Posted on 09/13/2004 12:12:17 AM PDT by kattracks
Thousands of Vietnam veterans and their families and friends applauded, yelled support and waved signs and flags for more than two hours yesterday at an anti-John Kerry rally outside the U.S. Capitol."John Kerry is not fit to tie the shoes of the heroes we have here at this rally," said John O'Neill of Houston, a member of the Swift Boat crews who have disclaimed the Democratic presidential candidate's statements about his military service.
"Leave John Kerry to command the largest vessel he's ever competently handled — his surfboard," said another speaker, B.G. Burkett, 60, another veteran and author of "Stolen Valor," which is about the legacy of the Vietnam generation.
Other speakers included Jim Warner of Rohrersville, Md., who said he was a prisoner of war when Mr. Kerry returned to the United States and criticized the conduct of American troops in Vietnam.
The Viet Cong interrogated Mr. Warner and used Mr. Kerry's quotes in an effort to persuade Mr. Warner to sign a statement about U.S. military cruelties.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
This rally is being shown on C-Span right now. It's a tearjerker.
Right there's the "face of America", not the Hollyweirdos.
Steve Pitkin was awesome.
My husband isn't political, but I changed his golf game over to C-Span when it came on. I thought he'd watch a couple of minutes and then change back, but he was rivited. He watched the whole thing with tears in his eyes. I think it was the first time he'd ever heard anyone stand up publicly for the Vietnam Vet. I don't think he saw any heavy combat in country, he was Air Force, but he was still tarred with Kerry's wide baby-killer and murderer brush.
bttt for these guys; watched it all on C-SPAN and just wish I could have been there.
hanoi john isn't fit to shine the shoes of the least PFC who has not seen combat in our Military..much less a hero like Bud Day.
We were there.
I am still trying to find the massive coverage in the media that it deserved.
I wont look too long.
I was there. It was one of the most up lifting days I have had in my life. You came away proud to be an American. The stories were just so touching and all had the ring of truth.
Steve Pitkin's story had the crowd in a hush. It brought me to tears of joy for a man who was unburdening himself after all these years. When John O'neill said the thousands of honored dead at Arlington would be saying thank you, it gave me a chill.
There was about 5 morons from veterans for frenchie and a dirty looking puke who looked like he was a 60's left over with a stupid sign but otherwise it was an all American operation.
It doesn't matter, though...
The truth is out there!
...Kerry lied, while good men died! Hanoi John has been exposed once again!
PS- I did a search of the Wash Post, and found NOTHING! Howard Kurtz did a piece to introduce Kitty Kelly, with disclaimers in case she is exposed quickly, as well!
Very disappointing to find that this is only in the Metropolitan section of the Washington Times! That's wrong! It should have had color photos on the front page. It was a fabulous event, and I hope the organizers realize what great work they did.
For the record, regarding crowd size, my sister and I could not even find the 'enclave' of Freepers. And the CSPAN transmission of crowd noise was ridiculously weak. I wonder if it was intentional?
I didn't know we FReepers had a place to convene. I would think that the vast majority (of those at the rally) were already part of our little group...
If you saw Nixon and Kerry walking around and posing for pictures, those were Freepers!
Didn't see Nixon, but saw someone whose mask was a lot better looking than the 'real' Jean-Francois Kerry!
free dixie,sw
If it wa a LARGE person, that was me.
Escerpt from the Baltimore Sun article and a question - does any one know where McPeak gave his interview? Was it a site made available by the Kerry campaign?
Interesting that he and his associates held their interviews before the KERRY LIED Rally.
(difficult to excerpt as the whole article was so short)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.hope13sep13,1,3026151.story?coll=bal-local-headlines
Vietnam veterans protest Kerry's postwar actions
Crowd at Capitol alleges he lied in 1971 testimony
Associated Press
September 13, 2004
WASHINGTON - Chanting "Kerry lied," hundreds of Vietnam veterans yesterday rallied against fellow veteran and Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.
Comrades died because of people like Kerry and Jane Fonda, said Larry Bailey, a Navy veteran and president of Vietnam Vets for the Truth.
With the Capitol as a backdrop, Bailey accused Kerry of lying three decades ago when he returned from Vietnam and testified before the Senate in 1971 alleging widespread atrocities by American troops.
"We can tell him [Kerry] and spit in his eye while we're doing it, 'we served honorably and compassionately,'" Bailey said to cheers from the crowd of about 1,000.
Before the rally, a group of supporters held a news conference nearby to defend Kerry and call for an end to the TV ads attacking the military record of the Massachusetts senator.
"What we ought to be talking about is what's happening today and that includes the best person to lead us out of the mess we've got ourselves in Iraq," Retired Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak, a former chief of staff of the Air Force, told reporters.
McPeak, who is advising the Kerry campaign and is a Vietnam veteran, said those who have questioned the five medals Kerry was awarded for Vietnam either weren't directly serving with him or their accounts have been directly contradicted by other vets who were side by side with Kerry.
One woman who photographed us, cell phone, us said that she was sending it to Iraq, Husband?
There were a few older people who didn't get the intent of the Freep and got a little pissed over the Tricky Dick part of the act, I had forgotten that there are still a lot of us Nixon supporters left standing. The Doctor explained what the intent was and mollified a few and left a few still muttering.
The Doctor has a genius for theater, people were lined up to photograph the FReep. The John F'n Protest signor was a great hit with the crowd, as you are aware. While you were off doing the John F'n thing, Standwaite and I guarded the Baggage and arranged the signs for all of those that wanted to photograph them.
I was great to see all of my Brothers and Sisters, their Kids and Grandkids. I am amazed at how old we are, in my own mind I think of us all as we were at 19.
Welcome Home Brothers
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