Kerry's Mentor: Black Panther And Phony Vietnam Vet, Al Hubbard

Various | Composite

[Hon]

From the VVAW website:

Since Vietnam Veterans Against the War's inception in 1967, tens of thousands of vets, GIs and supporters have participated in and supported the actions of VVAW. One of those members in the early 1970s was John Kerry.

VVAW national leader Al Hubbard appointed Kerry to the VVAW Executive Committee to assist in preparing Dewey Canyon III, VVAW's limited incursion into the land of Congress in 1971. Kerry made his greatest contribution to the anti-war movement and to VVAW in his speech to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on April 23, 1971.

http://www.vietnamvets.com/wwwboard/messages/24613.html

Kerry's VVAW leader and friend from 1971, Al Hubbard, lied about being an officer, Vietnam Veteran, and sustaining war injuries.

B. G. Burkett, in Stolen Valor reports that "Al Hubbard, the VVAW's executive secretary...wrote a poem:

America

Now,

Before the napalm-scorched earth

consumes the blood of would-be-fathers

and

have-been-sons

of daughters spread-eagled

and mothers on the run.

Reflect.

See what you've become,

Amerika.

A scathing commentary by one of those who could no longer stomach the fight, right? Wrong. Hubbard first claimed he was a decorated Air Force Captain who had caught shrapnel in his spine flying a transport plane into Da Nang in 1966. But after NBC received a tip that Hubbard was lying about his rank, a reporter confronted him. He confessed on the evening news and the Today Show that he actually served as a sergeant, not a pilot or captain, in Vietnam.

John Kerry defended Hubbard, citing the confession as proof of Hubbard's integrity. "Al owned up to the rank question," Kery said. "He thought it was time to tell the truth, and he did it because he thought it would be best for the organization."

Then the Defense Department issued a news release about "Alfred H.Hubbard['s] military record stating that "There is no record of any service in Vietnam."

http://www.tracyfineart.com/blog/

From the Weekly Standard:

John Kerry seems to have had a way of eluding the bad odor that clings to his old associates. On "Meet the Press" in 1971, he appeared with VVAW member Al Hubbard, a veteran who was exposed around this time for lying about his rank and combat experience (he had seen no combat). While this confirmed suspicions about the dubious identities of many of the winter soldiers, it didn't keep Kerry from becoming famous. The young politician was able to have his cake and eat it, too, becoming the establishment, patriotic face of a radical, anti-patriotic movement. Quite a trick, really.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/003/712ljiby.asp?pg=2

[ellen_rometsch]

Very interesting; thanks for all the hard work!

[Happy2BMe]

Please ping me when the Tim Russert MTP show with Kerry tape surfaces.

[ezo4]

btty

[ezo4]

bttt

[syriacus]

Great thread!!

[Hon]

Posted by Carolinamom on another thread:

From STOLEN VALOR:
Hubbard's falsely claimed "wounds" from his Vietnam service (also proven false) were a rib injury from basketball game in 1956 and a back injury in 1961 during a soccor game. He got a 60% seservice-connected disability rating of 60%, for which he received disability compensation of $163 a month.

[robowombat]

In the NR circa 1971 or 72 there is a through debunking of Mr. Hubbard's Viet-Nam vet credentials. The most that could be said was that it was possible he was part of the air crew on some cargo flights from Clark AFB or Kadena AFB to Da Nang in 1965. The author was, interestingly, a card carrying liberal and through opponent of the VN war who was frozen out of standard liberal rags such as the New Republic to tell his tale.

[Hon]

Thanks. Yeah, the National Review did a number of pieces on the VVAW and Kerry around this time. I believe Buckley even had Kerry on "Firing Line."

The debunking of Hubbard began as soon as he appeared on Meet The Press. Apparently a number of viewers called up NBC to say that the guy was a fraud. As noted above, the DoD says they have no record of Hubbard ever having been in Vietnam.

I've seen it reported that his injury was from playing basketball. It would be nice to find out where he is these days. If he's still with us.

[Tailgunner Joe]

bttt