MATTHEWS: What do those medals mean to you? There‘s been so much talk about these medals, and nobody‘s ever asked you what they meant to you. Obviously, winning the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, three Purple Hearts.
You‘ve saved them through thick and thin, through all changes of attitudes about the war. Why are they—what do they mean to you?
KERRY: Well, when you say saved them...
MATTHEWS: You‘ve got them. What do they mean to you?
KERRY: Yes, I‘ve got them. But—well, I‘m proud of them. I‘ve said that before. I said that in the beginning. I‘ve never expressed anything except pride for our actions—our, and I mean our boat, our men, the people I served with. I‘m proud of our service.
I‘ve said that in the days when I came back from Vietnam, even though things that were happening in larger policy I thought were wrong. And I talked about them.
But I think the way we tried to lead our lives, much of which is captured in Doug Brinkley‘s book, “Tour of Duty,” [I'm so wonderful! Read all about me!] was both honorable and in the best values and traditions of America. And I‘m proud of that.
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If I had been one of Kerry's crowd that followed his example of throwing his 'decorations' away to punctuate an important point, I'd be very disgusted to now find out the slug didn't really throw them but saved them. Thoughts like, I threw mine, they're gone, don't have an opportunity to rethink those actions, thanks Effin'!, are most likely percolating throughout the Vietnam Vet population.
Welcoming corrections if I'm off base.
The minute he set foot back on U.S. soil, he (falsely) accused those men - the people he served with - of heinous crimes against humanity. I'm sure he's proud of that, too.