Wounds That Never Heal: The wounds Kerry inflicted continue to pain Vietnam veterans.

Wounds That Never Heal The wounds Kerry inflicted continue to pain Vietnam veterans.

American soldiers "raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, cut off limbs, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan...." — John Kerry, 1971 In 1971, I awoke from three days of unconsciousness aboard a hospital ship off the coast of Vietnam. I could not see, my jaws were wired shut, and my left cheekbone was missing, a gaping hole in its place.

Later, while still in that condition at St. Albans Naval Hospital, one of my earliest recollections was hearing of John Kerry's testimony before Congress. I remember lying there, in disbelief, as I learned how Kerry told the world that I served in an Army reminiscent of Genghis Khan's; that officers like me routinely let their men plunder villages and rape villagers at will; that "war crimes" committed in Vietnam by my fellow soldiers "were not isolated incidents but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command."

Then Kerry went to Paris, meeting with North Vietnamese enemy officials, while our soldiers continued to fight in the field. The pain and disbelief I felt listening to his words went deeper than the pain I felt from the enemy fire that seriously wounded my face.

Eighteen months later I was discharged from the hospital, the enemy-inflicted wounds fully healed. But more than 30 years later, the wounds inflicted by John Kerry continue to bring pain to scores of Vietnam veterans. Those wounds — from the bearing of false witness against a generation of courageous young Americans who fought and died in Vietnam — are much more serious than any wound warranting a Purple Heart. Those wounds go to the heart and soul. Those wounds never go away.

Today, my son is a Marine Corps weapons officer, flying the F/A 18 Hornet. He belongs to the same Marine Corps Kerry ridiculed with his 1971 book cover, which showed protestors simulating the Iwo Jima Memorial, raising an upside-down American flag. He flies the same fighter jet Kerry voted against in the U.S. Senate. And today, Kerry's picture hangs in an honored place in Saigon's war museum, as a hero to the Vietnamese Communists.

Yet John Kerry shamelessly drapes himself in the imagery of Vietnam, his military service, and the support of veterans. Criticism and disapproval by scores of veterans often falls on deaf ears. Legitimate objections to Kerry's post-war record are discredited as "personal" attacks or attacks against his service.

John Kerry is quick to surround himself with a handful of veterans, and he claims he has overwhelming support from the veteran community. But he ignores the wounds he inflicted on millions of veterans, and he refuses to sign a waiver to release his military records. This is the portrait of a man who has failed to come to terms with his treacherous past.

— Dexter Lehtinen is former United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. He was severely wounded in 1971 while a reconnaissance-platoon leader in Vietnam.

...more than 30 years later, the wounds inflicted by John Kerry continue to bring pain to scores of Vietnam veterans. Those wounds — from the bearing of false witness against a generation of courageous young Americans who fought and died in Vietnam — are much more serious than any wound warranting a Purple Heart. Those wounds go to the heart and soul. Those wounds never go away...

Darn Tootin'

There are many who do not recall VietNam. It is important for you all to realize how sKerry deeply hurt and angered our fine military men.

I was just getting into the USAF as Vietnam was winding down.
I was personally spit on, as were many of my friends.

A buddy of mine here at Cornell had blood thrown at him, and others were assaulted by the peaceniks.

This was due to sKerry's "testimony" of lies at the "hearings" as much as anything else, though we could mention Fonda, SDS, the Communists, and others. But, sKerry gave great credibility to knee-jerk egotistical pacifist isolationists. His charges against our brave military men have not been forgotten - but the Swifties are reminding the 'Nam vets and their families EXACTLY WHO did that testimony, and many of us who remembered that testimony had forgotten who had created such lies.

The effect on the morale of our troops was devastating. The leadership of the country was devastated, too. They had already been in a defensive mode to begin with instead of an aggressive "win the war" mode - they went into a "buy our way out of it" mode. Some pointed with credibility to sKerry's lie that "we'd only have to protect 3000 S.Vietnamese who might be harmed by the NV" --- that was always complete bunk, but people WANTED to believe it. Over Three MILLION were killed after we left. sKerry was wrong there, and he lied about the rest, too. If the hearings had been more positive, it might have defused the peaceniks a bit, and we may well have gone on to make an attempt to stop micromanaging that conflict, and let our guys win the war.

Many of the culprits have recognized they were wrong - take David Horowitz as an example, as well as many FReepers who have stated as much here. Many are angry at the way Walter Cronkite and the rest of the lamestream press duped them. sKerry is still trying to defend his indefensible actions.

Kerry's a bona fide liar. He and his VVAW buddies encouraged others to lie. He is as close to a traitor as anybody I know of.

I stated (at length in discussions) on a thread a some time ago that this is now not only a battle between the SwiftVets and the peaceniks of the 60s and 70s, but that this campaign has become a battle - a great battle - between the Old Media Fraudcasters and other mediots, and the New Media - with talk radio/ internet/ blogs.

This has become a battle to the death. Only one will be left standing. The 'Nam Vets (including me and many of my fellows in arms) are not going to be able to be silenced by the President or by the Demodogs or by the Fraudcasters. We know the truth. There is a great well of support we can draw on, and righteous anger about the way we have been treated. Many others are just as angry about how they have been misled by the Fraudcasters and the NYSlimes, et al, and they are now seeing a way to "get a bit of their own back.

WE THE PEOPLE, INCLUDING THOSE OF US AT FR, HAVE TO TAKE BACK THE NEWS MEDIA. WE CAN NOT GIVE UP, WE CANNOT GIVE IN, WE CANNOT REST UNTIL sKERRY IS CRUSHED. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WHO ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THIS EFFORT.

please feel free to add to this, plagiarize it, or otherwise use this rant against the traitors to our brave men. just get it out there.

Give the VietNam Vets the Parade They Never Got

DEFEAT KERRY !!!
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