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This is my letter to our local newspaper submitted last night:

The following is submitted for publication in your "Letters from Readers" feature: Kerry smears veterans for political gain

He did it to all 2.5 million Vietnam veterans when he lied to the Senate Foreign Relations committee in 1971. He said that we had "committed war crimes on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command" and "razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan". John Kerry's words were calculated to embarrass and manipulate the Nixon administration by spreading vicious lies about brave men who served honorably. His lies caused wounds much more painful than any the enemy could inflict. His lies cast doubt and shame on an entire generation of patriots who served with honor and dignity and further divided our nation, solely to gain political power. The veterans he smeared were just tools he used for his purposes then discarded, like trash.

Thirty-three years later, Kerry is a candidate for President and Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces, and again he is smearing the reputation of our brave soldiers, this time in Iraq. He falsely claims they didn't guard 380 tons of high explosive munitions, allowing them to be looted. The basis for this attack: an 'October surprise hit piece' in the New York Times. Within hours of the newspaper hitting the rack, Kerry was on the campaign stump smearing these soldiers, with no proof or research whatsoever! His words cast doubt and shame on these brave and honorable warriors, but Kerry saw an opportunity to gain politically and he jumped right on it! He snatched a headline from the newspaper that has been his willing accomplice throughout his campaign, and used it to smear the 101st Airborne Division. The same day NBC news debunked the story as false, as they had a reporter imbedded with the 101st when it entered the Al Qaqa weapons facility in April 2003 and there were no such munitions! Again, the next day after the Times story was debunked, Kerry is still smearing those soldiers!

A leopard doesn't change his spots, even after 33 years. He smeared veterans for political gain in 1971 and now he has does the same thing in 2004.

This is the guy that declared he was 'reporting for duty', who would command the same armed forces he just falsely smeared! I hope the American voters will make the correct choice on their ballots next Tuesday and ensure he never has that opportunity.

Name
Gunnery Sergeant, USMC, retired
Orange Park, Florida

When kerry lied in front of congress he maligned every man who has worn
a uniform of this nation from it's inception to that far distant date
when we are no more.

Their hands are covered in blood.

Between 10.000 and 20,000 of our men in uniform
died when in front of congress Kerry lied.

An unknown number of our POWS where tortured and
murdered when in front of congress Kerry lied.

Over one million Vietnamese and over ten million
Cambodians died when in front of congress Kerry lied.

Kerry's hands and the hands of those in congress
and the media who bought into Kerry's
lies are covered in blood.

Now look at your hands. If you are supporting
John Kerry in his bid for the office of President
of the United States your hands are also covered in
blood.

Roger Yaste ATC Ret USN