Kerry Slept in Georgetown While Vietnam Buddies Camped Out

NewsMax ^ | 1/25/04 | Limbacher

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

During Thursday night's debate, Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry had his best moment when he was challenged over the major anti-war protest he organized in 1971 after returning from Vietnam.

"I could not be more proud of the fact that when I came back from that war, having learned what I learned," said Kerry, "that I led thousands of veterans to Washington, we camped on the [Capitol] Mall underneath the Congress, underneath Richard Nixon's visibility."

Kerry told the debate audience that while Nixon tried to "kick us off" the Mall, "we stood our ground and said to him, 'Mr. President, you sent us 8,000 miles away to fight, die and sleep in the jungles of Vietnam. We've earned the right to sleep on this Mall and talk to our senators and congressmen.'"

However, as noted Friday by top radio talker Rush Limbaugh, while the vast majority of protesters did spend the night on the Mall, Kerry himself relocated to more comfortable environs.

In December, the International Herald Tribune reported that "detractors" of the Massachusetts Democrat "have long claimed that Kerry himself slept comfortably in Georgetown. . . . [Longtime Kerry friend George] Butler confirms that Kerry spent part of the time at his house in Georgetown, working the phones and lining up support."

The Democratic front-runner's accommodations during those nights of protest wasn't the only detail that set him apart from his fellow demonstrators in the group he ran: Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

Scott Camil, a former VVAW leader, told the Boston Globe last June that Kerry's patrician image was derided by others in the group, which was mostly composed of working-class veterans.

The ambitious protest leader, it seems, would show up for meetings in neatly pressed clothes, a look that irked his less aristocratic compatriots.

In one particularly revealing anecdote, Camil told the Globe that a VVAW member "had tried to reach Kerry by telephone and was told by someone, presumably a maid, that 'Master Kerry is not at home.' At the next meeting, someone hung a sign on Kerry's chair that said: 'Free the Kerry Maid.'"

[IncPen]

This pastor, by the way, supported the war in Iraq.

He's an interesting guy.

[Delphinium]

good letter, thanks for posting it.

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP

LiteKeeper
US Army, retired
Viet Nam, Nov 1967 - Jun 1969

And I didn't come home and become an anti-war lackey

[onyx]

Good statements, sinkspur. Damn right, Master Kerry is an aristocrat through and through. He's also a pro-abortion, divorced Catholic, now married to the zillionaire Heinz widow. They are a couple who cannot possibly relate to Miss, Mister or Missus John or Jane Q. Citizen.

[Mo1]

Does anybody have the details of the action for which Kerry won his silver star?

I'm not really sure .. there is a story of how his boat was in a firefight with the enemy

He also rec'd a bronze star and three purple hearts .. but I've only been able to find stories that he was injured twice

[Azzurri]

Most of the bomb-throwing revolutionaries who wanted to destroy the nation were the children of millionaires.

As are most of the anti-war crowd today. Just a bunch of spoiled, latte-drinking, trust fund college kids trying to be rebels.

[dennisw]

An East Coast brahmin will never be elected president.............

Actually one half East Coast Brahmin. Think Forbes family on that one. His other half is Jewish though in my 25 years in the People's Republic of Massachussets I always thought he was Irish.

[Terry Mross]

Sounds like all the medals are deserved. I understand being against the war. I joined in '69 and was gung ho...even thought about river boat duty, ended up in the Seabees and never saw combat. After getting out I, too, decided we shouldn't have been there. But, I also knew that since we were there we should have won the damn thing.

With that said, I still have a problem with someone who protested the war then turns around and uses the war in an attempt to become president. I think that's shameful

[revtown]

The 3rd purple heart came when he had a seed in his joint.
The seed exploded and he got hot ashes in his eye.

[ShadowDancer]

Kerry's 1971 speech to the Senate Committee of Foreign Relations.

Kerry

[Right_in_Virginia]

BTTT

[hershey]

Here's hoping the rest of the country is sick and tired of effete easterners like Kerry telling them how to suck eggs.

[SMGFan]

Left of Ted Kennedy, How so?

[There's millions of'em]

Unless someone presents compelling evidence that Kerry himself did something improper with regards to his medals, I think the subject should be dropped.

My experience in VN supports that there were a lot of awards made that were inflated. Especially in the officer ranks. But, this was the prevailing mindset at the time. PHs were handed out like aspirin.

I think if Kerry had falsified his reports that were used to support the recommendations for his awards, someone would have come forward by now and reported the facts.

It is well established that Kerry volunteered for VN (twice, I believe) and he chose to serve in a combat unit. By all accounts he performed well. If he didn't, only the men in his unit would really know and I havn't heard of any of them criticizing his performance.

There doesn't seem to be any basis for suggesting his war record is anything other than extremely positve. His behavior after he returned is reprehensible to me, but the libs and the media love it.

Seems like his financial ties to NVA and his record in the Senate are where the dead bodies are likely to be found.

Kerry scares me, because I think the media will soon elevate him to real hero status soon.

btwdik

[mewzilla]

Wonder if Kerry could have a Kimba Wood problem?

[cajun-jack]

I have the utmost respect for anyone that genuinely earned a Purple Heart, however, things are not always as they seem.

I was with the 101st in Phu Bai aug 70-aug71 and was stationed in a base camp. One night as mortars were coming in, a couple of new guys were running for the bunker and one ran over an engineer stake and cut his leg and another didn't duck low enough when he ran into the bunker and busted his head.

Yep, both got a Purple Heart for injuries received during hostile enemy action.

I know lots more that were injured badly and fully deserved the Purple Heart, but some awards were completely without merit. Sure would love to be a fly on the wall and hear the war stories these guys tell about how they "earned" their Purple Heart.

[JudyB1938]

Unless someone presents compelling evidence that Kerry himself did something improper with regards to his medals, I think the subject should be dropped.

I feel the same way, in spite of how much I loathe him for his actions AFTER the war. Jane Fonda is the worst, but he comes right along behind her.

[GailA]

btt