The Kerry campaign goes down in flames amidst Swift Boaters..."
Posted on 08/12/2004 10:10:57 AM PDT by Ramonan
I've been receiving a lot of queries lately about things that did or did not happen during the time John Kerry and I served together in the Navy. I've also received large quantities of reading material, mostly e-mail and mostly unpersuasive, from people attempting to trash, for political purposes, his relatively brief combat service in Swift Boats. I have also declined offers to join groups attempting to discredit him on the basis of his naval service.
Kerry and I served together on the Gridley in 1967 and 1968. The Gridley was a new guided missile frigate, later reclassified with the rest of the ships in her class as a guided missile cruiser. Ensign Kerry was first lieutenant, the division officer in charge of the deck force consisting of about 30 sailors. I was a commander serving as executive officer, or second in command Kerry spent less than a year and a half on sea duty, much less than that in the combat zone. Most of the rest of his service obligation was spent in school. His service to his country is commendable, and his decorations attest to the quality of that service and to his bravery. To make this service the centerpiece of his presidential campaign 35 years later, however, is ludicrous.
Kerry's credentials to be commander in chief of the armed forces are flawed by his anti-war protest activities while his comrades were still fighting and dying. They are further soiled by his outrageous accusations of atrocities committed by his comrades in a war in which belligerents posed as civilians.
Kelly, a Coronado resident, is a retired Navy captain, bank executive and a former Navy League national director and council president. He writes and speaks on defense issues and can be reached via e-mail at jkelly@tns.net.
(Excerpt) Read more at signonsandiego.com ...
Ouch. That's gonna leave a mark. And he was mostly complimentary of Kerry's service.
This is what should be shouted from the front pages of every newspaper in this country.
I would agree. That is if Kerry hadn't made his 4 months in Vietnam the primary focus of his campaign.
And besides, what does all of this have to do with his qualifications for president?
Ask Kerry, he is the one who points at his medals whenever he is in front of a crowd of more than 3.
Amen to that. I also think filming himself there to be used 30+ years later in a presidential campaign is an issue too.
I thought he was going to defend Kerry, and he did for a little while, but he zinged him good at the end.
The problem is that we are the only ones reading these remarks thanks to the liberal media. There is no way the AP would pick up this article and run it in papers around the country. I feel like the entire country has been hijacked by the liberal media who is deciding this election. This is very difficult to fight.
"I can't comment on the four months or so on the rivers of Vietnam because I wasn't there. Others who weren't there shouldn't comment on them either. Nor will I second-guess his awards nor should anyone else unless they can prove for certain that the citations misstated the facts and that somebody lied. Thirty-five years later is no time to be questioning them. And besides, what does all of this have to do with his qualifications for president?"
I respectfully disagree. I think it is perfectly accepatable for people to form opinions and comment on Kerry's activities in Nam based on the recollections of people who were actually there, including Kerry himself. I have many opinions about events in history and current events. I wasn't there at Pearl Harbor, at the Russian revolution, at Gettysburg, and I wasn't in the WTC on 9/11, but I certainly have opinions about these and thousands of other events that have influenced or have the potential to influence my life in one way or another.
I read that, between wives, he would take his dates to his place and show them these films. If that's true it's creepy.
I like the way he phrased his letter. This will stick in the minds of the undecided.
DO NOT GIVE UP! DO NOT EVER GIVE UP!
Jim Valvano
Where there is smoke, there's fire. I smell someone's goose cooking.
thanks for serving but, you were not there when the stuff happened. you saying this stuff sounds the same to me as John McCain saying it. The only people that can attest to it are the people on the boats in the zone. Do you think Kerry should release his 180?
Whoa...
At first I thought it was a warm fuzzy peice. Then BAM!! Direct hit, one shot.
""I can't comment on the four months or so on the rivers of Vietnam because I wasn't there. Others who weren't there shouldn't comment on them either. Nor will I second-guess his awards nor should anyone else unless they can prove for certain that the citations misstated the facts and that somebody lied. Thirty-five years later is no time to be questioning them. And besides, what does all of this have to do with his qualifications for president?"
Kerry wasn't in Cambodia either, but it didn't stop him from trashing the US and the US military by saying he was (and the experience was "SEARED, SEARED" into his memory!!) and condemning soldiers based on atrocities that only HE admits to committing.
Wait a minute this guy did serve on the same boat/ship as Kerry. (/sarcasm)
Glad you found and posted this one. Thanks.
"The problem is that we are the only ones reading these remarks thanks to the liberal media. There is no way the AP would pick up this article and run it in papers around the country. I feel like the entire country has been hijacked by the liberal media who is deciding this election. This is very difficult to fight."
Donate & tell all to do so, it is up to us, the MSM will not.
https://coral.he.net/~swiftvet/swift/ccdonation.php?op=donate&site=SwiftVets
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth
c/o Weymouth Symmes, Treasurer
PO Box 26184
Alexandria, VA 22313
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.