangement from veterans
and service people in general.
The tact of Kerry for President looks a lot
like Clinton-Gore"s approach to deceiving voters that such an obvious liability
is really the opposite. When Kerry marched in the Veteran"s Day parade in Phoenix
last year, in tow behind him were a few people carrying "Veterans for Kerry" placards.
Some placard carriers looked like the ragtag types on the cover of The New Solider
in that they were unshaven, wearing circa 1971 clothes and appeared disoriented.
The ongoing insult is that "Veterans for Kerry" is supposed to represent
the veteran community"s support of Kerry, when the reality is that very few veterans
support him. Most veterans cannot forgive Kerry for Vietnam Veterans Against The
War and its promotion of communism when we were fighting communists. As far as
U.S. Marines are concerned, we ought to ensure that Kerry is forever banished
from the White House for dishonoring our Memorial on the cover of The New Soldier.
Rick
Erickson is an attorney and Major in the Marine Corps (Reserve) currently serving
as Deputy Judge Advocate to the Commanding Officer, NORAD/USNORTHCOM. Rick"s experience
as an infantry officer in Mogadishu, Somalia led to his appointment as Director
of Americans for Military Readiness, a Washington, D.C. non-profit devoted to
ensuring morale and combat preparedness. Rick also serves on Military Academy
Review Boards for U.S. Senator Jon Kyl and U.S. Congressman John Shadegg and can
be reached at media@readymilitary.com.
* * *
Dear Senator (JF) Kerry:
Since it has become clear that you will probably be the Democratic Nominee
for President, I have spent a great deal of time researching your war record and
your record as a precord and your record as a professional politician.
The
reason is simple, you aspire to be the Commander in Chief who would lead my sons
and their fellow soldiers in time of war. I simply wanted to know if you possess
the necessary qualifications to be trusted in that respect. You see, I belong
to a family of proud U.S.veterans.
I was a Captain in the Army Reserve,
my father was a decorated Lieutenant in World War II; and I have four sons who
have either served, or are currently serving in the military.
The oldest
is an Army Lieutenant still on active duty in Afghanistan after already being
honored for his service in Iraq.
The youngest is an E-4 with the military
police. His National Guard unit just finished their second tour of active duty,
including six months in Guantanamo Bay.
My two other sons have served in
the National Guard and the Navy.
In looking at your record I found myself
comparing it not only to that of my father and my sons, but with the people they
served.
My father served with the 87th Chemical Mortar Battalion in Europe.
They landed on Utah Beach and fought for 317 straight days including the Cherbourg
Peninsula, Aachen, the Hurtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge.
You
earned a Silver Star in Vietnam for chasing down and finishing off a wounded and
retreating enemy soldier.
My father won a Bronze Star for single handedly
charging and knocking out a German machine gun nest that had his men pinned down.
You received three purple hearts for what appears to be three minor scratches.
In fact you only missed a combined total of two days of duty for these wounds.
The men of my father's unit, the 87th, had to be admonished by their commanding
officer because:
"It has been brought to our attention that some men are
covering up wounds and refusing medical attention for fear of being evacuated
and permanently separated from this organization..."
It was also a common
problem for seriously wounded soldiers to go AWOL from hospitals in order to rejoin
their units.
You used your three purple hearts to leave Vietnam early.
My oldest boy came home from Iraq with numerous commendations and then proceeded
to volunteer to go to Afghanistanand from there back to Iraq again. My sons and
father have never had anything but the highest regard and respect for their fellow
soldiers.
Yet, you came home to publicly charge your fellow fighting men
with being war criminals and to urge their defeat by the enemy. You even wrote
a book that had a cover which mocked the heroism of the U.S. Marines who raised
the flag on Iwo Jima.
Our current crop of soldiers has a philosophy that
no one gets left behind; and they have practiced that from Somaliato to the battlefields
of the Middle East.
Yet, as Chairman of a Senate Committee looking into
allegations that many of your fellow servicemen had been left behind as prisoners
in Vietnam, you chose to defend the brutal Vietnamese regime. You even went so
far as to refer to the families of the POWs and MIAs as Professional malcontents,
conspiracy mongers, con artists, and dime-store Rambos.
As a Senator you
voted against the 1991 Gulf War, and have repeatedly voted against funds to supply
our troops with the best equipment, and against money to improve our intelligence
capability.
I find this particularly ironic since as a Presidential Candidate
you are highly critical of our pre-war intelligence in Iraq. However, you did
vote to authorize the President to go to war, but have since proceeded to do everything
you can to undermine the efforts of our government and our troops to win. Is this
what our fighting men and women can expect of you if you are their Commander in
Chief?
Will you gladly send them to war, only to then aid the enemy by
undermining the morale of our troops and cutting off the weapons they need to
win? Our Country is at war Senator, and as has been the case in every war since
the American Revolution, a member of my family is serving their country during
the war. Now you want me to trust you to lead my sons in this fight for the presidency?
Sorry, Senator, but when I compare your record to those who have fought
and died for this Nation, and are currently fighting and dying, the answer is
not just no, but HELL NO!
Sincerely, Michael Connelly
* * *
John
Kerry and the "band of brothers"
Senator John Kerry has chosen to construct
his campaign aura around his record as a "war hero" of the Vietnam unpleasantness.
He tries to gather Vietnam veterans to his cause, calling them his "band of brothers,"
a quote from Shakespeare. This phrase, well known to most former warriors, recalls
to most of us, those times when danger was the common threat to us all, and about
which we now gather and tell war stories.
To endure Kerry referring to his
"band of brothers," while flaunting his medals is irritating to many Vietnam veterans;
especially those of us who were in combat there. As the campaign moves along,
Kerry is going to discover that there are many of us who will fight against him
because he is not our brother at all.
While most will not openly attack
the veracity of his military decorations, there are some combat veterans who privately
marvel at the amazing turn of events that mark Kerry's combat experience.
The
epoch of a junior Naval officer who harvested medals at a faster clip than Audie
Murphy, in less than four months, while in a combat position that was not considered
to be among the most dangerous assignment, makes for a marvelous tale. His incredible
"Purple Heart" good fortune of surviving three separate wounds in such a short
time at the total cost of only a "couple of days" off duty was a wonderful and
amazing stroke of good fortune indeed.
And the result of those Purple Hearts
was even more wonderful yet since Navy rules at the time (apparently) allowed
him to request an early trip home after serving less than a third of a normal
combat tour. What a lucky man! One wonders how the other boat crewman on his vessel,
(all enlisted) survived the remaining months of their one-year tour without their
oh-so-lucky officer present.
High among the items that draw fire from Vietnam
veterans was his embracing of a radical anti war stance after his early return
to the comforts of America. The politically correct view of the times, as professed
by Kerry, was that American fighting men were monsters who routinely committed
atrocities in Vietnam - though he had no personal knowledge of the subject.
That
position, publicly stated, is hard for many of the "band of brothers" to forget.
This is particularly true since many of those brothers were still fighting and
dying in combat at the very moment Kerry was presenting phony testimony before
Senator William Fulbright's Foreign Relations Committee.
Accusing American
soldiers of rape, torture and murder was then popular, and a political asset in
some quarters. Public anti-American statements were made by Kerry supported "Vietnam
veterans" who were in some instances, not even veterans at all.
In an interview
conducted by the Los Angeles Times, former American POW, Paul Galanti said that
he learned of Kerry's statements from his captors' taunts. Galanti spent almost
7 years in the Hanoi Hilton while Kerry provided fodder for the enemy to torment
him and other POWs and to demean American fighting men. Paul Galanti will vote
in the presidential election this November but his candidate will not be from
Massachusetts. Come to think of it neither will mine.
Kerry's association
with Hanoi Jane Fonda is another sore point with Vietnam vets. She is regarded,
correctly, as a traitor to her country and a betrayer of the men who fought in
Vietnam. Kerry collaborated with her and her ilk in anti-war (read anti-American)
demonstrations after his early return from Vietnam.
The final straw to
those veterans who are knowledgeable about the POW/MIA issue, was Kerry's conduct
as chairman of the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs committee. He is
almost universally regarded by those of us who observed the hearings, as the primary
advocate of sweeping evidence of the fate of American MIAs under the carpet in
order to more swiftly normalize economic relations with Vietnam.
Kerry arrogantly
assumes that the "band of brothers" will ignore his positions after the war and
rally to him as a fellow Vietnam vet. However, as more veterans become aware of
his duplicity and politically motivated decisions, Kerry is going to find a movement
away from him as many of us turn our backs to this political opportunist.
Norman
Turner spent 20 years in the Air Force and retired in the grade of lieutenant
colonel. He was a fighter pilot for most of his career year and flew two combat
tours in Vietnam. His first tour was from Saigon in 1965 flying F-100 Super Sabres
and later flew a subsequent tour flying the F-4 Phantom in 1967-68 at DaNang Air
Base. During his multiple tours in Southeast Asia, Mr. Turner flew 335 combat
missions including 100 missions over North Vietnam. He was awarded the Silver
Star, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, 21 Air Medals and a number of other decorations.
After retiring from the Air Force, he graduated from law school, became a trial
lawyer and was a later served as a trial judge in the Riverside, CA, Superior
Court. He is now retired and lives in DeFuniak Springs, Florida.
Norman
Turner
* * *
Veterans Views on Kerry - Thoughts of
a Former POW
The rigors and hardships of being a POW aside, I remember
the so-called, "Peace Movement", and "Peace Marches and Rallies" that were taking
place back home in the U.S.A. Our captors were more than willing, within their
means, to provide us with any and all anti-U.S. and anti-Vietnam War propaganda.
Without a choice in the matter, we listened to the "Voice of Vietnam" broadcasts
by, "Hanoi Hannah" and were shown newspaper and magazine photos and articles about
those opposing the war back in the States.
One of the peace marchers' standard
slogans was to, "Bring our boys home now and, alive". The warped thinking of such
people was that by demonstrating against U.S. involvement in Vietnam, they'd be
shortening the war and reducing the number of American casualties. These demonstrators
would also try to make one believe that their efforts would bring POWs like me
home sooner. They were utterly wrong on both counts not to mention the detrimental
effect their actions had on the morale of our troops and our POWs.
John
F. Kerry was not just one of these demonstrators. He was leading them. Therefore,
these so-called demonstrations for peace had the exact opposite effect of what
they were purporting to accomplish. Instead of shortening the war the "So-Called
Peace Movement" served only to protract the conflict resulting in a vastly greater
number of Americans killed and wounded, greater economic burdens and longer periods
of incarceration for Americans held captive in Vietnam. The war would have been
over much sooner and with a much more favorable result if those in the "So-Called
Peace Movement" would have instead rallied behind the Commander-in-Chief to accomplish
our mission and then, withdraw.
It is inescapable to think of the so-called
peace movement and the anti-war demonstrators without also thinking how many fewer
names there would now be engraved into the black granite of the Vietnam Wall if
these same people had supported our efforts instead of trying to derail them.
After all, fighting against a political regime that up to that time had murdered
over a hundred million people couldn't have been all bad. But, John F. Kerry thought
and acted differently. How many more names on the wall can he take credit for?
After the war ended, some of the war protesters hung on to their anti-war postures
for a while. Some of them realized the errors of their ways almost immediately
while for others it took twenty to twenty-five years.
But some, like John
F. Kerry have not realized there was anything wrong with what he did. Instead,
he hopes we will see him as a courageous Vietnam veteran. I do not. He hopes we
will admire his bravery. I do not. I remember him more for his misdeeds upon his
return from Vietnam.
However, in the present political arena, he evidently
has succeeded in gaining the support of some well-meaning but misled Americans.
Given his past record, it is just astonishing that he has garnered any support
from our nation's veterans.
I hope all will reconsider their support for
Senator Kerry in light of his actions which were so detrimental to our Vietnam
combat soldiers, sailors and airmen many of whom are not here today to tell you
themselves.
Thank you for considering my views. Please share what I have
written with your fellow vets.
Joe Crecca Vietnam POW 22 NOV '66 -- 18
FEB '73
* * *
Veterans Should Politically Banish Kerry
for Disgracing The Marine Corps Memorial
by Major Richard G. ("Rick") Erickson,
January 26, 2004
On the cover of The New Soldier by John Kerry and Vietnam
Veterans Against The War, hippies clad in a mismatch of military uniforms are
pictured mocking the legendary image of Marines raising the American flag atop
Mount Suribachi in the 1945 battle for Iwo Jima. Today, the Iwo Jima image is
a memorial statue that sits above Arlington National Cemetery and honors all Marines
killed in action since 1775. It is one of the most recognized and visited sites
in our Capitol City.
The New Soldier never made it on the reading list
at our military academies.
In the cover photo that ridicules the Marine
Corps Memorial, one of Kerry's cronies is tugging on our flag, which is hung upside
down as the ultimate symbol of sedition and treachery to all veterans who rallied
behind our flag in battle. On the day of that shameful photograph and with its
mass circulation on the cover of The New Soldier, at least 6,821 Marines who died
at Iwo Jima turned over in their graves.
Of all the reasons why John F.
Kerry will not become President of the United States, the biggest reason has to
be that, once he returned home from Vietnam, he betrayed his fellow servicemen
who remained at war. Kerry not only allied with the likes of Hanoi Jane Fonda,
but, before the United States Senate in 1971, Kerry went as far as to belittle
the bravery of embattled troops by generalizing their every action in Vietnam
as an atrocity.
No one questioned General George S. Patton, III, when he
accused Kerry of treason in giving aid and comfort to the enemy, especially when
it was revealed that North Vietnam incorporated Kerry"s exploits into its communist
propaganda machine. However, because of the prevalence of treason at the time
and the monumental task of prosecuting Kerry and his proclaimed "revolutionaries",
Kerry"s actions went unpunished and the associated advances of communism went
unhindered.
Fortunately, today's veterans and Americans who overwhelmingly
support our armed forces tend to disparage those who dishonor military service
and then pretend to be capable of our country"s highest office. This political
reality afflicted Bill Clinton, whose anti-military past kept him from winning
any more than forty-nine percent of the popular vote.
No wonder Kerry"s
presidential campaign is doing its best to subvert his estrangement from veterans
and service people in general.
The tact of Kerry for President looks a lot
like Clinton-Gore"s approach to deceiving voters that such an obvious liability
is really the opposite. When Kerry marched in the Veteran"s Day parade in Phoenix
last year, in tow behind him were a few people carrying "Veterans for Kerry" placards.
Some placard carriers looked like the ragtag types on the cover of The New Solider
in that they were unshaven, wearing circa 1971 clothes and appeared disoriented.
The
ongoing insult is that "Veterans for Kerry" is supposed to represent the veteran
community"s support of Kerry, when the reality is that very few veterans support
him. Most veterans cannot forgive Kerry for Vietnam Veterans Against The War and
its promotion of communism when we were fighting communists. As far as U.S. Marines
are concerned, we ought to ensure that Kerry is forever banished from the White
House for dishonoring our Memorial on the cover of The New Soldier.
Rick
Erickson is an attorney and Major in the Marine Corps (Reserve) currently serving
as Deputy Judge Advocate to the Commanding Officer, NORAD/USNORTHCOM. Rick"s experience
as an infantry officer in Mogadishu, Somalia led to his appointment as Director
of Americans for Military Readiness, a Washington, D.C. non-profit devoted to
ensuring morale and combat preparedness. Rick also serves on Military Academy
Review Boards for U.S. Senator Jon Kyl and U.S. Congressman John Shadegg and can
be reached at media@readymilitary.com.
* * *
As a
Viet Nam veteran, I knew the difference between a medal and a ribbon and I was
enlisted. For an officer to say their was no difference is either an outright
lie or stupidity; with the good senator, those terms are interchangeable. If an
officer didn't know the difference, he was one damn bad leader.
Scott Weber
Grand Rapids, Michigan Democratic Convention -
Rush, I have a different
take on the Democratic Convention. If President Bush is still having problems
in Iraqi and Sen. Kerry is still suffering from foot in mouth, there will be a
strong grass roots effort to draft Hillary as president. And, if she feels she
can win because of the troubles the President is having, SHE WILL RUN.
Thank
you all the enjoyment and information you have given me over the years. Keep up
the good work and Gods speed.
Hank of Winter Haven, FL
*
* *
Hello, My name is Brandon and I am a disabled Police Officer. I have
just finished reading a book by Christian Appy titled Patriots-The Vietnam War
from all Sides. On page 41 the author quotes General Gaip, who was one of the
leading Generals in the North Vietnamese army during the Vietnam War. General
Gaip states that he (Gaip) had met with John Kerry a few years ago. General Gaip
and John Kerry where paling around and General Gaip was giving Kerry a tour of
the Pac Bo cave. This is where General Gaip and Ho Chi Minh had planned the war.
Gaip quotes Kerry as saying "How did you plan to win a revolutionary war in such
a dark cave?
It states that Kerry was a Senator at the time he met with
General Gaip so it could not have been that long ago. I wish that someone at your
office could research this and make it public. I fear a Kerry White House because
unlike Clinton who only did Monica while in the White House Kerry will drag this
Country to it's knees.
Thank You
Officer B. R. Tull Retired (disabled)
P. S. I wonder what the few Vets that support Kerry would say if they knew
of this???
* * *
AN OPEN LETTER
Mr. John Kerry
Your brash and public statements about how P.O.W.'s are treated, is unpatriotic,
uncalled for and shows your relegation to gutter tactics.
You do not display
the charisma, nor moral stamina or decency to be a leader of our great country.
May I remind everyone, Kerry has called about half of the American people
(All Republicans) crooks and liers.
To put the full burden of individual
actions, on our leaders (such as Donald Rumsfeld), is just plain wrong; unless
the leaders have approved such actions.
Individuals who perpetrate terrible
and sadistic practices; should be tried individually, and if found guilty, should
be prosecuted.
Each individual on this good earth, has a moral obligation
of decency, and should be held accountable for their own actions.
Decent
moral individuals, know that all a person can do, is to set good examples, and
instruct in good moral practices; they cannot control each individual, in what
that individual does.
Any person who thinks all individuals can be controlled
continually, without punishing the guilty persons for their actions, are in my
opinion; brain dead, and are trying to use dirty, underhanded tactics to make
gains either politically or for other reasons.
Any individual who would
bring publicly, the display we have seen in the last few weeks of supposed prisoner
mistreatment, have done nothing more, than bring more mistreatment of American
prisoners and are to blame for the terrible beheading of Nick Berg.
To
bring any kind of war issues such as prisoner treatment, to public view, is only
aiding, abetting and siding in with our enemies.
People who would exploit
these things for any reason, are not fit to live in America and should leave this
country.
In God's Truth
Raymond of Manteca, Ca.
*
* *
John Kerry brought it up. Viet Nam veterans are jumping all over it.
What is it? It's something that's been in the craws of Viet Nam vets since 1971.
It is the false testimony given by John Kerry when he told the lies that have
contributed so much to the public's baby-killer perception of the Vietnam veteran.
Finally, after thirty-three years, we have our chance to set the record
straight--100,000 Viet Nam vets are going to demonstrate to the American people
once and for all that John Kerry lied when he testified about the murder, mayhem,
torture, and rape that Americans were committing in Viet Nam.
*
* *
Kerry's Vietnam service now fair game
His Royal Highness
The
American Spectator By David Hogberg 3/11/2004
John Kerry's remarks yesterday,
unintentionally picked up by a microphone, that the Bush Campaign is "the most
crooked, you know, lying group I've ever seen," was hardly surprising. Indeed,
Kerry has shown a growing tendency to behave as though any attack on him is wholly
unwarranted. Last Friday Reuters reported on the "royal genes" theory of the presidency,
the idea that the candidate with the bluest blood in his veins is most likely
to win the election. Whatever the validity of the theory, can anyone doubt that
the Massachusetts Senator isn't a genuine royal?
Kerry's thin-skinned refinement
comes into play each time anyone deigns to disagree with him. On Monday in Des
Moines, Vice President Dick Cheney took a jab at Kerry: "Indecision kills. These
are not the times for leaders who shift with the political winds, saying one thing
one day and another thing the next." Now, Cheney was not saying that Kerry had
actually killed anyone, but that did not stop Kerry from responding as though
he did: "Well, let me tell you something Mr. Cheney, Mr. President, bad, rushed
decisions kill too. And not giving American citizens health care kills too." Had
Kerry responded with, "Cheney's remarks were unfortunate and inappropriate," he
would have been seen as taking the high road. Instead, he came off as petty.
Kerry
also has a tendency to think that he is better than most and, thus, the rules
do not apply to him. Consider the dustup Kerry created two weeks ago when he sent
a letter to President Bush in response to remarks made by Senator Saxby Chambliss.
"Over the last week, you and your campaign have initiated a widespread attack
on my service in Vietnam, my decision to speak out to end that war, and my commitment
to the defense of this nation," Kerry huffed. "I will not sit back and allow my
patriotism to be questioned."
The problem for Kerry, of course, is that
he brought up these issues first. He's made his war service a centerpiece of his
campaign, but he wants to suggest that it's not okay for the GOP to criticize
what he did after Vietnam. His letter implies that it's okay for Kerry to attack
Bush's handling of Iraq, but not okay for the Bush campaign to go after his record
on national security. Although the Republicans weren't questioning Kerry's patriotism,
Kerry would hardly be in a position to cry foul if they had. Back in January,
he took a not-so-subtle dig at Bush's patriotism. Referring to the inaccurate
charge that the Bush Administration was cutting Veteran's benefits, Kerry said,
"The first definition of patriotism is keeping faith with those who have worn
the uniform of the country."
If a candidate brings up an issue to use against
his opponent, the rules of fair play dictate that it is okay for his opponent
to use that same issue against him. But Kerry seems to think that he plays by
some "higher rules." That sort of thinking derives from a belief that everything
you say and do is noble and pure. Only the most venal and nefarious would question
it, let alone attack it. Such people must be the most crooked, lying folk you've
ever seen.
Kerry's style has already attracted a lot unflattering labels:
waffler, panderer, condescender. The last two inspired pundit Mickey Kaus to the
coin conjugate "Pandescender." After yesterday, another term needs to be added
to the lexicon of Kerry description: whiner.
David Hogberg is a research
analyst at the Public Interest Institute, an Iowa-based think tank. He also hosts
his own website, Cornfield Commentary.
This is another website for Vietnam
Veterans KerryLied.com
*
* *
Here is another great tape about Traitor John
from ScaryKerry.com///scaryjohnkerry.com/vietnam.htm
* * *
Swift Vets' Letter to John Kerry (from swiftvets.com)
Senator Kerry We write from our common heritage as veterans of duty aboard
Swift Boats in the Vietnam War. Indeed, you should note that a substantial number
of those men who served directly with you during your four month tour in Vietnam
have signed this letter. It is our collective judgment that, upon your return
from Vietnam, you grossly and knowingly distorted the conduct of the American
soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen of that war (including a betrayal of many
of us, without regard for the danger your actions caused us).
Further,
we believe that you have withheld and/or distorted material facts as to your own
conduct in this war. We believe you continue this conduct today, albeit by changing
from an anti-war to a "war hero" status. You now seek to clad yourself in the
very medals that you disdainfully threw away in the early years of your political
career. In the process, we believe you continue a deception as to your own conduct
through such tactics as the disclosure of only carefully screened portions of
your military records.
Both then and now, we have concluded that you have
deceived the public, and in the process have betrayed honorable men, to further
your personal political goals. Your conduct is such as to raise substantive concerns
as to your honesty and your ability to serve, as you currently seek, as Commander-in-Chief
of the military services. It is vital that the American public have as much information
as possible about candidates for President of the United States. In various ways,
you have rightly called upon President Bush to be fully accountable and to provide
full disclosure.
In the same spirit, now that you are the presumptive nominee
of your Party, we believe it is incumbent upon you to make your total military
record open to the American people. Specifically, we the undersigned formally
request that you authorize the Department of the Navy to independently release
your military records (through your execution of Standard Form 180), complete
and unaltered, including your military medical records. Further, we call upon
you to correct the misconceptions your campaign seeks to create as to your conduct
while in Vietnam. Permit the American public the opportunity to assess your military
performance upon the record, and not upon campaign rhetoric.
Senator Kerry,
we were there. We know the truth. We have been silent long enough. The stakes
are too great, not only for America in general but, most importantly, for those
who have followed us into service in Iraq and Afghanistan. We call upon you to
provide a full, accurate accounting of your conduct in Vietnam
Respectfully
Bush2004]
An Open Letter to John Kerry....
My wife had rotator cuff surgery
earlier this year and the recovery is terribly painful. Then she developed staph-epi
infection, and they had to cut the same scar open and operate on her again. Just
thinking about the pain and anxiety of facing that painful surgery a second time
in the same scar makes me cringe.
That experience, however pales in comparison
to what I am going through right now in my heart. The old hurts are surfacing
and the feelings of betrayal by fellow citizens, and their leader stirring them
up, are breaking my heart again. I am being cut in the same scar. How did we who
served in Vietnam suddenly become cold blooded killers, torturers and rapists
of the like of the Nazi SS or the Taliban?
Most of us were American soldiers
who grew up idolizing John Wayne, Roy Rogers and all the other heroes. That was
why we volun! teered. But for political expediency, you, John Kerry, have rewritten
history again. After spending only four months in the country of Vietnam, you
testified before Congress in 1971 in these exact words about incidents you supposedly
witnessed or heard about from other vets: "They personally raped, cut off ears,
cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals, turned
up the power, cut off limbs, blowed up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed
villages, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged
the countryside of South Vietnam."
I was a green beret officer who volunteered
for duty in Vietnam and fought in the thick of it in 1968 and 1969 on a Special
Forces A-team on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, just for starters. We were the elite.
We saw the most action. Everybody in the world knows that. But we did not just
kill people. We built a church, a school, treated illnesses, passed out soap,
food and clothing and had fun and loving interaction with the indigenous people
of Vietnam, just like our boys did in Normandy, Baghdad, Saigon and everywhere
American soldiers ever served. We all gave away our candy bars and rations to
kids; our hearts to oppressed people all over the globe.
My children and
grandchildren could read your words, and think those horrendous things about me,
Mr. Kerry. You are a bold-faced unprincipled liar and a disgrace. You have dishonored
me and all my fellow Vietnam veterans! Sure, there were a couple of bad-apples,
but I saw none and I saw it all. And if I did, as an army officer, it was my obligation
to stop it, or at the very least, report it. Why is there not a single record
anywhere of you ever reporting any incidents like this or having the perpetrators
arrested?
The answer is simple. You are a liar! Your medals and mine are
not a free pass for lifetime, Senator Kerry, to bypass character, integrity, and
morality. I earn my green beret over and over, daily, in all aspects of my life.
Eight National Guard green berets, and other National Guard soldiers have been
killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and you totally dishonored their widows and families
by lumping National Guard service in with being a draft-dodger, conscientious
objector, and deserter, just so you can try to sabotage the patriotism of our
President, who proudly served as an Air National Guard jet pilot.
I have
a son earning his green beret at Fort Bragg right now and his wife serves honorably
in the Air National Guard (just as did our President) and I am as proud of her
as I am of my own son. I volunteered for Vietnam and have no problem whatsoever
with President Bush being our Commander-In-Chief. In fact, I am proud of him as
our leader.
Senator Kerry, you personally derailed the Vietnam Human Rights
Bill, HR2883 in 2001 after it passed the House by a 411 to 1 vote and thousands
of pro-American Montagnard tribes people in Vietnam died since then who could
otherwise have been saved. Earlier, as Chair of the Senate Select Committee on
MIA/Pow Affairs, you personally quashed the efforts of any and all veterans to
report sightings of living POW's, when you held those reins in Congress. You have
fought tooth and nail to push for the United States to normalize relations with
Vietnam for years.
Why, Mr. Kerry? Simple, your first cousin, C. Steward
Forbes, CEO of Colliers, International recently signed a contract with Hanoi that
is worth billions of dollars for Colliers International to become the exclusive
real estate representative for the country of Vietnam. "Hanoi John" now that it
works for you, you beat your chest about your Vietnam service. But to me, you
are a phony, opportunistic hypocrite. You are one of those politicians that is
like a fertilizer machine, all that's coming out is horse manure and you are spreading
it everywhere! Medals do not make a man. Morals do!
Don - Cannon City,
Colorado
* * *
Cease and Desist Letter
to Kerry Campaign, sent by Alvin A. Horne, Attorney at Law Houston, Texas to Marc
Erik Elias, Esquire General Counsel John Kerry for President, Inc., on behalf
of swiftboat veterans who served with Kerry.
http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\Politics\archive\200406\POL20040602a.html
Dear
Mr. Elias:
I'm a former Swift Boat officer and early member
of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. I am also an attorney licensed and authorized
to practice law in the State of Texas. Below are listed the names of eleven Swift
Boat officers of a total of 20 depicted in the referenced photograph with your
client, Senator John Kerry. They are: George Bates, Thomas Heritage, Terrance
Costello, Robert "Rocky" Hildreath, Robert Elder, William Houle, George Elliott,
William Schumadine, Al French, Larry Thurlow Jim Galvin.
These
officers demand that Senator Kerry's campaign cease and desist from all uses of
that photograph, taken on January 22, 1969. To my knowledge, of the remaining
eight individuals, Mr. Gilbert and Mr. Crosby are deceased and Messrs. Baker,
Bernique, Imbrie and MaCann have not indicated a willingness to presently take
any position regarding Mr. Kerry.
First, the use of the eleven
images in this political campaign wrongfully and incorrectly suggests their present
endorsement of his candidacy for President of the United States of America. By
letters delivered to the campaign on May 17 and on May 4, 2004, their objections
to the use of the photograph in his campaign and their belief that he is unfit
to serve as the Commander-in-Chief were made very clear. In fact, as has long
been evident to Senator Kerry, all of these gentlemen have felt anything but comradeship
with him at any time since his slanderous testimony before Congress in 1971 and
other pronouncements that he and they committed war crimes and atrocities. These
pronouncements were at least made in Mr. Kerry's book, New Soldier, repeated in
Tour of Duty and affirmed as late as Senator Kerry''s appearance on Meet the Press
in April of this year. In that process he tarred the entire serving military in
Vietnam with his black brush.
Second, no prior consent was
sought or obtained from any of these eleven boat officers before the release by
Mr. Kerry or his associates of that photograph to Newsweek, or later to those
who crafted his Lifetime ad, a calculated invasion of their privacy rights for
personal political gain. None of these officers, at the time of the unauthorized
release or any subsequent use of the photograph by the campaign of their images
were public figures, as that term is understood within the law. We all know of
the aspiring politician who seeks to be photographed with whomever they think
is the "Great One" of the time. In this case Mr. Kerry has reversed the ploy to
suggest a favorable relationship different than the truth. In no way do these
gentlemen seek any limelight not now required by the Senator's distortion of the
past and his wrongful claim to the American public that these men are his band
of brothers.
Lest anyone yawn and be tempted to write this
demand off to political hyperbole during the election season, please convey to
Senator Kerry that his blatant and continued corrupt use of this photograph is
at least on par with successful claims made by individuals suing commercial advertisers
for non-consented use of their images. They sought profit in dollars; he seeks
profits in votes.
I look forward to Senator Kerry's immediate
compliance with the essence of this demand. If that compliance is not forthcoming
or if I fail to receive any satisfactory written response from you within ten
days of the date of this letter, then further appropriate action will be taken.
Respectfully, Alvin A. Horne CC: Marc Erik Elias, Esquire
*
* *
Letters from Veterans Who Served With John Kerry
"We
resent very deeply the false war crimes charges he made coming back from Vietnam
in 1971 and repeated in the book "Tour of Duty." We think those cast an aspersion
on all those living and dead, from our unit and other units in Vietnam. We think
that he knew he was lying when he made the charges, and we think that they're
unsupportable. We intend to bring the truth about that to the American people.
"We believe, based on our experience with him, that he is totally unfit to be
the Commander-in-Chief." -- John O'Neill, spokesman, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth
"I do not believe John Kerry is fit to be Commander-in-Chief
of the armed forces of the United States. This is not a political issue. It is
a matter of his judgment, truthfulness, reliability, loyalty and trust -- all
absolute tenets of command. His biography, 'Tour of Duty,' by Douglas Brinkley,
is replete with gross exaggerations, distortions of fact, contradictions and slanderous
lies. His contempt for the military and authority is evident by even a most casual
review of this biography. He arrived in-country with a strong anti-Vietnam War
bias and a self-serving determination to build a foundation for his political
future. He was aggressive, but vain and prone to impulsive judgment, often with
disregard for specific tactical assignments. He was a 'loose cannon.' In an abbreviated
tour of four months and 12 days, and with his specious medals secure, Lt.(jg)
Kerry bugged out and began his infamous betrayal of all United States forces in
the Vietnam War. That included our soldiers, our marines, our sailors, our coast
guardsmen, our airmen, and our POWs. His leadership within the so-called Vietnam
Veterans Against the War and testimony before Congress in 1971 charging us with
unspeakable atrocities remain an undocumented but nevertheless meticulous stain
on the men and women who honorably stayed the course. Senator Kerry is not fit
for command." -- Rear Admiral Roy Hoffman, USN (retired), chairman, Swift Boat
Veterans for Truth
"During Lt.(jg) Kerry's tour, he was under
my command for two or three specific operations, before his rapid exit. Trust,
loyalty and judgment are the key, operative words. His turncoat performance in
1971 in his grubby shirt and his medal-tossing escapade, coupled with his slanderous
lines in the recent book portraying us that served, including all POWs and MIAs,
as murderous war criminals, I believe, will have a lasting effect on all military
veterans and their families. "Kerry would be described as devious, self-absorbing,
manipulative, disdain for authority, disruptive, but the most common phrase that
you'd hear is 'requires constant supervision.'" -- Captain Charles Plumly, USN
(retired)
"Thirty-five years ago, many of us fell silent when
we came back to the stain of sewage that Mr. Kerry had thrown on us, and all of
our colleagues who served over there. I don't intend to be silent today or ever
again. Our young men and women who are serving deserve no less." -- Andrew Horne
"In my specific, personal experience in both coastal and river
patrols over a 12-month period, I never once saw or heard anything remotely resembling
the atrocities described by Senator Kerry. If I had, it would have been my obligation
to report them in writing to a higher authority, and I would certainly have done
that. If Senator Kerry actually witnessed or participated in these atrocities
or, as he described them, 'war crimes,' he was obligated to report them. That
he did not until later when it suited his political purposes strikes me as opportunism
of the worst kind. That he would malign my service and that of his fellow sailors
with no regard for the truth makes him totally unqualified to serve as Commander-in-Chief."
-- Jeffrey Wainscott
"I signed that letter because I, too
felt a deep sense of betrayal that someone who took the same oath of loyalty as
I did as an officer in the United States Navy would abandon his group here (points
to group photo) to join this group here (points to VVAW protest photo), and come
home and attempt to rally the American public against the effort that this group
was so valiantly pursuing. "It is a fact that in the entire Vietnam War we did
not lose one major battle. We lost the war at home ... and at home, John Kerry
was the Field General." -- Robert Elder
"My daughters and
my wife have read portions of the book 'Tour of Duty.' They wanted to know if
I took part in the atrocities described. I do not believe the things that are
described happened. "Let me give you an example. In Brinkley's book, on pages
170 to 171, about something called the 'Bo De massacre' on November 24th of 1968...
In Kerry's description of the engagement, first he claimed there were 17 servicemen
that were wounded. Three of us were wounded. I was the first..." -- Joseph Ponder
"While in Cam Rahn Bay, he trained on several 24-hour indoctrination
missions, and one special skimmer operation with my most senior and trusted Lieutenant.
The briefing from some members of that crew the morning after revealed that they
had not received any enemy fire, and yet Lt.(jg) Kerry informed me of a wound
-- he showed me a scratch on his arm and a piece of shrapnel in his hand that
appeared to be from one of our own M-79s. It was later reported to me that Lt.(jg)
Kerry had fired an M-79, and it had exploded off the adjacent shoreline. I do
not recall being advised of any medical treatment, and probably said something
like 'Forget it.' He later received a Purple Heart for that scratch, and I have
no information as to how or whom."
"Lt.(jg) Kerry was
allowed to return to the good old USA after 4 months and a few days in-country,
and then he proceeded to betray his former shipmates, calling them criminals who
were committing atrocities. Today we are here to tell you that just the opposite
is true. Our rules of engagement were quite strict, and the officers and men of
Swift often did not even return fire when they were under fire if there was a
possibility that innocent people -- fishermen, in a lot of cases -- might be hurt
or injured. The rules and the good intentions of the men increased the possibility
that we might take friendly casualties." -- Commander Grant Hibbard, USN (retired)
Lt. Kerry returned home from the war to make some outrageous
statements and allegations... of numerous criminal acts in violation of the law
of war were cited by Kerry, disparaging those who had fought with honor in that
conflict. Had war crimes been committed by US forces in Vietnam? Yes, but such
acts were few and far between. Yet Lt. Kerry have numerous speeches and testimony
before Congress inappropriately leading his audiences to believe that what was
only an anomaly in the conduct of America's fighting men was an epidemic. Furthermore,
he suggested that they were being encouraged to violated the law of war by those
within the chain of command.
"Very specific orders, on file
at the Vietnam archives at Texas Tech University, were issued by my father [Admiral
Elmo Zumwalt] and others in his chain of command instructing subordinates to act
responsibly in preserving the life and property of Vietnamese civilians." -- Lt.
Col. James Zumwalt, USMC (retired)
"We look at Vietnam...
after all these years it is still languishing in isolated poverty and helplessness
and tyranny. This is John Kerry's legacy. I deeply resent John Kerry's using his
Swift boat experience, and his betrayal of those who fought there as a stepping-stone
to his political ambitions." -- Barnard Wolff
"In a whole
year that I spent patrolling, I didn't see anything like a war crime, an atrocity,
anything like that. Time and again I saw American fighting men put themselves
in graver danger trying to avoid... collateral damage.
"When
John Kerry returned to the country, he was sworn in front of Congress. And then
he told my family -- my parents, my sister, my brother, my neighbors -- he told
everyone I knew and everyone I'd ever know that I and my comrades had committed
unspeakable atrocities." -- David Wallace
"I served with these
guys. I went on missions with them, and these men served honorably. Up and down
the chain of command there was no acquiescence to atrocities. It was not condoned,
it did not happen, and it was not reported to me verbally or in writing by any
of these men including Lt.(jg) Kerry. "In 1971, '72, for almost 18 months, he
stood before the television audiences and claimed that the 500,000 men and women
in Vietnam, and in combat, were all villains -- there were no heroes. In 2004,
one hero from the Vietnam War has appeared, running for President of the United
States and Commander-in-Chief. It just galls one to think about it." -- Captain
George Elliott, USN (retired)
"During the Vietnam War I was
Task Force Commander at An Thoi, and my tour of duty was 13 months, from the end
of Tet to the beginning of the Vietnamization of the Navy units. "Now when I went
there right after Tet, I was restricted in my movements. I couldn't go much of
anyplace because the Vietcong controlled most of the area. When I left, I could
go anywhere I wanted, just about. Commerce was booming, the buses were running,
trucks were going, the waterways were filled with sampans with goods going to
market, but yet in Kerry's biography he says that our operations were a complete
failure. He also mentions a formal conference with me, to try to get more air
cover and so on. That conference never happened..." -- Captain Adrian Lonsdale,
USCG (retired)
"I was in An Thoi from June of '68 to June
of '69, covering the whole period that John Kerry was there. I operated in every
river, in every canal, and every off-shore patrol area in the 4th Corps area,
from Cambodia all the way around to the Bo De River. I never saw, even heard of
all of these so-called atrocities and things that we were supposed to have done.
"This is not true. We're not standing for it. We want to set the record straight."
-- William Shumadine
"In 1971, when John Kerry spoke out to
America, labeling all Vietnam veterans as thugs and murderers, I was shocked and
almost brought to my knees, because even though I had served at the same time
and same unit, I had never witnessed or participated in any of the events that
the Senator had accused us of. I strongly believe that the statements made by
the Senator were not only false and inaccurate, but extremely harmful to the United
States' efforts in Southeast Asia and the rest of the world. Tragically, some
veterans, scorned by the antiwar movement and their allies, retreated to a life
of despair and suicide. Two of my crewmates were among them. For that there is
no forgiveness. " -- Richard O'Meara
"My name is Steve Gardner.
I served in 1966 and 1967 on my first tour of duty in Vietnam on Swift boats,
and I did my second tour in '68 and '69, involved with John Kerry in the last
2 1/2 months of my tour. The John Kerry that I know is not the John Kerry that
everybody else is portraying. I served alongside him and behind him, five feet
away from him in a gun tub, and watched as he made indecisive moves with our boat,
put our boats in jeopardy, put our crews in jeopardy... if a man like that can't
handle that 6-man crew boat, how can you expect him to be our Commander-in-Chief?"
-- Steven Gardner
"I served in Vietnam as a boat officer from
June of 1968 to July of 1969. My service was three months in Coastal Division
13 out of Cat Lo, and nine months with Coastal Division 11 based in An Thoi. John
Kerry was in An Thoi the same time I was. I'm here today to express the anger
I have harbored for over 33 years, about being accused with my fellow shipmates
of war atrocities. "All I can say is when I leave here today, I'm going down to
the Wall to tell my two crew members it's not true, and that they and the other
49 Swiftees who are on the Wall were then and are still now the best." -- Robert
Brant
"I never saw, heard of, or participated in any Swift
boat crews killing cattle, poisoning crops, or raping and killing civilians as
charged by John Kerry, both in his book and in public statements. Since we both
operated at the same time, in the same general area, and on the same missions
under the same commanders, it is hard to believe his claims of atrocities and
poor planning of Sea Lord missions. "I signed this letter because I feel that
he used Swift boat sailors to proclaim his antiwar statements after the war, and
now he uses the same Swift boat sailors to support his claims of being a war hero.
He cannot have it both ways, and we are here to ask for full disclosure of the
proof of his claims." -- James Steffes
* * *
