TIRED OF HEARING KERRY CALLED A 'HERO'

mark steyn website ^ | February 17, 2004 | Sgt. Major Edward F. Komac

[dennisw]

Letter Of The Week TIRED OF HEARING KERRY CALLED A 'HERO' Thank you for your article, Kerry's post-battlefield conversion is pathetic.

I spent three tours in Vietnam with the 5th Special Forces (Airborne) with side trips to Laos and Cambodia. I lost twenty-three of my friends during the war. That is the price you pay for the profession we followed.

However, the America public and a lot of Vietnam Veterans are being taken in by John Kerry's service in Vietnam. If you read about the award of his three Purple Hearts, they were nothing but scratches. If my Team Medic would have put me in for a Purple Heart every time I was dinged, I would have a chest full of them also, I wouldn't been able to face my fellow Team Mates. He used those three awards to get out of further combat. Also, the award of his Silver Star is rather dubious. It was up-graded from a Bronze Star, which by the way, I have three of them. During the Anti-war protest, the Vietnam Veterans threw their medals on the steps in Washington. When Kerry's were seen displayed in his office, someone asked him, didn't you throw those away during the protest? His reply, the ones I threw were symbolic.

I'm sorry that I got on a roll. I'm just tired of hearing what a "hero" Kerry claims to be. I would like to see that picture of him with the VC Flag behind him when he was telling everyone what evil things we done in Vietnam displayed more often.

Sgt. Major Edward F. Komac USA Retired

[dennisw]

This URL is Mark Steyn's mailbox. This letter (e-mail) may or may not be there next week. Anyways, Mark calls this one "Letter Of The Week"

[dennisw]

ping

[stylin_geek]

bump

[Toespi]

Kerry has a "Walter Mitty" complex doesn't he?

[kellynla]

"Hero?" I think "Traitor" is more accurate! Semper Fi, Kelly

[bvw]

J-Frog Kerry: "the ones I threw were symbolic.

Right-o. Symbolic of a man withour character and as phony as a "Rolex" watch sold on a midtown sidewalk.

[drc43]

Hannity just wouldn't give it up either today. He had a Viet Nam vet on that represented Veterans opposed to Kerry.

This gentleman kept trying to explain to Sean why Kerry is not a hero. Hannity kept interrupting him, and would not hear it. He persisted in proclaiming Kerry a war hero, no matter what this fellow tried to explain.

I finally turned the radio off.

[Congressman Billybob]

Mark posts as his "Letter of the Week" his pick of the litter of all e-mails to him in the last seven days. I was honored about a month ago to have my letter to him chosen for that honor, and in the course of my note I let him know that he has an avid fan club and an active ping list, here on FreeRepublic.

Congressman Billybob

Click here, then click the blue CFR button, to join the anti-CFR effort (or visit the "Hugh & Series, Critical & Pulled by JimRob" thread). Don't delay. Do it now.

[onyx]

Top of the proverbial iceberg.

Kerry wanted his Vietnam service in the forefront: and he's getting his way. Sort of.

[international american]

Hannity just lost me as a customer.

[international american]

Hannity just lost me as a customer.

[King Black Robe]

You will like this.

[GottaLuvAkitas1]

Thank you so much for posting this "Letter". This should be passed around so those who are not familiar with the medals and how they are awarded can get some perspective.

Kerry makes me sick and I still have 8 months to listen to his deceptive pie hole until Bush beats his butt!!! I'm sure the next thing he will claim is that he saved a church full of nuns or a bus load of children.
What a freak show!!

[T.Smith]

Hannity lost me a while back. I get so tired of him blowing his own horn, and his selecting callers that will start their calls with the obsequious, "Oh, Sean! Thank you so much for everything you do!!".

Occasionally I will turn on his show to see if he is talking about anything worthwhile. The last time I did that I found myself listening to his new dating game. I probably won't try his show again for a while.

[international american]

Defending Kerry was the last straw!

[thegreatbeast]

Not to denigrate the the service of anyone particularly but it was known that there was also a great deal of medal and award "inflation" during the Vietnam era. I believe that this is the case with Kerry. And I think Kerry's decision to go to Vietnam was every bit as cynically contemplated as Clinton's avoidance. Both were done with "political viability" foremost in mind.

[RightWingMama]

Kerry wanted his Vietnam service in the forefront

He did at the beginning. Little did he know that when the DNC started on President Bush's military record that all hell would break loose.

[dennisw]

My short synopsis is, John Forbes Winthrop Kerry served with honor, then betrayed his comrades who were still in the field fighting

Later proceeded to leverage his Vietnam service and Purple Hearts (for superficial wounds) for political office. Same as Max Cleland has done but at least Max Cleland had 3 limbs blown off, though not in combat.

[T.Smith]

Why on Earth would he even bother? Why have a real Vietnam Vet on the show just to shout him down?

[international american]

"Why on Earth would he even bother? Why have a real Vietnam Vet on the show just to shout him down?"

Answer: He wants liberals to buy his book. I hope they do , cause I won't. Wonder if the Canteen heard this crap??

[exit82]

I want to see his Silver star citation. Supposedly he wrote it himself.

America needs to see this pompus grandstander for who he really is.

[per loin]

A full congressional investigation into the alledged war crimes of John Kerry should be immediately conducted.

[PISANO]

Everytime I hear John 'EFFING' Kerry's name mentioned I think of "STOLEN VALOR". He is a fraud and a traitor and I am sick of his garbage!! You will NEVER hear a real HERO talk about HIMSELF at the drop of a hat. He is sickening to the extreme.

[Callahan]

We can all surmise that Kerry's service record is inflated. Vietnam wasn't a popular war and the brass were eager to boost morale by handing out medals. That enviroment perfectly suits a blowhard like Kerry who no doubt did everything he could to puff himself up and has been cashing in ever since. Still, the men from his unit back him up, whether out of self-interest or just respect for an old pal. Attacking him on this topic will not help us with swing voters. Sean was right to make it the official Republican media machine isn't going there.

[international american]

I lost friends and family over in Nam, and I will not give this traitor an inch. Hannity should at the very least castigated Kerry for his alliance to Fonda. Thanks for your opinion, though.

IA

[narby]

This gentleman kept trying to explain to Sean why Kerry is not a hero. Hannity kept interrupting him, and would not hear it.

It's quite obvious that the "word" has gone out that everybody needs to ackowledge Kerry is a "war hero", but.....

I'm not sure of the reasoning. Maybe it's because the Reps just don't want to turn Kerry into a victim. I don't know.

Personally, I think Kerry and other vietnam protesters have blood on their hands, and I'm waiting on someone to produce a video about the years 1973 to 1975, where we got what we wanted from No. Vietnam in 1973. But by 1975 the Kerrys of the world gave So. Vietnam away and left millions of people in So. East asia dead as a result.

The anti-war movement was almost as deadly for So. East Asians as Hitler was to Jews. And that's a fact.

They may not have done the killing, but they enabled it, and covered it up by ignoring it.

[W04Man]

Bump.

ANY VETS OUT THERE? PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO OUR LIST:

http://W-04.com

[onedoug]

Whatever "service" Kerry rendered in Vietnam, he made himself a Traitor in return.

Just ask General Giap.

[Bobibutu]

"You will NEVER hear a real HERO talk about HIMSELF at the drop of a hat."

You are right - you must tease or grind it out of them. They for the most part do not consider themselves "hero" - they just did what had to be done in the moment - as any competent person would.

Some relatives have a few medals from WWII and Korea - pulling teeth to get the stories and even then they play down their part.

Kerry - your opportunism and puffed up chest gives you away to anyone knowledgable.

[The Wizard]

YES very tired of the over use of the term

[dennisw]

Did you happen to mention general Giap???



http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/2/10/222651.shtml


Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2004 10:25 p.m. EST
Gen. Giap: Kerry's Group Helped Hanoi Defeat U.S.

The North Vietnamese general in charge of the military campaign that finally drove the U.S. out of South Vietnam in 1975 credited a group led by Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry with helping him achieve victory.

In his 1985 memoir about the war, Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap wrote that if it weren't for organizations like Kerry's Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Hanoi would have surrendered to the U.S. - according to Fox News Channel war historian Oliver North.

That's why, he predicted on Tuesday, the Vietnam War issue "is going to blow up in Kerry's face."

"People are going to remember Gen. Giap saying if it weren't for these guys [Kerry's group], we would have lost," North told radio host Sean Hannity.

"The Vietnam Veterans Against the War encouraged people to desert, encouraged people to mutiny - some used what they wrote to justify fragging officers," noted the former Marine lieutenant colonel, who earned two purple hearts in Vietnam.

"John Kerry has blood of American soldiers on his hands," North said.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Clinton and Kerry are both egotistical, self-promoting slobs.

One is good at eating heros and the other has only met them.

[JOE43270]

Sgt. Major Komac, Gunnery Sargeant Carlos Hathcock, Commander Richard Marcinko, LtCol. Oliver North, and many others are my HEROS. mr. kerry dosen't even come close.

[onyx]

Please read FReeper "Williams'" take on Kerry's military service. I think Williams has it perfect.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1079971/posts

[Hatteras]

"Answer: He wants liberals to buy his book."

Well,now that's just silly. Everybody knows liberals don't buy books...

[chiller]

Agreed. Hannity has every right to feel Kerry served with honor, but his guest also has a right to his belief. Hannity can keep his "fair and balanced" creds intact, but he overdid it today.

[international american]

"Well,now that's just silly. Everybody knows liberals don't buy books..."

Liberals claim to write a book, take a huge advance, and hire a ghostwriter:)

[MinuteGal]

I almost lost it today. In fact I did. I was SCREAMING at Hannity "SHUT UP, SHUT UP!

He was not only fawning over Kerry's Viet Nam stint with repetitious, fawning, sophomoric cliches, but he wouldn't let his guest, a REAL Nam hero, talk at all.

I didn't turn his program off, I yanked the cord right out of the wall.

Sean was sickening today. He may be our guy, but he's got a lot to learn before he gets to be as astute as Rush.

Leni

[international american]

I grew up in Boston, I know about Dukakis and Kerry. I would sooner have Dukakis in power than Kerry!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[Bobibutu]

knowledgable = knowledgeable 

[Jaxter]

"I would like to see that picture of him with the VC Flag behind him..."

The picture is photoshopped but, what the heck, it's symbolic, right?

[jackbill]

In his 1985 memoir about the war, Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap wrote that if it weren't for organizations like Kerry's Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Hanoi would have surrendered to the U.S. - according to Fox News Channel war historian Oliver North.

Did Giap mention the Viet Nam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) specifically, by name? If not, it's not worth mentioning. Kerry can just say "He wasn't talking about our group."

[TheSpottedOwl]

During the Anti-war protest, the Vietnam Veterans threw their medals on the steps in Washington. When Kerry's were seen displayed in his office, someone asked him, didn't you throw those away during the protest? His reply, the ones I threw were symbolic.

What a Clintonite. We have to get the word out!

[beckysueb]

I agree. Today was the first time I quit listening to Shawn. I think his time at FoxNews is getting into his radio show. I say we all email him and tell him Kerry is not a hero and he needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Did you notice that the guy was trying to tell Shawn when their protest was going to be and Shawn basically said yeah ok and then started talking about his book. He needs to understand he is loosing his listeners.

[TheSpottedOwl]

In his 1985 memoir about the war, Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap wrote that if it weren't for organizations like Kerry's Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Hanoi would have surrendered to the U.S. - according to Fox News Channel war historian Oliver North.

Immodium AD ping...

[beckysueb]

I think FoxNews has drummed it into his head so much not to bash Kerrys war record that he is afraid of losing his job. Either that or he is a suck up. I think Shawn is basically a nice guy but he doesn't have the go for the juglar and niceties be damned like Rush has.

[beckysueb]

And all the libs do is scream about the 500 and something casualties we have had in the Iraqi war. This is not to say that every single life we lost wasn't precious.

[Lancey Howard]

Kerry is no "hero" and I never thought McCrazy was, either.
The "heroes" have their names engraved, 58,000 of them, on a wall in Washington DC.
Kerry is nothing but a scumbag who is using those real heroes to further his own selfish political ambitions.

He is a disgrace.

[onyx]

Yes, we must expose this man. You're right, he's a Clintonite. Symbolic.