Posted on 01/24/2004 10:24:25 PM PST by 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.'"
All Purple Hearts are not equal.
Your confusing him with Senator Bob Kerry from Nebraska.
Former United States Senator Bob Kerry, a possible contender for the White House in 2004, has admitted that his commando unit massacred civilians when he was a Navy officer in Vietnam, The New York Times has reported. Mr Kerry was awarded a Bronze Star for the 25 February 1969 action in the village of Thanh Phong in the Mekong Delta.
1) Vietnam Service; Kerry did serve two tours. The first was on a destroyer(?) off the coast and he never saw combat. During his 2nd tour, which consisted of a whole four months, is when he commanded the swift boat and received all his awards/medals.
2) Purple Hearts; Kerry was 'wounded' three times. And by his own account, none where serious and/or necessitated him missing one day of 'combat'. In fact, his last 'wound' he jokingly described it as 'a scratch'. However with it and his 'award' of a 3rd purple heart, he immediately went to his C.O. and requested to be sent home - which was granted.
3) Bronze; As recently reported he saved a US Army SF soldier who had been blown off Kerry's swift boat by turning the boat around and pulling the Green Beret out of the water - all while being under enemy fire.
4) Silver Star; While on patrol his boat received enemy fire. His crew returned fire while Kerry piloted the boat toward the fire on the shore. The VC started to run, Kerry ran the boat aground, jumped off the boat with his rifle - firing & chasing one VC into the 'jungle'. Kerry wounded the VC, the VC fell and Kerry 'finished him off'.
Now here's the sick thing. By his own admission, Kerry carried with him at ALL times while he was skipper of the boat, his own Bell & Howell 8mm movie camera to document his 'bravery'. One crewman's duty was to film Kerry every time they were in a fire-fight. Including and specifically when he ran into the jungle and killed that VC for which he received the Silver Star.
What is further 'SICK', is that to this day, Kerry replays these 'home' movies over-and-over-and-over. It was reported that every visitor to his house is required to sit and watch these movies with him. The guy is PSYCHO!
In addition, even during Kerry's college days he was described as 'an opportunist'. And his 'choice' of a Navel 'Career' was in his mind the, safest (he wasn't gonna be an Army grunt Lt, humpin a ruck) and fastest ticket to a subsequent political career.
I also recall that about a year ago a reporter found an ex-crewman who served under Kerry and he described Kerry as 'dangerous to his crew', that he was a 'glory hound' and put his ambitions over that of the safety of of crew.
In conclusion, the guy's a self-serving maggot, besides a psycho.
ps: be assured these articles and allegations will again resurface if he remains in the lead or gets the nomination.
pps: If one wants to spend a few hours doing Google® searches all this info can be found - it's out there.
HELLO .. Nixon's War??
I agree that questioning the reason Kerry got his medals is both wrong and counter productive. The case is clearly made by the Green Beret who has come forward regarding the one action where that man's life was saved by Kerry that the awards themselves are unasailable.
However, it is valid, and I think important, that he is flashing those medals as his basic resume for being a "hero" who is therefore immune to any criticism for statements he makes about the Iraq war. I think the letter about his actions post Vietnam and particularly his testimony (linked earlier) are glaring indictments of his patriotism and show that he has betrayed the other soldiers who served and died in that conflict, and in fact in any conflict in defense of this country and of freedom. He has gone far beyond patriotic opposition to actively aiding and comforting the enemy in time of war. He's doing it again now. He has further used his office to influence foreign policy with those enemies in such a way that his family has improperly benefited.
I think his medals will become badges declaring his personal shame not signs affirming his bravery. We should praise the actions of a young person in dangerous conditions but condemn the uses that he has made of those medals since.
Hadn't heard about this aspect of his tour. But, how does one get the major media to spin this properly.
You know the argument they will use... "it doesn't rise to the level of (insert word)"
Kerry may have selected the Navy as a safer alternative... that doesn't matter. He volunteered and a tour on a naval destroyer counts. Period. We can't afford to waste our energy arguing about one's position on the pecking order ladder based on the service and unit one may have served in. This same argument can be used to skewer the President and I expect the media will soon start with it.
Please understand, I would never vote for this pig, but none of what has surfaced so far represents compelling evidence.
If the media/libs/dems/voters were unwilling to consider this issue during the Clinton years, why would you think they will now?
He has further used his office to influence foreign policy with those enemies in such a way that his family has improperly benefited.
I sure hope this can be established as fact.
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