Revealed: how 'war hero' Kerry tried to put off Vietnam military duty

The Telegraph ^ | Filed 07/03/2004 | Charles Laurence

[counterpunch]

John Kerry, The Frenchurian Candidate.


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[swilhelm73]

I read recently that Kerry chose the swift boats for them being the least risky combat assignment in Vietnam. However, I must say I don't know why anyone would have thought that.

At the time they weren't being used to patrol rivers in hostile territory, IIRC

[Tamzee]

Hannity didn't seem to know on tonight's show.

Kerry's campaign representative was on Hannity and Colmes and kept repeating that Kerry was a hero who volunteered completely willingly to go to Vietnam and how DARE anyone challenge his service there... Hannity said not a word about Kerry's attempt to avoid Vietnam service.

[Tamzee]

I read recently that Kerry chose the swift boats for them being the least risky combat assignment in Vietnam. However, I must say I don't know why anyone would have thought that.

Because when he first requested swift boat assignment, they were still only patrolling the coast.

Boston Globe, 6/16/2003: ........"I didn't really want to get involved in the war," Kerry said in a little-noticed contribution to a book of Vietnam reminiscences published in 1986. "When I signed up for the swift boats, they had very little to do with the war. They were engaged in coastal patrolling and that's what I thought I was going to be doing."

[torchthemummy]

Bingo! Right on! There is nothing more potent in revealing a person's worthiness than how their current views/proclamations stand against their own prior statements.

[XBob]

IMPORTANT !!!!

31 - Thanks for finding that post from the old days - it appears Kerry hasn't changed, he wants to subordinate the US foreign policy to the UN. Look closely at this part of the article:

"Kerry said that the United Nations should have control over most of our foreign military operations. "I'm an internationalist. I'd like to see our troops dispersed through the world only at the directive of the United Nations."

On other issues, Kerry wants "to almost eliminate CIA activity. The CIA is fighting its own war in Laos and nobody seems to care." He also favors a negative income tax and keeping unemployment at a very low level, "even if it means selective economic controls."

[prion]

I'm not overly affected by this report. Lots of guys tried to get out of serving as a matter of SOP. When it didn't work it was, shrug the shoulders, I gave it a try, and go in.

I have to agree. If this is an indictment of Kerry's character, than it is of a lot of guys who went on the serve honorably. Not many people were eager to go to Vietnam. Trying to buy a year is no great moral failing.

[Terp]

I sent the article to both Rush and Sean. I suggest others do the same. This guy only volunteered because his deferment was rejected. He wasn't a willing volunteer, he calculated that if he joined the Navy he wouldn't see combat. Others may say that this was normal behavior back in those days and you may be right. But the point is he's still not telling the truth about why and how he joined up.

[bondjamesbond]

A newly-published biography of Sen Kerry by Douglas Brinkley, A Tour of Duty, makes no mention of the requested deferment or planned year in Paris.

Who is this Douglas Brinkley fellow? Is he any relation to Respected Historian Douglas Brinkley? I'm pretty sure that Respected Historian Douglas Brinkley would not miss so pertinent a fact when writing his complete, unbiased and authoritative biography of Vietnam Hero John F. Kerry.

[GailA]

They were at the time he did, but as in any war it was subject to change as the war heated up. It's probably the same reason he choose the Navy over the other branches too.

[voicereason]

ping

[GailA]

And the unravelling continues.

[AUsome Joy]

I agree with you on this. Many people today don't know what it was like back then when young men were subject to the draft. It was just matter of fact that you either waited to see if you would be drafted, or decided you would rather choose the service you wanted before the Army got you, or took deferments. To me, it doesn't matter that Kerry tried to get a deferment.

What does matter is that they are lying when they pretend that he "chose" or "volunteered" to go to Vietnam. And it matters that he lying about his service there, and that he undermined the troops that were left behind in Vietnam when he came home.

[Puddleglum]

Wow, i hadn't heard about this before. Sort of takes the shine off the shinola. I have nothing against someone wanting to get a draft deferment, but I do have something against them lying about it (or cultivating a false impression about how they were gung ho to get to the war zone, etc).

[Not a 60s Hippy]

Kerry's interest in politics began in 1960, when John Kennedy was running for President. Kerry gave his first political speeches for JFK and at St. Paul's founded a political group, the John Winant Society. In the summer of 1962, Kerry worked for Ted Kennedy, who was then making his first Senate bid. "I wanted to see how the political machine works."

Dreams of PT-109, TAKE MY CAMERA!

[NRA1995]

He wrote his draft board and said (all together now) "DON'T SEND ME!!"

[deport]

So he tried to avoid Vietnam by asking the draft board for a deferral

---

Nothing wrong with that as it was a legit process within the Selective Service rules and regulations...... This is nothing different than VP Cheney getting deferments for school, marriage and children. They were available, if approved many used them.

There are many other things out there and of more recent vintage in Kerry's profile that can be used to discredit his ability to be President and CinC. By keeping this Vietnam stuff up front and center it's keeping the other out of the media.....

I'll not knock Kerry for his service. He enlisted, was put in harms way, followed the rules and regulations and that is more than many did at the time. jmo.

[Just mythoughts]

The drips are now about to become one huge torrent uncovering JFKerry's life of lies and deceit.

[Sisku Hanne]

"One time Kerry was ordered to destroy a Viet Cong village but disobeyed orders and suggested that the Navy Command simply send in a Psychological Warfare team to be friend the villagers with food, hospital supplies, and better educational facilities."

HUH? Thought he pulled out his trusty Zippo.

[Just mythoughts]

Shaking my head.

A flood of lies out of the mouth of JFKerry on his travels to become president.