Posted on 10/18/2004 6:32:56 PM PDT by Fatalis
Earlier today the Associated Press reported that Professor Kenneth W. Campbell is suing the director of "Stolen Valor" (a documentary about events relating to Senator John Kerry's antiwar activities in 1971) for libel. Campbell states:
in the suit that "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal" combines footage of him appearing at a 1971 war protest with narration that claims that many of the supposed veterans who took part in the event were later "discovered as frauds" who "never set foot on the battlefield, or left the comfort of the States, or even served in uniform."
The suit said viewers would be left with the perception that Campbell had lied about his military service.
So what did Campbell say about his military service?
Here is an excerpt of Kenneth Campbell's testimony before the Winter Soldier Investigation in 1971:
CAMPBELL. My name is Kenneth J. Campbell. I'm 21. I'm a Philadelphia resident. I was a Corporal in the Marine Corps. I was an FO, Forward Artillery Scout Observer. I FO'd for Bravo Company, First Battalion, First Marine Regiment, First Marine Division. I was in Vietnam from February of '68 to March of '69. I went straight into the Marine Corps from high school and I am now a student at Temple University in Philadelphia. My testimony will consist of eyewitnessing and participating in the calling in of artillery on undefended villages, mutilation of bodies, killing of civilians, mistreatment of civilians, mistreatment of prisoners and indiscriminate use of artillery, harassment and interdiction fire.
In the 1992 article Vietnam Veterans and War Crimes Hearings, co-written with Elliott L. Meyrowitz, Campbell wrote:
The veterans who testified at these war crimes hearings had ending the Vietnam War as their ultimate objective. But does this mean, therefore, that the atrocities described did not happen, or if they did happen, that they were not war crimes? These former infantrymen, pilots, artillery observers, and interrogators did not testify to witnessing or participating in atrocities in Vietnam because they opposed the war; rather, they opposed the war because they had witnessed or participated in atrocities.
It's interesting that while Campbell was arguing for the veracity of the Winter Soldier testimonies failed to mention his own admissions about the atrocities that he, himself, had testified that he'd witnessed and participated in while serving in Vietnam.
In any case, Campbell resists any suggestion that his Winter Soldier testimony was not truthful:
The suit names the film's producer, Carlton Sherwood, and his company, Red White and Blue Productions, as defendants.
"I'd be darned if I'm going to sit back and let someone libel me like this," said Campbell. "It paints me as having been a fabricator, a fraud and a liar."
...
The segment of "Stolen Honor" involving Campbell is posted on the film's Web site. It shows grainy footage of him speaking with a fellow Marine a 1971 gathering in Detroit, during which Kerry and other servicemen shared stories about horrific acts they had committed or witnessed during the war.
In the clip, Campbell asks whether the Marine recalls a particular assault on a village in Vietnam's Quang Tri province. The Marine, who served in the same unit as Campbell, says he does and offers to provide more detail. Neither man is identified by name.
Sherwood introduces the conversation by saying, "many of the horror stories seem made up on the spot," but doesn't elaborate as to why he believes that to be the case.
Veterans groups that supported the war have long argued with anti-war groups about the veracity of the alleged war crimes described during the event, dubbed the "Winter Soldier" hearings.
Campbell, then 21, said at the time that he had seen American forces shell undefended villages, kill civilians, mutilate bodies and mistreat prisoners.
However, we've seen from Campbell's Winter Soldier testimony above that he not only claimed to have witnessed atrocities in Vietnam, but to have particpated in them as well.
Kenneth J. Campbell will have no one besmirch his record as an honest war criminal.
EXCERPT FROM CAMPBELL'S DIARY:
See entire selection at: http://lists.village.virginia.edu/sixties/HTML_docs/Texts/Narrative/Campbell_Oslo.html
Day 3: Friday, June 18th, Moscow
Up early for breakfast. I went with Tamara to get a photo for my visa. Had a good personal talk with her. Then all of us met with the Chargé d'Affairs of North Vietnam (DRV) at his office. Very good meeting. Returned for lunch. Many of us had been requesting to go to the countryside and this was promised but never fulfilled. Instead, we met with Comrade Tarasov who is the Assistant Head of the International Department of the Soviet Peace Committee. He was very cold and formal, unlike our Soviet guides and translators, Boris and Tamara. We had dinner, then went to the Kremlin on Tarasov's insistence. We met some Russian student vaudeville performers and exchanged gifts and song. Very moving for all! In the evening we went to the ballet. Returned and had supper. Then we went for a walk in Red Square.
After walking Tamara to the subway stop, Larry, Nathan and I decided to see if we could take off unattended. We walked about a half-mile from our hotel but got tired and stopped in the Hotel Metropol for a drink. Met a Scandinavian pilot and had a short, good talk. He invited us to Stockholm for the 28th of June to his yacht. Went into the bar, had a drink and took in the entertainment. Went back to the hotel and crashed.
Day 7: Tuesday, June 22nd, Oslo
Awoke early, had breakfast, then we all checked out of the hotel. We went to the conference, listened to the Vietnamese witnesses, Don Luce, then our own testimony. First Danny, then Nate, me, then Randy, it went well.
Our group then had a meeting with the DRV delegation in the conference room. One of the members of the PRG delegation, Nguyen Van Tien, and the President of the DRV Supreme Court, Pham Van Bach, were there. Meeting was good and we were invited to meet with Madame Binh in Paris on our way home.
We then went to check into a hotel for the rest of our stay in Oslo. After settling in we went to meet with the Pathet Lao. We soon confronted an American who followed us into Danny's hotel and sat in the lobby with us. I asked him if he worked for the CIA, CID, FBI or the American Embassy. He looked surprised and uneasy, but replied that he was a deserter and studying in Oslo. We left, but Larry hung back and noticed him leave the hotel and get into a Norwegian police car up the street and drive away!?
The meeting with the Pathet Lao delegation was intense and emotional. General Sinkapo welcomed us; we exchanged gifts and they gave us pictures of two American pilots killed in Laos so that we could notify their families. General Sinkapo told us we were his "little brothers" and promised to help us whenever we needed him. After the meeting we went back to our hotels and slept.
Day 15: Wednesday, June 30, Paris
Woke, had breakfast, and called the PRG delegation only to find out our meeting with Madam Binh would have to be postponed because of imminent developments in the peace talks. That evening we went to hear Sartre speak to a large audience at a meeting to protest the impending destruction of Les Halles. Larry wrote a note expressing our support for the students' and workers' struggle to retain Les Halles and when it was read aloud from the podium, we were asked to stand and we received a prolonged, enthusiastic standing ovation.
Later, accompanying three French students to the site of the Les Halles demonstration, I just barely escaped the French riot police when they closed in to violently break up the crowds.
Day 16: Thursday, July 1st, Paris
Went to the hotel where the Peace Talks were being held. I had coffee in a cafe across the street and was soon joined by Larry, Nathan, Karen and Danny. Ambassador David Bruce arrived and the American tourists clapped and waved. Madam Binh arrived, we clapped, she waved, and we were seized by the French police.
After ten minutes of questioning in a side alley, Larry and I were released (we had reacted calmly), Danny and Karen were taken away (they had reacted with verbal hostility), as was Nathan (he didn't have his passport with him).
Representatives of CBS TV filmed the incident and later offered Larry and me their help. We explained who we were and why we were there, but thanked them and declined their help. Later, Bart showed up at the French police station with Nate's passport and all three were released.
Interesting. Was Kerry with them during this visit with Mrs. Binh in Paris?
Well if he is a real war criminal why hasn't he been prosecuted and served time in prison??? I say lets try him in court since he wants to be recognized as a real war criminal and make sure he does time.
See this thread.
It said MANY, not all, so they are protected by what they said in the film. This is just a strong arm tactic by the probable communist IMO!
This man has been defamed ( even if it was only by association to many who were frauds in that horrific anti-war vet scum)...he is not a fraud, he is, indeed, a WAR CRIMINAL. He deserves his appropriate title.
Wonder if this Campbell idiot understands that on the witness stand he may have his allegations challenged by Marines who were there. On the stand, if the jury hears one lie they can often assume nothing the witness says is true. I think the Stolen Honor producers would enjoy a lawsuit more than Campbell. Watch for this suit to be dropped once Campbell realizes they aren't backing down.
Thanks for the ping.
In Campbell's lawsuit, at delawareonline.com, the professor says that he was released from active duty with the Marines on Feb.10,1970, and was in the Inactive Reserves until 1973.
His meetings with the Communists in Oslo, Moscow, Rome, Paris,etc. were when he was Inactive Reserve.
Also in the lawsuit, he appeared on Hardball on 9-9-04 and said there was only one person in VVAW that was "uncovered" as having been a sergeant when he said he was a captain.(Al Hubbard-Co-Founder)
Mr.Campbell seems to have missed a few of the "witnesses".
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