Last night on Fox tv I heard Carl Cameron read from this 1979 letter to the editor of the Boston Herald.
It is more explicit than even some of his other renditions of his "Christmas in Cambodia" tale and of course contains more fodder he should be confronted with.
So we basically have three versions of "Christmas in Cambodia" to go on (someone needs to find music and lyrics to go with that title): The 1979 letter to the editor of the Boston Herald, the 1986 speech inserted into the Congressional Record, and wackiest of all the "Lucky Hat" reference as told to Laura Blumenfeld of the WaPo of 1/06/03.
The "Lucky Hat" version is the nuttiest by far as it has our hero escorting a CIA operative on a secret mission far into Cambodia. This thread is the first one to make mention of it, and were we discussing anyone else I would think it preposterous, but does this in fact kinda, sorta resemble the plot of a certain movie starring Martin Sheen and the late Marlon Brando? Now, I realize that at this stage of the game, accusing John Forbes Kerry of telling tall tales is like handing out speeding tickets at the Indy 500, but the thought that this man, this presidential aspirant, cribbed from the plot of Apocalypse Now in order to impress a reporter is unsettling at best.
And who is he, really?
A close associate hints: There's a secret compartment in Kerry's briefcase. He carries the black attaché everywhere. Asked about it on several occasions, Kerry brushed it aside. Finally, trapped in an interview, he exhaled and clicked open his case.
"Who told you?" he demanded as he reached inside. "My friends don't know about this."
The hat was a little mildewy. The green camouflage was fading, the seams fraying.
"My good luck hat," Kerry said, happy to see it. "Given to me by a CIA guy as we went in for a special mission in Cambodia."
Kerry put on the hat, pulling the brim over his forehead. His blue button-down shirt and tie clashed with the camouflage. He pointed his finger and raised his thumb, creating an imaginary gun. He looked silly, yet suddenly his campaign message was clear: Citizen-soldier. Linking patriotism to public service. It wasn't complex after all; it was Kerry.
He smiled and aimed his finger: "Pow."
Its too bad that actor/raconteur Spalding Grey (Swimming to Cambodia) is deceased, lord only knows what kind of hilarious one-man routine he could have put together from this material but to be honest guys, I don't know about you but I'm getting genuinely frightened here.
Really? I'm feeling mostly relief.
I think this is the end, my only friend, the end.
I think for all the talk about the bunny suit, it may be Kerry's Kambodia Kaper (aka Apocalypse Never) that ends up being his real "Dukakis-in-a-tank" moment.
That would be the CIA as portrayed in the movie "Volunteers".
Thanks for the reply and the ping.
The problem is that even Kerry doesn't know who he is, where he was, or where he's going.
I was in Cambodia last December as a tourist, so vote for me!