Kerry Lied, And So Did I...

When John Kerry testified to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1971 that American troops in Vietnam were ravaging the country with widespread atrocities, it was based on a pack of lies. I know, because I told some of those lies after Kerry coached me on what to say.

I was wounded in 1969 and when well enough to walk and return to the US I was spit on, ridiculed and had feces thrown at my uniform. I was mad at my country for sending me to a war it was not committed to win and bitter at being vilified for serving my country.

After discharge from the Army I met a representative of “Vietnam Veterans Against the War.” He wore jungle fatigues, spoke like a Vietnam veteran and held out a hand of friendship, a kind of Vietnam era VFW. I joined, not knowing they were radicals.

After several VVAW meetings my recruiter said we were needed in a Detroit meeting called Winter Soldier to support members recounting bad experiences in Vietnam, and there would be a free concert.

I rode to Detroit with John Kerry and others in a freezing cold van. While Kerry was interested in atrocities, I hoped to meet pretty women.

In Detroit Kerry pressed me to testify but I told him I didn’t see any atrocities in Vietnam. They needed me for their purpose because I was one of the few present who had been in combat.

During a break, John Kerry and some moderators surrounded me. Kerry said, “I need you to say you saw war crimes and atrocities in Vietnam.” Others said “Come on man, the brothers need you!” and “Don’t you want to help save lives in Vietnam?” Someone whispered in my ear “It’s a long walk back to Baltimore.”

I reluctantly agreed to say something, and Kerry said “OK, we’re going to have a dialogue with you recorded before you go out there. I need you to talk about the beating of civilians and enemy personnel.”

Kerry coached me to “Specify indiscriminate artillery on villages, racism, brutality and rape.” He said he’d help me with specifics.

When the camera came on, Kerry asked “What brings you here to Detroit?” Was he kidding? I felt betrayed, I tried to evade by mumbling how hard that was to answer and I felt a strong desire to leave.

But I didn’t. Following Kerry’s prompting I told false stories, a rambling bunch of generalities sprinkled with references to racism, atrocities, and an organized underground in country, along with some half-truths to please the mob.

When it was over I went on with my life, rejoined the military, and buried VVAW as a dark memory. When I later discovered Kerry had been meeting with the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong in Paris and repeating their talking points in the US while our boys were still dying, I was sick at having helped him.

I have noted the backlash against veterans who speak out against Kerry now that he wants to be President. Many call it dirty politics. But it makes no difference to me whether Kerry is a Democrat or Republican; this is a matter of keeping faith with my country. Whatever you say about me, I now must tell the truth about Kerry and about myself.

Recently in Washington DC a group of Vietnam vets held a rally. At the last minute I was given a few moments to speak to the crowd of thousands. I nervously stepped up on the stage, gripped the podium with shaking hands and as I confessed to the crowd what I had done long ago I could see anger on their faces. But when I asked them to forgive me, I heard someone shout "You're already forgiven!" I saw aging veterans, wives and their adult children standing in the sun with tears on their faces. There were also smiles. From these people I felt closure, my dark conscience brightened. As I stepped off the stage, many lined up to shake my hand and hug me, and I was overwhelmed.

I failed those I owed the most loyalty long ago. That’s my fault, not John Kerry’s. But Kerry did use me, and he knowingly used lies to denounce a generation of fine American troops.

Kerry played on people’s fears to gain his own political advantage 33 years ago, no matter the danger to our troops. He’s doing the same thing again today.

It's OK bro...you made up for a lot...

Many returning combat vets were spit on ...literally as well as figuratively...

We can thank John Kerry for this...almost as much as 'personalities' like Walter Cronkite..

It was this 'most trusted man in television' (an oxymoron if there ever was one) who betrayed the truth in order to sell his Marxist revisionism to main stream America

Cronkite began to turn middle America against the war as well as returning RVN combat vets just as Kerry and Fonda, the SDS, and Free Speech Movement and Rock Music turned the young against Veterans, and our nation..

It was into this back stabbing (or simply back turning) milieu many Vietnam combat vets were immersed....and at the age of 19 or 20 to be accepted by peers is of primary importance.....

Kerry offered young veterans an 'outlaw' kind of group identity that gave vets some recognition by, and approval of, the college crowd and most importantly...the coeds that were along for the ride as they evolved into anti American feminists... ( the girls loved the anti war veterans (or at least what passed for love back then)...they had that outlaw/rebel kinda thing going on...that Hollywood loves to promote)

I don't judge the young vets who joined up with VVAW too harshly..many were my friends and guys I had the privilege to have fought alongside...the guys who were the real vets..in VVAW were brave good soldiers

Many of the real combat vets who joined felt unwelcome in and alienated from the hometowns they left...Kerry and his phony vet crew played these 'younger brothers' like fiddles...and used them to consolidate his own political power...he and the other wannabes are traitors most foul

If nothing else I hope the treatment of Vietnam vets upon returning from that war... taught us that we can never again let the Kerry's of our nation give 'their' meaning to or define our battles or our veterans...we must pledge to support our troops at war and at home.

And when the wounded come home...we must pledge to never abandon them and to always hold our elected official's feet to the fire making sure that OUR VETERANS after care is first rate...in every respect

We must never let the American people be deluded by Kerry and his America and Veteran hating crowd.....without a fight

Kerry wanted America to abandon her veterans that youngsters and their parents be disheartened by it... that they raise up a generation of fearful children who when they became parents they too would be unwilling to encourage their children to fight for America....children who are loathe to wear the uniform of a warrior...and of their nation's military

This is how to destroy a nation from within...take the heart out of its young.... make them ashamed and afraid ....unwilling to fight..unwilling to stand against all enemies foreign and domestic

When you are ashamed and afraid and unwilling to fight....you demonstrate that you have NO LOVE for your own skin let alone your own people or your own country your own family your own wife and your own children

Pride in and a willingness to fight and if necessary die for someone or something you love.....is real love

The kind Hollywood or Madison Ave rarely promotes...the kind the John F Kerry's of this world want to extinguish forever..

imo

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