Kerry Meets Soldier He Saved in Vietnam (Didn't know he was a Vietnam Vet Alert)

NY Times ^ | 1-18-04 | DAVID M. HALBFINGER

[ambrose]

I wonder if the Vietnamese villagers that Kerrey slaughtered will be giving their endorsement.

[Miss Marple]

Color me cynical, but I think the campaign contacted this guy. Kerry needs all the help he can get. Pfui!

[freedumb2003]

John F'ing Kerry is a Vietnam Vet? Really?

Wow, whod a thunk it. Vietnam...

[Miss Marple]

Kerrey isn't Kerry. The Vietnamese village accusation was the guy who has retired...Kerrey.

Kerry is the Musnster lookalike.

[stylin19a]

He didn't "win" any of those medals. He was awarded them. Big difference.

[Indy Pendance]

I agree, so similar to Clinton's rise, scary too.

[Simmy2.5]

Well, Kerry is showing that he has life in his campaign given that, he is surging in Iowa to the point where...he can actually win (to the unfortunete demise of Nikita Dean)! So Kerry, who fought in that war (which one was it again?) could still be around after New Hampshire.

[deport]

Color me cynical, but I think the campaign contacted this guy. Kerry needs all the help he can get. Pfui!

---

That maybe true and Kerry may need all the help he can get..... But at the time you can't change what he did. Later in his life and political career he may have reversed course on things.

To serve, take fire and assist a fallen comrad is commendable..... I'll not slam him for that.

[AmishDude]

There's a poster in the Iowa State Memorial Union in a Kerry display area (I hope they paid big bucks for that) which has a very young Kerry looking at a TV screen with Nixon on it saying "He was the protestor the administration feared most."

I suppose this is a way to attract the activist types (of whom ISU has relatively few, compared to other college campi) away from Dean. But this is a war that was over before these kids were born.

Also, I find it interesting that the Vietnamistas didn't see the light when Johnson was president, but that's a discussion for another day.

[Thor_Hammar]

A line in the story caught my eye:

I find it interesting that a Yalie doesn't answer his mail. Rassman wouldn't have received a response from Ketchup King even if he were a constituent. Kerry simply doesn't answer his mail. I wonder if Gigolo John might be dyslexic or maybe even illiterate. After all, I know dozens of people who have written his office and no of no one who has received a reply, not even a canned reply.

[LisaMalia]

Why am I suddenly having flashbacks of the PT109/JFK falacy?

[torchthemummy]

What amazes me is that this guy has not shown up in other Kerry campaigns. Must be the guy, as a Republican, refused to be used.

[Miss Marple]

No, deport, I am not slamming him for his commendable service. I am simpy suspicious that he has had NO contact with this guy in the ensuing years and that the guy initiated the phone call.

Kerry did some brave and honorable things. It is sad that after he did them, he chose to side with the anti_American crowd. That doesn't negate what he did, but it must be taken into context when looking at the whole man.

[SJackson]

Doesn't make him Presidential material, but kudos for Kerry that day, he has my respect.

[JudyB1938]

To serve, take fire and assist a fallen comrad is commendable.....
I'll not slam him for that.

Thank you for that acknowledgement of a heroic American military serviceman. Whatever the man's politics and however much he touts it now, I think it is awful to not give credit for his bravery in Viet Nam. That is something that should not be taken lightly and certainly should not be made fun of

[Sunshine Sister]

I agree. I can't stand the guy, but he did what he did and it took courage I'm not sure I have. I'll not slam him for that.

[arasina]

So Mr. Rassmann flew to Iowa. "I'm a news junkie," he said at a news conference here. "I've followed John's career since '84. I wrote him a letter then and invited him to dinner if he ever came to L.A. Never heard back."

En route from Davenport, Mr. Kerry was staggered to learn by phone of Mr. Rassmann's emergence. "I'm amazed," he said in a raspy, halting voice. "It's stunning. It's amazing to have a guy from 35 years ago just appear."

Yeah, right. He just appeared after all these years. I'm glad you saved the life of Mr. Rasmussen and you're due respect for your military service, Senator Kerry, but to claim you were surprised at his happenstance appearance at this crucial time in your campaign is beyond belief.

[PeaceBeWithYou]

PFC 94 and crew 7 days(March 6, 1969) before this incident. No LTJG Kerry is listed. No Kerry listed at all.

Makes you wonder don't it?