Posted on 02/18/2004 1:51:04 PM PST by mondonico
HUGH HEWITT played John Kerry's 1971 Senate testimony on Vietnam on his radio show yesterday and remarks:
I played John Kerry's 1971 testimony on the radio program, and the response was intense. The first two hours brought scores of calls and e-mails which denounced Kerry for his slander of the military that served in Vietnam and for his understanding of the war. Kerry has thus far successfully dodged a discussion of the specifics of his testimony, and it was very hard to find the audio --it took my producer Duane considerable digging to find the tape.
The impact of actually hearing Kerry slander the military--his accent is unbelievable, and his tone of arrogance and condescension repulsive-- is powerful, and I do not believe he can serve successfully as Commander-in-Chief given the reactions I heard from veterans and currently serving military.
Hewitt links to a text version, but unfortunately the audio isn't available. I hope that someone will put the audio online so that more people can listen and decide for themselves.
(USA. 1972, B&W, 16mm, 93min)
Directed by the Winterfilm Collective
The film is a document of the Winter Soldier Investigation (WSI) of 1970-72 which was created with the support of Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW). Yes, Jane Fonda *was* involved with VVAW, but no, she's not in the film. At the end of January, 1971, VVAW had over 7000 members (from an original 6 founders in 1967), of whom about 100 gave testimonials on U.S. war atrocities they'd seen or performed. Their testimony in Detroit ran from January 31st, 1970 to February 2nd 1971, and -- prompted by the request of Senator Hatfield of Oregon -- was read into the Congressional Record that April.
Seeing documentary footage of actual soldiers unburdening themselves to crowd, camera and microphones is more powerful than any movie's fictionalized depiction of the war's brutality. For this alone, the film would be remain an important historical document, but the film goes farther than that. Rather than merely showing what was said, the film first looks at the sign-in office where veterans talked with organizers, looks at side conversations during the testimony (particularly with a photographer who brings up the Racism both in America by and towards Vietnamese), and ends with bits from the veterans' protest march on D.C. of April, '72 and one vet's reflection on his part in the war, how he's changed since he'd returned, and his testimony. All this works to give the viewer greater intimacy with the men who seek pardon for their actions.
Rather than listing details, see this fairly complete transcript of testimony and related material. Note that the film does not cover most the transcript, nor does the transcript cover things that were in the film.
One of the veterans the film exposes, Scott Camil is also central to a student documentary, Seasoned Veteran. The site also has a section on the Winter Soldier investigation.
Main Movie Page
Kerry has shot himself in the foot by focusing on his 4 months in Vietnam.
Democrats are trying to make it an election between Kerry the "war hero" and Bush the national guard no show.
Bush is like the tortoise who just plugs along as Commander-In-Chief!
. . .agree; get him, with his own words.
The most effective ads the B/C 04 or RNC could run-would be to show Kerry actually saying his own words . Kerry calling US soldiers baby killers and rapists, Kerry equating serving in the NG with being a deserter and Kerry laughing at NASCAR are even more powerful,because Kerry himself is saying them.
Be sure to have Kerry citing the VVAW "Winter Soldier Investigation" as the foundation for his atrocity stories. Then detail the names of the hoaxsters at the WSI, and show how Burkett proved them frauds.
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