South Carolina Ping List
Posted on 11/29/2004 4:30:45 AM PST by johnny7
This is the story of a military veteran whistleblower. He spoke out against someone he thought was dangerous for the nation, talked to local newspapers, and appeared on talk shows. In return, he was vilified by reporters, threatened by a political operative, fired by his company, and now he's broke.
His name is Steve Gardner. He's also known as "The 10th Brother," as in Band of Brothers. He's one of two members of Sen. John Kerry's 12 Vietnam swift boat crew members who refused to stand with Kerry at the Democratic Convention. The other man remained silent. "They said I had a political agenda. I had no and have no political agenda whatsoever. I saw John Kerry on television saying he was running for the Democratic nomination for president, and I knew I couldn't ever see him as commander in chief -- not after what I saw in Vietnam, not after the lies I heard him tell about what he says he did and what he says others did."
Gardner explains he was sitting at home in Clover, S.C., when he first saw Kerry on television. It was before the primary races. For 35 years, Gardner says, he hadn't talked about his tour of duty in Vietnam. But when he saw Kerry talking about running, he says he got up, called the newspaper in town, called radio stations and "talked to anyone I could about why this man should never be president." Eventually he got a call from Adm. Roy Huffman, who had been in charge of the coastal division in Vietnam, reunited with other swift boat veterans, and the rest is, as they say, history.
Gardner's story is one that bears telling. He volunteered for the Navy, enlisting on his 18th birthday in February 1966. After training, he was shipped to Vietnam and served for two years as a gunner in the swift boat division. His superior, for four months, was none other than Lt. j.g. John F. Kerry. "I had confrontations with him there. He nearly got us rammed by the VC one night because he wasn't watching the helm. I heard the motor coming close, turned on the spotlight, and the boat was only 90 feet away, coming fast. The VC was aiming an AK47 at us. I shot him out of the boat. We pulled a woman and a baby off the boat. Kerry wrote it up that we captured two VC and killed four more on the beach. None of that was true. The only thing true on Kerry's report was the date. The woman was catatonic and wouldn't call her baby VC and there were no VC on the beach. If we had seen that report before Kerry sent it up the chain of command, he would have been court-martialed and never allowed to run for office. And that's just the San Pan incident. There was much more. He is a self-aggrandizing bold-faced liar. I believe he caused the extension of that war."
Gardner told this story and others to radio stations and he wrote a piece for the local paper. Then, he says, he received a phone call from John Hurley, the veterans organizer for Kerry's campaign. Hurley, Gardner says, asked him to come out for Kerry. He told Hurley to leave him alone and that he'd never be for Kerry. It was then Gardner says, he was threatened with, "You better watch your step. We can look into your finances." Next, Gardner said he received a call from Douglas Brinkley, the author of Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War. Brinkley told Gardner he was calling only to "fact check" the book -- which was already in print. "I told him that the guy in the book is not the same guy I served with. I told him Kerry was a coward. He would patrol the middle of the river. The canals were dangerous. He wouldn't go there unless he had another boat pushing him."
Days later, Brinkley called again, warning Gardner to expect some calls. It seems Brinkley had used the "fact checking" conversation to write an inflammatory article about Gardner for Time.com. The article, implying that Gardner was politically motivated, appeared under the headline "The 10th Brother." Twenty-four hours later, Gardner got an e-mail from his company, Millennium Information Services, informing him that his services would no longer be necessary. He was laid off in an e-mail -- by the same man who only days before had congratulated him for his exemplary work in a territory which covered North and South Carolina. The e-mail stated that his position was being eliminated. Since then, he's seen the company advertising for his old position. Gardner doesn't have the money to sue to get the job back. "I'm broke. I've been hurt every way I can be hurt. I have no money in the bank but am doing little bits here and there to pay the bills," he said. All the millions of dollars raised by Gardner and his fellow Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, and all the proceeds from John O'Neill's book, Unfit for Command, go to families of veterans, POWs and MIAs.
And, even though Gardner is broke and jobless for speaking out, the husband and father of three says he'd do it all over again. He says it wasn't for politics. It was for America.
Tonk,
It's time to invoke the political activists creed.
POLITICAL ACTIVISTS CREED;It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brushfires in people's minds -Samuel Adams
Check out powerline, I sent an email asking him to set up a paypal account. We owe this guy a lot.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/
Tunehead, when you hear how we can help this guy, here is my e-mail addy. Let me know if you would. I don't get to FR too often, so might miss the info. writebill@satx.rr.com
I can't afford a lot, but he damned sure deserves our support.
Well there is that traitor Max Cleland for one......
LOL He'd be pilloried, but heck, the rats will do that anyway! There must be some good paying position for such a hard and honest worker as Steve Gardner, not high profile, but needing a responsible person.
"Gardner got an e-mail from his company, Millennium Information Services, informing him that his services would no longer be necessary. He was laid off in an e-mail -- by the same man who only days before had congratulated him for his exemplary work in a territory which covered North and South Carolina."
There must be some FReepers and/or Veterans who can give him a job.
Bump
"Okay, there are too many Steven Gardners in SC. I can't find him without more data - like middle name, etc. Therefore we'll have to write to Swiftees to find out how and if he can be reached for donations. I'm willing to do the legwork - will see where it goes from there."
Great and good on you. When you find him, I'm in for the donations - I contributed to the Swift Boat Vets about 5 times, so a bit more to help a true hero is just fine!
Found the following site - besides writing to them does
anyone have any idea WHAT we could stop buying?
Hit 'em in the pocketbook!
Millennium Information Services
http://www.millenniuminformation.com/
"Found a Freeper (Robe) who lives within 10 miles of the guy. He says Steve Gardner is a great guy, real straightshooter...and doesn't deserve this. Robe will be taking on the fundraising effort. Developing...."
I'm sure Robe is a great person and a true patriot. Nonetheless, the best way to accomplish our donations, IMHO, is to have Robe set up a bank account in Gardner's name with a known, reputable bank so that we can all contribute to that bank referencing the name Steve Gardner and For Deposit Only.
I'd be interested in being on a ping list if someone is making one.
Once he gets a lawyer with proper experience and admissions, I'd be happy to help without charge. However, I cannot be lead counsel on such a case.
Congressman Billybob
Click for latest, "Jennings on Jeopardy! -- Nice Guys Do Finish First"
Thank you for posting this. I like it!
I'd like to be added to this ping list, too. :)
Powerline has his email up. See #162 for link, not sure if I should post it here, In my opinion we should either have the admin moderator change the thread title to a freeper action type title or start another thread as such.
"....dedication to the truth."
Steve Gardner Bump!
Unless he had a contract or there are written company policies that were violated, as those form a defacto contract, albeit one changeable at the will of the employers.
What he needs is a Republican to hire him.
That should actually be easier than getting any satisfaction in the courts would ever be, were the law was such that it could be had.
You are very welcome. Please share it with others.
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