[Rebelbase]

"during the Vietnam era that atrocities were routinely committed by America's military."

Am I missing something? Are the stories I heard 25 to 30 years ago from neighbors, co workers and other Veterans who where there bogus?

I think the word "routinely" is the crux of your investigation. "infrequent" or "occasional" would be more descriptive from what I've been told.

And who in the hell is going to admit doing something of that sort 30 years later? These guys are just trying to get on with their lives and forget what happened.

This will be rubbing salt into unhealed wounds from long ago in the name of politics.

[proud American in Canada]

"Am I missing something? Are the stories I heard 25 to 30 years ago from neighbors, co workers and other Veterans who where there bogus?"

Someone posted an interesting observation yesterday--there are hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese who have migrated to the U.S. since the '70's... why are there no stories of atrocities from them?

Indeed, according to that Freeper, the Vietnamese newspapers are apparently calling Kerry a traitor! Unfortunately, I don't have a source for that, but if it's true, it's very telling.

[Interesting Times]

Am I missing something? Are the stories I heard 25 to 30 years ago from neighbors, co workers and other Veterans who where there bogus?

If your neighbors say they murdered civilian women and kids in Vietnam, I suggest you avoid hiring them to babysit.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Am I missing something? Are the stories I heard 25 to 30 years ago from neighbors, co workers and other Veterans who where there bogus?

Yes you are missing something. Suggest you go to your local library and check out a copy of Stolen Valour. Lots or never wases and wanta bees running around then and now.

[The Shrew]

This is from the book "Stolen Valor" by B.G. Burkett:

One of them was John Kerry, Vietnam Navy veteran and aspiring politician who had been among those who organized the protest. Kerry flung a handful of medals -- he had received the Silver Star, a Bronze Star Medal, and three Purple Hearts -- over the fence. Kerry spoke later that week before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, putting a face on the antiwar movement far different from the one seen before -- the scruffy hippie or wild-eyed activist. Kerry represented the All-American boy, mentally twisted by being asked to do terrible things, then abandoned by his government.

From start to finish, the public took Dewey Canyon III at face value, not understanding that they were watching brilliant political theater. Kerry, a Kennedy protege with white-hot political aspirations, ascended center stage as both a war hero and as an antiwar hero throwing away his combat decorations. His speech, apparently off the cuff, was eloquent, impassioned.

This is posted on the website WinterSoldier.com

"during the Vietnam era that atrocities were routinely committed by America's military."

The Senate Investigations brought about by "The Winter Soldier Tribunals" failed to substantiate the claims made by Kerry and the others involved. The site has the information in great detail or links to further sites for research.

If you're concerned about the Vietnam Veteran and how he was portrayed after the war this site is vital to a more complete view than the one given out by the media - during the 1960-70's. The image of the Vietnam Veteran as portrayed by Hollywood, and the mainstream media was hugely influenced by the "Winter Soldier" tribunals. It was an inaccurate impression.

Regards,

TS

[Dan(9698)]

...Am I missing something? Are the stories I heard 25 to 30 years ago from neighbors, co workers and other Veterans who where there bogus?

Yes they are bogus. They fall into two categories.

First, the ones telling the stories are not telling you that they did the bad deeds, they are telling you that someone else (unnamed) did it and they heard about it.

The other is like Kerry's buddies who testified to the senate about all the bad deeds, but when you check, they were never in battle in Vietnam. Most were not even in the service.

There are many who claim to be Green Berets who were never in the Army. Check them out on the Green Berets site. They are not listed.

[cake_crumb]

"I think the word 'routinely' is the crux of your investigation. 'infrequent' or 'occasional' would be more descriptive from what I've been told."

I would say "rare" would be much more accurate.

[Askel5]

=== These guys are just trying to get on with their lives and forget what happened. This will be rubbing salt into unhealed wounds from long ago in the name of politics.

I don't understand it either.

Additionally, by drawing attention to what atrocities were committed, the one truly useful lesson of Viet Nam -- "SUPPORT THE TROOPS" -- will lose a lot of its "with us or agin' us" allure as the War on Terror becomes a fact of life for us, our children and our children's children as we're drawn into various funkholes worldwide for the next 30 years at the very least.