UPI - Ex-POWs slam Kerry's war-protest activities

UPI ^ | Aug 3, 2004 | Richard Tomkins

[mentor2k]

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- John Kerry's bid to become commander in chief of wartime America has opened old wounds among some former Vietnam-era POWs who bristle over Kerry's anti-war activism and atrocity allegations during the Vietnam conflict.

Those activities and statements, pushed out of sight by a campaign that spotlights Kerry's service in Vietnam, were used by the POWs' North Vietnamese captors to sap the morale of prisoners and U.S. troops still in the field in South Vietnam, former POWs told United Press International.

"They were always talking about that (anti-war demonstrations), and they picked right up on Kerry's throw-away line, 'Don't be the last man to die in a lost cause, or die for a lost cause,'" said Kenneth Cordier, an Air Force pilot who spent 2,284 days as a prisoner. "They repeated that incessantly.

"They used these photographs and inputs, voice tapes, whatever, from these peace people to try to convince us the whole country had turned anti-war and we were showing a very bad attitude and would never go home."

Jim Warner, a prisoner of the North Vietnamese in the Hoa Lo prison complex -- known to U.S. servicemen as the Hanoi Hilton -- does remember. A North Vietnamese guard and interrogator the prisoners nicknamed "Boris" took Warner to the quiz shack in the complex's punishment camp called "Skid Row" in May 1971.

During a four-hour propaganda and harassment session, Boris pulled papers from his pocket and gave them to Warner to think about, he said. Some were clippings from a leftist newspaper in the United States. The other was a typewritten transcript of Kerry's testimony before a U.S. Senate panel in which he repeated allegations of U.S. troops routinely committing atrocities, attacking the war and saying communism was not a threat in Vietnam.

[mentor2k]

Anyone who had a friend or family as a POW, this really hits home.

[Drango]

The other was a typewritten transcript of Kerry's testimony before a U.S. Senate panel in which he repeated allegations of U.S. troops routinely committing atrocities, attacking the war and saying communism was not a threat in Vietnam

Kerry needs to be tried for treason along with the Fonda *itch.

[USMCVIETVET]

Go to the Village Voice online, search engine for Sydney Schanberg's article that at length dissects Kerry's squelching of evidence on surviving POW/MIA's. Schanberg is the reporter who broke the cambodia killing fields story. Although no friend of Bush, Schanberg is one heck of a reporter.

[Poundstone]

I remember Ken Cordier when he was assistant air attache at the US Embassy in London. He had a painting outside his office depicting his ejection from his jet over North Vietnam (which led to his being a POW for many years). A solid officer. I respect what he says.

[neverdem]

BTTT

[what's up]

The article implicates Dick Cheney as co-conspirator with Kerry.

I find this hard to believe.

I don't trust Schanberg.

[ArmyBratproud]

Here is the last link I had for the Schanberg article...

http://www.villagevoice.com/print/issues/0408/schanberg.php

http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0408/schanberg.php

Both links work...I just checked them.
If anyone intends on reading the article..and everyone should...brace yourself.
You will understand why so many people hate John Kerry.
Keep in mind...that McCain worked with Kerry on this issue...and seemed to be part of the coaching of witnesses.

And keep in mind...that shortly after Kerry got the trade agreement passed...his cousin got a land development deal aproved by the Vietnamese and he made a killing.

[what's up]

Schanberg is one heck of a reporter

Not sure he proved himself a heck of a reporter in Vietnam.

[neverdem]

ping

[Hi Heels]

Oh, but wait, Hanoi Jane aaaapooooolllllooogggiiizzzeeeeddddd.....

Like that makes it all go bye bye. My brother returned from 'Nam after two years (not months, Mr. Kerry) and OD'd under a Bakersfield onramp one night after months of catcalls, rejection, no work, girlfriend walked, nightmares, unability to communicate with society, people spitting at him in uniform, etc.

What makes me angry beyond endurance is that Kerry is PROUD of his stance. PROUD that the POW's got to see the televised protests and flag burnings while they starved and were beaten over there. While brave men fought. He should hang his head.

[dennisw]

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Regnery Publishing, Inc.; (August 15, 2004)
• ISBN: 0895260174
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: 7
  

[neverdem]

From time to time, I’ll post or ping on noteworthy articles about politics, foreign and military affairs. Let me know if you want off my list.

[Drango]

My brother returned from 'Nam after two years

Thanks to your brother for his service...

[neverdem]

http://www.scaryjohnkerry.com/vietnam.htm

[neverdem]

http://www.americanthinker.com/articles.php?article_id=3539

August 3rd, 2004

	December/2003

Call sign: Boston strangler
May 13th, 2004

Thomas Wright was one of John F. Kerry's fellow Swift boat officers in Vietnam.  Since Wright outranked Kerry, he was Kerry's sometime boat group Officer-in-Charge, so Wright had occasion to observe Kerry’s behavior and attitudes, and the circumstances surrounding his early departure from the war zone. The intervening years have not dimmed his memories.

When the Swift boats of Coastal Division 11 sailed into harm’s way from their Phu Quoc Island base of An Thoi, for missions along the rivers of Vietnam’s southwesternmost Kien Giang and An Xuyen provinces, they communicated by radio.  When they did, boat captains adopted distinctive, often humorous call signs for identification purposes. Eldon Thompson was “Mary Poppins,” William Schachte was “Baccardi Charlie,” James T. Grace was “Twiggy,”  and Tom Wright was “Dudley Do-Right.”  When John Kerry radioed another Swift boat, he used the call sign, “Boston Strangler.”
 
Lieutenant Thomas W. Wright heard that call sign frequently. As OIC  (Officer-in-Charge) of PCF-44, he operated with LT (j.g.) Kerry’s 94 Boat on a fairly regular basis. A 1966 graduate of the University of North Carolina’s NROTC program, Wright had served as communications officer aboard the destroyer USS Robert A. Owens before beginning Swift boat training in November 1967.  He had already served for eight months with Qui Nhon’s Coastal Division 15 when the monsoon season forced its boats to be shifted to the more protected, and more challenging waters off An Thoi.  He decided to extend his tour and follow his disciplined, veteran crew to the new base.  As the relatively senior lieutenant there, he was the OTC, or Officer-in-Tactical Command for the majority of the 3-to-6-boat missions.  On most of them he commanded 44 Boat.
  
The rivers and canals of Kien Giang and An Xuyen provinces were the targets of Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Vietnam, Rear Adm. Elmo Zumwalt’s aggressive SEALORDS operations.  Looking back after all these years, Tom Wright, now a retired Commander, recalls: “We planned missions locally to try to dominate the area and disrupt the enemy’s movements.  We faced significant challenges every day, every night.  We would respond to intelligence reports as appropriate.  It took great imagination and determination to work effectively in the rivers, and we remained deployed until material damage and casualties reduced our effectiveness.  We would then rotate back to An Thoi for repair and re-arming.”

For Tom Wright and most other Swift boat officers, there were two commandments:  1. Protect the crews.  2. Win.  As for Tom Wright’s 44 Boat; “we won every engagement, start to finish.  I got the crew home; a few nicks, but we made it.”

Working with call sign “Boston Strangler” became problematical.  “I had a lot of trouble getting him to follow orders,” recalls Wright.   “He had a different view of leadership and operations.  Those of us with direct experience working with Kerry found him difficult and oriented towards his personal, rather than unit goals and objectives.  I believed that overall responsibility rested squarely on the shoulders of the OIC or OTC in a free-fire zone.  You had to be right (before opening fire). Kerry seemed to believe there were no rules in a free-fire zone and you were supposed to kill anyone.  I didn’t see it that way.”

In Wright’s view, it was important that the enemy understood that Swift boats were a competent, effective force that could dominate his location.  To do that, you also had to control the people and their actions; to have them accept Swift boat crews and their authority.  You couldn’t achieve that by indiscriminate use of weapons in free fire zones. 

It got to a point where Wright told his divisional commander he no longer wanted Kerry in his boat group, so he was re-assigned to another one.  “I had an idea of his actions but didn’t have to be responsible for him.”  Then Wright and like-minded boat officers took matters into their own hands.  “When he got his third Purple Heart, three of us told him to leave.  We knew how the system worked and we didn’t want him in Coastal Division 11.  Kerry didn’t manipulate the system, we did.”

As for medals, Commander Wright holds strong views:  “No one was recognized for completely overwhelming the enemy with skill, courage and bravery.  No one wanted a Purple Heart because it meant we had made a mistake.  We made sure our crews were recognized, but no one took pride in a Purple Heart.  Everyone who served is equally important, regardless of rank or awards.

John B. Dwyer is a military historian, and Vietnam veteran, who served in the Fourth Infantry Division

John B. Dwyer

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[Ethyl]

This is how the ap ends the suck-up article................
Unlike George Bush, John Kerry knows what it means to serve in combat. He is uniquely qualified for the Oval Office and will be a president that makes America stronger at home and more respected in the world

This is an ap statement! What is wrong with this picture? No Fair and Balanced here. Sorry, the ap never said that they were fair and balanced, only LEFTY. DON'T READ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS EVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY DON'T POST PLAY FAIR, UNLESS YOU ARE A demoncrapt, you will understand. THE ap LIES!!!!!!!

[doug from upland]

I said a few days ago that John Kerry has no idea of the tsunami coming his way. He made his service the centerpiece of his campaign. Well, an elephant is coming into the room to take a big dump on that centerpiece.

In the age of talk radio and the internet, you can only hide for so long.

[mentor2k]

Thanks for posting that neverdem, as if I needed it, it gives me another reason to hate the measly little slimeball of worm oozing out of a jackasses hiney.

Was that too severe?

[Jet Jaguar]

http://tonkin.spymac.net/hanoikerry1.html