Posted on 09/05/2004 11:31:02 AM PDT by CHARLITE
LOCAL ANTI KERRY VETS PLAN TRIP TO WASHINGTON, D.C.
By David Burch Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer
MARIETTA - The daughter of a Marine who died during the Vietnam War, Laura Armstrong says she witnessed first hand the backlash against soldiers returning to the United States 30 years ago after fighting in the divisive war.
With the country now involved in another unpopular war in Iraq, she said she worries that today's soldiers could face the same fate from the American people when they return home - a backlash Ms. Armstrong said would be made worse if Massachusetts U.S. Sen. John Kerry were elected president.
"I think those of us who lived it after Vietnam are determined that this will not happen to those who are fighting now," said Ms. Armstrong, a 43-year-old west Cobb resident.
For many with ties to the Vietnam War, labels like "baby killer" continue to carry a biting sting.
And that negative image, some say, was perpetuated by the efforts of Kerry and others who returned from the war and then accused fellow soldiers of committing war crimes.
Next month, Ms. Armstrong will join almost a dozen speakers at a planned rally in Washington, D.C., aimed at speaking against the Democratic presidential candidate while also painting a more positive image of Vietnam veterans.
Joining her at the rally will be at least 30 Cobb veterans. Organizers expect a crowd of more than 5,000 to attend the event.
She said she believes that to elect Kerry as president "would be like giving him a pass on the things he said back then."
Using the battle cry "Kerry Lied - While Good Men Died," the Sept. 12 rally next to the U.S. Capitol is billed by organizers as "a peaceful remembrance of those with whom we served in Vietnam" and an opportunity to "tell the story of their virtues and how that contrasts with the lies told by John Kerry."
Atlanta radio personality James "Moby" Carney of Roswell is scheduled to serve as master of ceremonies for the rally and speakers from throughout the United States will speak on their experiences as Vietnam veterans or as family members of veterans.
The aim of the event - billed as non-partisan and not affiliated with any political campaign - is to share positive stories of those who served in Vietnam and in turn counter claims made by Kerry against the war.
The program was organized by Vietnam Veterans for the Truth, a nonprofit 527s group similar to the controversial "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" that has run a contentious series of television ads questioning Kerry's military service.
John O'Neill, spokesman for the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, is one of the scheduled speakers at the Sept. 12 rally.
"I think we just want to make sure that people know that the Vietnam vets don't necessarily endorse and don't agree with a lot of the comments that Kerry has made," said Woody McFarlin, a Powder Springs resident and Director of Public Works for the city of Kennesaw, who plans to attend the event.
McFarlin served as a helicopter pilot in the Army for two tours in Vietnam, the first from 1968 to 1969 and the second from 1972 to 1973.
East Cobb resident Bill Stanley, the local coordinator for the rally, said most of the locals who have contacted him planning to attend the event are Vietnam veterans or the family members of veterans who have become frustrated or angered by Kerry's use of his military service in the presidential campaign.
"We found that what (Kerry) did after he returned from the war was not very honorable," he said. "We felt we should speak out and let the American people know that we were not his band of brothers and do not see him as one of us."
Stanley, 65, is a retired Army helicopter pilot who served two tours of duty in Vietnam in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
He said the goal of the rally will be for veterans to defend their record and he is not concerned about comparisons to other groups like the Swift Boat Veterans or the Republican presidential campaign.
"We're not tied to the Bush administration at all, and they may possibly be embarrassed by what we're doing," he said. "This is our own little quest."
While not a veteran herself, Ms. Armstrong has a lengthy connection to the military. Her father, Roger "Black Bart" Bartholomew was a lieutenant colonel in the Marines who served two tours in Vietnam. The 36-year-old battalion commander was killed when his helicopter was shot down on Thanksgiving Day 1968.
Ms. Armstrong's brother served as helicopter pilot in the Marines and her late husband served in the Marines and was a graduate of the U.S. Army Special Forces training school. Her fiancé currently serves in the Marines as well and will soon return to the states after 15 months deployed in Japan.
She said she first became involved with the efforts of the Vietnam Veterans for the Truth earlier this year after Kerry began using his military record as part of his campaign and began drawing parallels between Vietnam and the current war in Iraq.
Ms. Armstrong said she thought twice about participating in the rally since her fiancé is expected to return home from deployment the same week. But she also said she felt compelled to share the story of her father's service and to speak her mind about Kerry.
"I am sensing that there are a lot of veterans that really don't like this man," she said.
dburch@mdjonline.com
I just walked through their spit showers and went on with my life. I was 19 and had no idea what the hell was going on. Now I do and now I will stop them from doing the same to these fine men and women. Hell, I haven't been to jail since I was 17 anyway.
Thanks for the ping.
Have you found yourself doing as I have been doing and thanking veterans and soldiers for their service when it has been made known to you?
Absolutely...all Vets,all the time and everywhere!That is the LEAST we can do.
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.