Kerry was a supporter of the "People's Peace Treaty," a supposed "people's" declaration to end the war, reportedly drawn up in communist East Germany.
It included nine points, all of which were taken from Viet Cong peace proposals at the Paris peace talks as conditions for ending the war.
One of the provisions stated: "The Vietnamese pledge that as soon as the U.S. government publicly sets a date for total withdrawal [from Vietnam], they will enter discussion to secure the release of all American prisoners, including pilots captured while bombing North Vietnam."
In other words, Kerry and his VVAW advocated the communist line to withdraw all U.S. troops from Vietnam first and then negotiate with Hanoi over the release of prisoners. Had the nine points of the "People's Peace Treaty" favored by Kerry been accepted by American negotiators, the United States would have totally lost all leverage to get the communists to release any POWs captured during the war years.
VVAW supported demonstration, Washington Spring Offensive, April - May 1971
250 + Swift Boat Vets tell the truth about Hanoi Kerry
http://www.swiftvets.com/article.php?story=20040629220813790
More than 250 Swift boat veterans have now signed an open letter to Senator Kerry
challenging his fitness to serve as commander-in-chief of America's armed forces.
http://www.swiftvets.com/index.php?topic=KerryinVietnam
"So far as we are able to determine, Kerry was the only Swift sailor
ever to leave Vietnam without completing the standard one-year tour of duty,
other than those who were seriously wounded or killed."
http://www.swiftvets.com/staticpages/index.php?page=Fitreps
Analysis of John Kerry's Fitness Reports