Freeper Says she's sorry to Vietnam Vets. Many who believed Kerry and VVAW lies, now are crying.

Free Republic | 8/27/2004 | Freeper

[stockpirate]

To: stockpirate I am not sure this is the proper place to put this...but here goes... To All The Vets of Viet Nam,

I was born in 1955, a baby boomer...into an alcoholic and abusive family. I was 14 years old when Woodstock rocked this nation. I remember standing in front of a 12" black and white set watching it unfold on the 6 o'clock news. I also remember my father using the term..".long haired hippie pukes" and being totally disgusted with the whole mess. Being 14 with a father who like to use his fists..I naturally rejected anything he said as any kind of truth. He had lost my affection and my trust many years ago. My father also told the story of being wounded in the Korean war...he even had a scar to prove it. I later found out when I got older, that he had spent the entire war in England..so much for his credibilty.

My mother thought it would be good to alert me at that tender age of 14 about the drug scene that was waiting to prey upon me. She handed me a bunch of Life magazines with an expose of the underground culture of drugs. Living in a small town in Central NY..this was definitely a foreign concept. I was mesmerized by the pictures of hippies and the freedom they appeared to have. Oh how I longed to have a place in this world where I could breathe without fear of being hit. I was ripe for the picking.Within 6 months I found myself hobknobbing with drug dealers and the like.

The next couple of years I was entrenched in the drug scene..my friends were of like thinking..we had all bought into the Love, Peace, Free Sex and drugs doctrine being perpetuated on the youth of this nation. I became a sympathizer of the likes of Abby Hoffman and Jerry Rubin. Their books became gospel for me....I devoured the book.."Soul on Ice" by Eldredge Cleaver. I hated the Viet Nam war...not because of it's political significance...but the idea of war and chaos in general. I had seen too much of that as I was growing up...I longed for peace in my soul. I drank and drugged to relieve some of the inner pain.

I bought into anything that my father hated....and hated anything he bought into. My father was a veteran and stood by the President..even though he was a democrat.....He stood by his brothers in arms. So it was natural for me to take the opposing view. I hated war. Our little town had 3 casualties in the Viet Nam war..two of whom rode on my school bus....they were older than me but each had made a distinct impression on me as I rode the bus....I remember Joe who used to make the sound of a cricket as he ran his fingers along the roof of the bus...he was so tall!!..and Ron was the cute older brther of my sister's friend. Both gone, both dead and for what purpose? My teenaged brain couldn't comprehend the whole idea of death and war.

In 1975, I was 20 years old...a survivor of years of self abuse through my reckless lifestyle..and now a mother of two children. I sat in front of another TV and watched as they were airlifting people out of Saigon. A plane full of refugees were taking off when the plane, carrying children, crashed on takeoff. I sat in front of the TV set and cried...sobs coming from somewhere so deep inside of me....I realised as I was sitting there...that this was the first time I had ever cried for anyone else but myself. My heart was starting to unthaw from years of guarding it.

When the war ended I didn't abuse the vets who had served bravely for my country, no my attitude was worse than any abuse bestowed on them...mine was one of indifference, one of apathy, a "so what and who cares attitude." I never spoke a word that brought shame to a vet, but my heart was full of hatred for anyone who would willingly go and make war.

On Memorial Day, my father would put on his legion uniform and march in the parade and shoot his gun off at the village green in remembrance of those fallen. I watched with a mocking spirit within me. It was a big deal to him (dad) when he became post commander..all I could see was another opportunity for him to drink. I saw him as a hypocrit..a man who espoused peace and freedom ...who oppressed his family with violence and bondage.

But something happened to me over the years...an ideological change, a paradigm shift of thought. I woke up in the mid 1990's and I found myself with the same ideals my father had about his country. I fell in love with where I live and what it stands for. Maybe it was watching my children growing up and wanting better for them or Maybe it was watching CNN during the first Gulf war knowing my brother was in a tank somewhere inside Iraq... or maybe it was the day I sent my youngest son off to the Marines for safe keeping. Maybe it was coming to have faith in Christ. But something definitely changed within me. Maybe it was turning off the TV for a moment and allowing God to speak to me without all the static.

I joined Free Republic over a year ago at the request of a friend. And today I watched a video clip of the VVAW throwing their medals. I must have watched it 6 times. It was this clip that prompted me to write this piece. After so many years I wonder if it would really make any difference to the men and women who served our country by going to Viet nam, if I were to say.. from the bottom of my heart...that I AM SO SORRY for not giving you the Honor you so richly deserve. I am sorry for the indifference I showed you when you returned...of turning my eyes and closing my ears.. when I heard a derogatory remark aimed at you. Would it make a difference if I told you that I am proud of the service you gave to us on behalf of our freedom..that I appreciate your sacrifices and the blood shed for the freedom we all share today. It is 30 years late but I couldn't let another day pass with writing these thoughts down.Please Forgive Me.....

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

The anti war legacy is in full bloom today in NYC.

Thanks again to the anti war protesters of the 60's

The Kerry's and Fonda's of the world are in force today.

While I fully support the 1st amendment

I wonder why there is such an effort to shut Vietnam Vets who speak against Kerry.

Even certain FReepers want "the Vietnam issue" dropped
because they fear a backlash to President Bush.

Well I AM going to exercise MY 1st amendment right.

I'm NOT going to be silent.

The 58,000 plus Brothers and Sisters who are on the Wall
and the Brothers and Sisters who died at home of injuries and suicides
will no longer go unanswered.

And come Nov 2nd I for one, along with MANY,MANY others, will be able to say

"I honestly did what I could do to once again defend my country."

The likes of the Kerry's and Fonda's of the anti war "movement" changed the course of my own life.

They ARE NOT going to treat the troops of today,
like they did myself and countless others in the past!

THIS I VOW

[John Lenin]

Reading smarmy posts like Joes makes my blood boil.

[Defender2]

Agreed, Brother!!!!:-)


D2

[cyborg]

bttt!!!!

[bluesagewoman]

You'll have my help on that! Thanks.

[valleygal]

I hadn't read your post #90. I'm glad to see you again. Your post last night left such an impression on me I had to post it again here.

Take care, Stashiu.

[Soaring Feather]

FIRE 5

bump

[SheLion]

[risk]

They ARE NOT going to treat the troops of today, like they did myself and countless others in the past!

Agreed, Mr. Tonk. Agreed. Spit on our troops figuratively or in person, and prepare to be witnessed, recorded, photographed, videotaped, cataloged, charged, sued, and prosecuted. We will be taking names.

America, and of this I am certain: especially our law-enforcement agencies, are not going to take kindly to this kind of outrage.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!!

[valleygal]

Amen.

[RaceBannon]

Tell her this is important to hear from her.

We always knew we were right and she was wrong, but to hear her admit it, tell her thank you.

I wasn't a Marine until 1977, and we still had people throwing beer botttles at us from their ars, still called baby killers, still had the look of complete disgust thrown at us while in uniform.

[armymarinemom]

Thank goodness you woke up. I was raised in a liberal household. My Dad still has problems with my conservative views. He honestly has little respect for my sons choice to serve their country. He just doesn't get it. The man honestly thinks that Unions should run the world.

I started waking up from a liberal slumber after being assigned a class full of Cambodian boat people. My only view of the war was via Walter Cronkite and my liberal parents. I was horrified at what happened in Asia after our troops pulled out. It made me start questioning the MSM and my own parents.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Thank You

Welcome to Free Republic!

[Chieftain]

I wonder why there is such an effort to shut Vietnam Vets who speak against Kerry. Even certain FReepers want "the Vietnam issue" dropped because they fear a backlash to President Bush. Well I AM going to exercise MY 1st amendment right. I'm NOT going to be silent. The 58,000 plus Brothers and Sisters who are on the Wall and the Brothers and Sisters who died at home of injuries and suicides will no longer go unanswered. And come Nov 2nd I for one, along with MANY,MANY others, will be able to say "I honestly did what I could do to once again defend my country."

I am totally 100% with you, brother Tonk.

I figure that I can devote all my efforts towards ridding the country of the lying scum of Hanoi John Kerry for the next 65 days and it won't kill me. But if I sit back and rely on 'someone else' to do it, I might be filled with regret on Nov 3rd. That, my FRiend, ain't gonna happen.

I will continue to fight with ALL my might till Kerry is scuttled to Davey Jones locker... where he belongs!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Welcome Home Brother

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Washington Post 8/21/04

"Although Kerry campaign officials insist that they have published
Kerry's full military records on their Web site
(with the exception of medical records shown briefly to reporters earlier this year),
they have not permitted independent access to his original Navy records.
A Freedom of Information Act request by The Post for Kerry's records produced six pages of information.
A spokesman for the Navy Personnel Command, Mike McClellan,
said he was not authorized to release the full file,
which consists of at least a hundred pages. "

TRANSCRIPT: 8/26/04
Steve Gardner, Foregunner, PCF44:
http://swift2.he.net/~swift2/gardner2.mpg

"I spent more time on John Kerry's boat than any other crewmember.

John Kerry hasn't been honest - he has been deceitful.

John Kerry claims that he spent Christmas, in 1968, in Cambodia.

And that is catagorically a lie. Not in December. Not in January.

We were never in Cambodia on a secret mission. Ever."

Ramsey Clark to Join Panel for Saddam’s Defense

arabnews press release 25 August 2004

NOTE :
Ramsey Clark is pictured below with Kerry and
Vietnam phony vet Al Hubbard
Who was head of the
Vietnam Veterans Against the War movement.


Al Hubbard Sgt., 22 Troop Carrier Squadron Aug. ’65-June ’66
- Al Hubbard, proven fraud who never set foot in Viet Nam.
The only Vietnamese he ever met was
when he was collaborating with the North Vietnamese in Paris
on the American Communist Party's nickel.

John Kerry's explanation:
"He (Hubbard) simply exaggarated his particular position.
But nobody knew it at the time. And those things happen."

NEW:
FReeper smith288 has an online version of
Kerry's "The New Soldier"
You can read it without downloading pdf files!
CLICK HERE

The New Soldier, (46 pages)
By John Kerry
and Vietnam Veterans
Against the War
PART I (pdf file)
PART II (pdf file)
PART III (pdf file)

Kerry hopes everyone
in the USA gets this book!

NEW:
“Without question,
we were held captive longer
because of the anti-war people,
the Kerrys, the Fondas and Haydens,
the names we knew over there -
they encouraged the enemy to hang on.”
Excerpt from “Stolen Honor” website
- Leo Thorsness
Former Vietnam POW
CLICK HERE

Jane Fonda tells the student audience at the Michigan State University in 1969;
"I would think that if you understood what communism was, you would hope,
you would pray on your knees, that we would someday become communist."

Joe Moore, Can Tho Airfield 550th Signal Company

Copy and paste the links to everyone you know.

Send this url for the Steve Gardner video

http://swift2.he.net/~swift2/gardner2.mpg

Send this url for the online version

http://ejsmithweb.com/fr/newsoldier/

Send this url for the Stolen Honor website

http://www.stolenhonor.com/

Print this out (46 pages) and disribute it,
especially to the liberals you know.

http://nomayo.mu.nu/archives/New%20Soldier%20Inro.pdf

http://nomayo.mu.nu/archives/New%20Soldier.pdf

http://nomayo.mu.nu/archives/New%20Soldier%20Epilogue.pdf

[glock rocks]

Amen Tonk.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Same here.

I never understood what was in the minds of the 60's hippies, but I despised them, they were against everything I was working hard to achieve!

[TexasTransplant]

"Reading smarmy posts like Joes makes my blood boil".

Joenobucks wants our pity but requires our anger, it is a transfer thing, getting outed will harsh his buzz.