Replies

CyberAnt: Kerry's 4 month tour was his second tour. He did 6 months prior, but didn't see combat then I don't believe.
I wouldn't have wanted to be in Vietnam for an hour, let alone months. How long he was there is irrelevant. You do everyone in the armed forces a disservice by quibbling over that.

Some pointed out that the original letter in the Observer, and the one in the Washington Times are different, and months apart. The reason is, the first letter to the Observer was written in response to another letter to the editor (by a one Tom Hutchins).

Now, here's some fun reading, from the original letters to the editor of the Observer:

In response to Campenni:

To the editor:
William Campenni, in his letter in The Observer on May 23, states "While our wonderful freedoms, won and protected by the military that liberals (a.k.a. Democrats) ... abhor ..."
Well, I am proudly a lifelong liberal, a Democrat, a veteran of World War II (while I served my outfit was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation and nine Campaign Stars). How dare this "weekend warrior" who took refuge in the Texas Air National Guard, who was never in a war zone, charge me in public with abhoring the military in which I enlisted and served with honor for three years?
I don't really care what kind of spin Mr. Campenni puts on President Bush's controversial military career, but he ought not to go after real patriots and shame himself by so blatantly showing his right-wing Republican zealotry.
Edgar A. Glick

Accused 'Weekend Warrior' Defends Record
To the editor:
I am most grateful to Mr. Edgar A. Glick, the liberal Democrat from Reston (a triple redundancy!), and others, for extending my 15 minutes of fame by replying to my letter on George Bush's military service (The Observer May 30 "Writer Should Not Attack Patriots).
Although I do not know Mr. Glick, he sure seems to have the lowdown on me, by saying "How dare this 'weekend warrior' (me) who took refuge in the Air National Guard, [and] who was never in a war zone ..."
I guess this means I will have to return my Vietnam Service ribbon, my Air Medal, my Expeditionary medals for service in two combat theaters, all earned while "taking refuge" in the Air National Guard.
Where should I send them, Mr. Glick?
Having established himself as the "real patriot" and using his criteria, it follows that lifelong liberal Democrat Mr. Glick most certainly must have voted for combat veterans George Bush Sr. and Robert Dole rather than Oxford refuge-taker and military-loather Bill Clinton, no?
I find it humorous and entertaining that Glick and others responding to my letter cannot stick to the issue and the facts, and turn to typical liberal tactics of ad-hominem attacks, presumption of the moral high ground, and Jayson Blair-like news fictions to support their unsupportable positions.
It is also time for The Observer to close out this subject, and move on to more important local topics, otherwise, the Glicks, Hutchins, et al., will start questioning why liberal Democrat leader Tom Daschle only served three years of a mandatory Air Force tour of four years in the middle of the Vietnam war, and never left a safe and cushy desk job on a stateside SAC base where the greatest danger was a broken glass at the Officers Club.
William Campenni

#720 is awesome.

A couple caveats; Nixon was President during the period covered, not Johnson. William Campenni was posted to Pittsburgh during the period for which the President is alleged to not have shown up for duty. (see shoot down the highjackers) , unless there are two William /Bill Campennis who flew F102s in the ANG in the early 70s and live somewhere in the DC/Richmond VA area. The letter looks a little like someone trying a little too hard.