Kerry's Anti-War Legacy

Newsday ^ | 2/22/04 | Craig Gordon

[secretagent]

Washington -- They gathered in a Detroit motor lodge in early 1971, veterans calling on brother veterans to speak of the unspeakable -- war crimes and atrocities they had committed in Vietnam in the name of America.

The so-called Winter Soldier meetings were controversial even then, and a young John Kerry made their most horrific testimony the opening paragraphs of his own address to a Senate panel three months later, an appearance that catapulted him to a leading role in the anti-war movement.

Kerry told senators that more than 150 veterans testified in Detroit that they or fellow soldiers had raped Vietnamese women, cut off ears and heads, used electrical torture, cut off limbs, "razed villages in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam . . ."

(snip)

Kerry critics, like Mackubin Thomas Owens, a Marine platoon leader in Vietnam who now teaches at the Naval War College, accused Kerry of helping "slander a generation of soldiers who had done their duty with honor and restraint." One professor, Guenter Lewy, wrote a 1978 book that attacked the credibility of the Winter Soldier hearings, saying a Navy investigation found some coached or bogus testimony.

John Hurley, Kerry's veterans director, insists that most veterans are glad someone stood up and said things that weren't popular at the time. "There were a lot of guys who came back home who felt guys were dying over there for no reason," Hurley said. "A lot of vets are grateful to John Kerry for standing up and giving voice to their frustration in Vietnam."

[secretagent]

Kerry attended the WSI and moderated and solicited testimony from some of the groups.

[SAMWolf]

Yeah, but actually he wouldn't throw his away, he'd probably throw Jane Fonda's medal away. :-)

[cyncooper]

I have a narrow focus right now. Document the lies of just one of the WSI witnesses.

When I read your post that's what I thought, too. There must be a list of "witnesses". Does he name in that book some of the names he says were adopted by others as their own, for example.

[secretagent]

Senator Kerry Belatedly Receives Vietnam War Award

I saw this as satire, but couldn't tell for sure til the end.

[SAMWolf]

Had to throw in a totally bogus line or else it would sound too plausible.

[Hon]

The Vietnam Veterans Against The War (VVAW) sent their own delegation to Paris to meet with the representatives of the National Liberation Front (AKA Viet Cong) in 1971. At this time John Kerry was their spokesman and defacto leader.

This photograph is from the book "The Winter Soldiers", by Richard Stacewicz, page 284:

Caption: First peace meeting between VVAW and the NLF, Paris, 1971.

Kerry's Group Met With The Viet Cong In Paris In 1971

[MEG33]

I'll bet the majority of Americans are not aware of Kerry's harm to his comrades in arms,the use of his and his compatriots testimony in taunting POWs,it giving the Cong more time at the Peace discussions.

I did not know there were frauds giving testimony in the Winter Soldiers' Investigation until Kerry became a candidate.

[Hon]

This was posted by Baynative on another thread, but I believe it is material gleaned from some of the reviews of Mark Lane's book:

"Kerry relied upon phonies and wannabes for support. His prominence has allowed current phonies and wannabes to continue the unsubstantiated allegations made all those years ago and which Kerry appears to condone even today. For example:

Elton Mazione, claiming Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) credentials, Kerry's original organization, along with his friends, John Laboon, Eddie Swetz, and Kenneth Van Lesser. They claimed to kill children and remove body parts as part of the notorious Phoenix program. They were neither in Phoenix nor in Vietnam.

Kerry's VVAW leader friend from 1971, Al Hubbard, lied about being an officer, Vietnam Veteran, and sustaining war injuries. Michael Harbert, another VVAW crony of Kerry, lied about his Vietnam service.

Frank Dux: He charged many recognizable Vietnam vets with using techniques bordering on war crimes. Dux was a fraud and non Vietnam Veteran.

Yoshia K. Chee claimed we in Vietnam routinely resorted to the most hideous forms of torture, threw people out of helicopters, and decapitated prisoners. He was a phony.

Mike Beamon, an alleged SEAL and Phoenix assassin, was never in the military.

The Senator's own VVAW and similar groups relied upon people like: K. Barton Osborn, a Vietnam veteran and testifier of atrocities to Congress. He told of prisoners being thrown out of helicopters, a woman starved to death, a prisoner being killed by a six inch dowel pushed through his ear. Osborn was not in Phoenix, refused to name names, and provided no documentation.

Lieutenants Francis Reitemeyer and Michael J. Cohn. Both sought conscientious objector status because of Phoenix. Reitemeyer testified to being assigned to Phoenix as an adviser and maintained a kill quota of fifty bodies a month. They became famous as My Lai hit the news. Neither served in Vietnam, in Phoenix, or had any first hand information. Reitemeyer later denied receiving any assassination training."

http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1065523/posts

[mystery-ak]

..was Kerry at this meeting in Paris?

[Jim_Curtis]

The media always leaves out the most telling aspect of John Kerry's anti-military career:

"At Yale, Kerry was chairman of the Political Union and later, as Commencement speaker, urged the United States to withdraw from Vietnam and to scale down foreign military operations. And this was way back in 1966."

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=352185

Kerry was about as patriotic as Sean Penn when he BEGAN his military service and got out early so that he could become a politician. He enlisted for one reason and it should be obvious to anyone who knows his history.

[Smartass]

A Lot of Viet-Nam vets and vets in general want Kerry hung by his B**LS!!!

[Hon]

"..was Kerry at this meeting in Paris?"

I don't know. But since he was the VVAW's defacto leader at the time, he was there in spirit at least.

[Cicero]

It would be useful to document lies. But it would also be useful simply to pin this Winter Soldier stuff on Kerry. The maggot has been running from day one as a Vietnam War hero and patriot. So if he admits to this stuff, he is caught in one huge contradiction that will disillusion a lot of voters. He'd get nothing but the peacenik vote on this issue, plus the usual suspects who would vote Democrat if you ran a yellow dog on the ticket.

[genefromjersey]

Now,now,now !!!

There are SOME Vietnam Vets who LOVE John Kerry! (I didn't say which side they fought for.)

To read their comments, go to the following site. (Scroll down if necessary.)

http://kcnewsservice.blogspot.com

[secretagent]

W There must be a list of "witnesses". Does he name in that book some of the names he says were adopted by others as their own, for example.

Good question. I'll look for a copy of the WSI, too, down at the used bookstore.

If any supposed SEALS testified, I could compare them with the "Wall of Shame":

http://www.authentiseal.org/reportsa.htm

[Mo1]

Another hit on Kerry huh?
Who is Craig Gordon? .. and which party does he tend to lean towards when reporting?

[88keys]

I agree, it's "BS", but I think this is telling (*pinging* Con):

John Hurley, Kerry's veterans director, insists that most veterans are glad someone stood up and said things that weren't popular at the time. "There were a lot of guys who came back home who felt guys were dying over there for no reason," Hurley said. "A lot of vets are grateful to John Kerry for standing up and giving voice to their frustration in Vietnam."

"Weren't popular at the time"???! We're talking accusing the military of war crimes!

Do you see the "disconnect" here? Sheesh! And I'm supposed to believe, even as a civilian, that any vet except perhaps a tiny minority of the "conscripted" (or about to be) would support these accusations solely because they were "frustrated", "felt soldiers were dying needlessly", and thought this "testimony", true or not, would help end the war??

There were certainly some "broken soldiers" who were guilty of atrocities, but for "hero Kerry" to imply this was characteristic of all the forces, and at a time when soldiers were still behind enemy lines as well as being held in POW camps, and then try and say "a lot of vets are grateful to him" for his efforts to end the war, is ludicrous.

Someone (maybe Rush) said, "Hanoi Jane" didn't want to end the war, she wanted the Viet Cong to win it. Perhaps Kerry was a bit spooked by his overseas experiences, and perhaps he has some genuine convictions against any wars, but he risked his integrity aligning with the Fonda/Davis camp to further his own ambitions, and I do believe he lost.