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Posted on 08/31/2004 12:17:24 AM PDT by EternalVigilance
America has no kings or queens but we do have nobility . Our nobility is called Veterans. That nobility is responsible for the bounty that is America but tragically their influence has faded in recent years and the values they died for are under attack. But this election year they are back in demand and some have said the veteran vote could decide this election. It may have put Bush in the White House. With this in mind, John Kerry is seldom seen with out his band of brothers and constantly plays the” hero” card as a cornerstone of his bid for president, indeed, as the definition of who he is. Kerry defines patriotism as “keeping faith with those who wear the uniform of this country. He also brags that he “defended this country as a young man”. If Missouri is the show me state, Veterans are the show me voters ? we are not much for words, deeds are our stock in trade. Lets look at Kerry’s deeds.
Before Kerry played his “hero” card, he played the atrocity card. When Kerry came back from Vietnam he joined with Jane Fonda and in 1971 denounced “those who wear the uniform” as terrorists-like rapists and assassins who “cut off heads, taped wires to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, shot at civilians, razed villages, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks” and said he “committed the same kinds of atrocities as thousands of others”. He made these charges under oath. Kerry says today that he would have framed some of what he said in 1971 differently. But he does not say he lied, which he did, nor does he apologize. How can one properly frame the denunciations of ones comrades in arms as modern day Genghis Khans?
The very day that Kerry was calling Vietnam veterans’ war criminals the family of one of those “war criminals”, Michael Blanchfield, was posthumously receiving the Medal of Honor for Michael who had thrown himself on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades. How different from Kerry was the way this man kept faith with those who wore the uniform with him. How different from Kerry was the manner Michael defended his country.
He could have attacked the war without attacking the warrior. He could have questioned policy without supporting the communists’ claim that our soldiers were war criminals. He could have kept faith with those who wore the uniform with him. But he did not and he should be held accountable.
By every measure, the Vietnam veteran has been an exceptional citizen; but there is one disturbing statistic -- their suicide rate. In the first 5 years after discharge the rate was 1.7 times higher than non-veterans. After 5 years it was less. This may have been due to the treatment the Vietnam veteran received from the media and the anti war movement led by Kerry -- in the early years after the war. Living with the scars of war is difficult, for some unbearable, but all veterans suffer. The Vietnam veteran suffered physically as much, perhaps more than any veteran of the past century, but no veteran has suffered the mental agony of that veteran.
What Kerry/Fonda and the media elite did to the Vietnam veteran and his family is deplorable. They opened a gash in his psyche and then rubbed salt in it. Not just the living but also those who died and their families who questioned if a loved one is a war criminal. And the POWs some who believed the Kerry/Fonda cartel extended the war, increased their torture and filled more body bags. Whether Kerry and Fonda have blood on their hands is debatable but there is no doubt they have salt on them.
Kerry’s “hero” card is based on medals he received in Vietnam and is much celebrated, and unchallenged, by the mainstream media. I know many Medal of Honor recipients who have received less publicity for their medal than Kerry has for his. But medals don’t make a hero. It is how one uses medals that make a hero. Every honest soldier knows that medals are a function of circumstance, even happenstance, but most of all the support of ones fellow warriors.
I was awarded the Medal of Honor; but my fellow soldiers who supported me in the actions and took the time to write it up earned it. I wear it for them, they own my medals. And every Medal of Honor recipient and hero I know believes as I do. Medals should be a sign of patriotism, a symbol of sacrifice, support and defense of a great nation. The highest form of patriotism is service to our youth; heroes also wear their medal for them to signal the importance of courage. Heroes do not use their medals for personal political gain. As I said they are not theirs to use.
Senator Kerry threw his medals away (or ribbons, they are symbolically the same), a political act very difficult for any veteran to understand. He must have been proud of them for he wore them even on his fatigues, in violation of all regulations. But they were not his. They belonged to those who he served. By that act he symbolically denounced his fellow veterans -- again. Does one keep faith with those who wear the uniform by throwing away their medals?
But perhaps most telling of his leadership qualities is his use of his Purple hearts to abandon his band of brothers, his command, on a technicality. Kerry may be the only person in history who took advantage of a Navy regulation that allowed him to leave his command after 4 months for 3 purple hearts none of which ever caused him to miss a day of duty. In my experience men fought to stay with their band of brothers, especially commanders. All the commanders I know would get out of a hospital bed to be with their men. Some one had to take his place; someone probably less experienced who would have to learn the ropes. That put his command more at risk than if he stayed. It is not hard to understand why those who stayed in combat for the full year are upset with Kerry.
And veterans today would be upset with Kerry’s support of Flag Burning his non-support of weapons systems and his 12 votes against military pay raises. But his use of veterans and misuse of his medals should bring into serious question his loyalty, integrity and character all of which equal leadership.
He is not fit for command.
By Maj. Gen. Patrick Brady, Retired
And those hands will not let the Presidency slouch into the hands of John F'ing. Kerry. If you choose, feel free to send the article below, back along the channels that brought your article to you. Because what I concluded depends wholly on the attitudes of this veterans, his comrades, and their families and friends.
Congressman Billybob
Latest column, "The Radio Talk Show Amendment, Or: Why John Kerry is Now Toast"
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Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
The genuine, do not withhold the official records.
Patton's son certainly thought Kerry had blood on his hands.
Washington Post, p. C1 | October 21, 1984
Gen. George S. Patton III, the flamboyant field commander ... came to Boston to blast Kerry for "probably" causing "some of my guys to get killed" by his dissidence. "There's no soap ever been invented that can wash that blood off his hands."
This is a superb post.
My husband will love it.
John Kerry is not worthy of shinning this Generals boots.
Medal Of Honor Recipient Gen. Pat Brady Says Veterans Stand By President Bush.
Brady:
"I will tell you -- as will every Medal of Honor recipient -- that we wear this Medal for our fellow veterans those we served and to whom we owe everything, including our lives. By wearing this Medal today, I am keeping faith with those who wore the uniform with me.
We stand by President George W. Bush - he has proven an ally of veterans everywhere, and today we stand united in re-electing him.
… America's veterans and 49 Medal of Honor recipients know that President George W. Bush is the man to lead us in the fight against terrorism, a man who will keep faith with those serving and those who have served."
("General Pat Brady Announces 'Medal of Honor Recipients for Bush-Cheney '04,'" 5/11/04)
Easy Company Commander Maj. Dick Winters Says "President Bush Has Been A Great Friend To The Greatest Generation."
Winters:
"The President’s actions on behalf of our servicemen and women show his deep respect for all who wear the uniforms of our armed forces.
President Bush has overseen a 21 percent increase in military pay since taking office and has ensured that our troops in the field have what they need to win the War on Terror.
The President's steady leadership in these changing times and commitment to bringing the fight to the terrorists is keeping America safe.
Funding for VA medical care has increased by over 40 percent during the President's term, facilitating the treatment of one million additional veterans.
President Bush has been a great friend to the greatest generation."
(Statement by Maj. Dick Winters Former Commander of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division, 5/28/04)
God bless our noble veterans.
I love these guys.
Rolling Thunder President Artie Muller Endorses President Bush.
Muller:
“We are grateful for the President’s leadership in honoring our nation’s commitment to veterans.
We appreciate his leadership in the War on Terror and in protecting our homeland against those who threaten our freedoms and way of life.
We will put our manpower and resources to work to ensure four more years of our President Bush's leadership.
… This is our way of thanking this President for his commitment to increasing access to housing and health care services for all veterans, reducing the disability claims backlog and overseeing the largest expansion of our national cemetery system since the Civil War.
("Rolling Thunder Endorses President George W. Bush," 5/27/04)
They are the cream of the crop, you betcha!
We can't possibly honor them too much.
I already printed the thread for him!
Dang it, I'll make him read the additional
posts on the monitor. :)
President Bush Is Delivering For Veterans
Annenberg Public Policy Center: Kerry’s Claims About Veterans Health Cuts Are Not True. The University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Center stated in a FactCheck, "[F]unding for veterans is going up twice as fast under Bush as it did under Clinton. And the number of veterans getting health benefits is going up 25% under Bush’s budgets. That’s hardly a cut. … FactCheck.org twice contacted the Kerry campaign asking how he justified his claim that the VA budget is being cut, but we’ve received no response." (FactCheck.org Website, www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docid=144 , Accessed 2/18/04)
Increased VA Funding. The President’s FY 2005 budget proposes to increase funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs to $68 billion from the 2001 level of $48 billion. The President’s budget requests $29.5 billion for VA’s medical care for next year, more that 40 percent above the 2001 level. The past four straight VA budget increases have provided more than a 40 percent increase in VA health care alone since 2001-- enabling a million more patients to receive treatment.
Increased Health Care Service to Veterans. In the past four years, President Bush’s budgets have allowed the VA to enroll 2.5 million more veterans for health care services, increase outpatient visits from 44 million to 54 million, increase the number of prescriptions filled from 86 million to 108 million and open 194 new community-based clinics available for veterans. The number of veterans registered for health benefits increased 18 percent under President Bush and will increase by almost 26 percent by October 2004. ("Funding For Veterans Up 27%, But Democrats Call It A Cut," FactCheck.org Website, www.factcheck.org, Accessed 2/18/04)
Concurrent Receipt of Benefits. President Bush has twice signed legislation effectively providing "concurrent receipt" of both military retired pay and VA disability compensation for combat-injured and highly-disabled veterans, reversing a century old law preventing concurrent receipt.
Cutting the Disability Claims Backlog. President Bush promised to reduce the disability claims backlog, and at his request, Congress has provided VA with the resources it needs to reduce claims. Claims backlogs have dropped from a high of 432,000 and are approaching the goal of 250,000 while the volume of claims decisions per month has increased from 40,000 to 68,000. The average length of time to process a veteran’s compensation claim has dropped from approximately 230 days to 160 days and the VA expects to meet its goal of 100 days this year.
Help for Homeless Veterans. As a result of the President’s 2003 budget, community grants were expanded to all 50 States and Washington, D.C. for the first time in history, ensuring that homeless veterans have access to housing, health care and shelter.
Additional Prescription Drug Coverage. Last year, President Bush took the unprecedented step of allowing veterans waiting for a medical appointment who already have a prescription from their private physician, to have those prescriptions filled by the VA. This is saving veterans hundreds of dollars in drug costs.
VA Expansion. The President is seeking to improve outpatient veteran’s health care services through the CARES improvements, which will result in the construction of two new medical centers in Orlando, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada; over 100 major construction projects to revitalize and modernize VA medical centers in 37 states; creation of 156 new community-based outpatient clinics; potential creation of four new - and expansion of five existing - spinal cord injury centers; and opening up two new blind rehabilitation centers.
He's too lowdown to reach that high anyhow...
Didn't Kerry recently slam POTUS for neglecting veterans' issues?
Isn't Kerry scheduled to address a veterans' organization this week?
Watch him get a COOL reception.
Frosty, fer sure.
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