Posted on 03/06/2004 12:21:15 AM PST by Hon
A couple of weeks ago I posted this thread about a photograph that I wound in a book about Kerry's group, the Vietnam Veterans Against The War:
Kerry's Group Met With The Viet Cong In Paris In 1971
The Vietnam Veterans Against The War (VVAW) sent their own delegation to Paris to meet with the representatives of the National Liberation Front (AKA Viet Cong) in 1971. At this time John Kerry was their spokesman and defacto leader.
This photograph is from the book "The Winter Soldiers", by Richard Stacewicz, page 284:
Since Stacewicz did not mention whether Kerry had attended this meeting and I did not see it mentioned anywhere else, I assumed he did not attend go on this trip.
I was wrong. Kerry did go to Paris. He did talk with the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese. In fact, he was quite proud about it. For it was the first thing that he brought up once he was done with his speech before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on April 22, 1971:
THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1971
UNITED STATES SENATE;
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS,
Washington, D.C.
The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 11:05 a.m., in Room 4221, New Senate Office Building, Senator J. W. Fulbright (Chairman) presiding.
Present: Senators Fulbright, Symington, Pell, Aiken, Case, and Javits.
Thank you. [Applause]
The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Kerry, it is quite evident from that demonstration that you are speaking not only for yourself but for all your associates, as you properly said in the beginning.
You said you wished to communicate. I can't imagine anyone communicating more eloquently than you did. I think it is extremely helpful and beneficial to the committee and the country to have you make such a statement.
You said you had been awake all night. I can see that you spent that time very well indeed. [Laughter.]
Perhaps that was the better part, better that you should be awake than otherwise.
You have said that the question before this committee and the Congress is really how to end the war. The resolutions about which we have been hearing testimony during the past several days, the sponsors of which are some members of this committee, are seeking the most practical way that we can find and, I believe, to do it at the earliest opportunity that we can. That is the purpose of these hearings and that is why you were brought here.
You have been very eloquent about the reasons why we should proceed as quickly as possible. Are you familiar With some of the proposals before this committee?
Mr. KERRY. Yes, I am, Senator.
The CHAIRMAN. Do you support or do you have any particular views about any one of them you wish to give the committee?
Mr. KERRY. My feeling, Senator, is undoubtedly this Congress, and I don't mean to sound pessimistic, but I do not believe that this Congress will, in fact, end the war as we would like to, which is immediately and unilaterally and, therefore, if I were to speak I would say we would set a date and the date obviously would be the earliest possible date. But I would like to say, in answering that, that I do not believe it is necessary to stall any longer. I have been to Paris. I have talked with both delegations at the peace talks, that is to say the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government and of all eight of Madam Binh's points it has been stated time and time again, and was stated by Senator Vance Hartke when he returned from Paris, and it has been stated by many other officials of this Government, if the United States were to set a date for withdrawal the prisoners of war would be returned.
I think this negates very clearly the argument of the President that we have to maintain a presence in Vietnam, to use as a negotiating block for the return of those prisoners. The setting of a date will accomplish that.
http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/index.php?topic=Testimony
Male or female, you're a researching demon with cojones the size of beachballs . . . metaphorically speaking of course.
I like you. I like you a lot. Keep on stroking. You're making a positive difference and I'm one FReeper who damn sure appreciates your efforts. I suspect there's plenty of other FReepers who agree with me.
You're next assignment . . . LOL . . . is to lay your hands on Lurch's medical and medal records from Vietnam. I don't believe the "official" version of his heroism for a second . . . and there can only be one reason for why he's not releasing them. THIS is the reason his camp is so pissed off at McAwful for bringing up the BS about GW being AWOL . . . because they knew it would force us Conservatives to dig into his Vietnam experiences.
You're the best gopher I know . . . get after him.
I realize this is a bit late, sir, but thanks for your service. The "real" soldiers who fought the "real" wars are why we're the greatest country the world has ever known. I salute you.
We have one true photo of Fonda and Kerry and another one of Kerry appearing with Ramsey Clark. I can almost guarantee that there are others out there, including from Press photo morgues. Even if the national press did not cover Kerry/Fonda in Valley Forge and Detroit, I bet the local press did. It is just a matter of time and research before these photos turn up.
And some guys -- like Hanoi John Kerry -- get three scratches and they're out.....of the war and harm's way! His Vietnam records do need to be called for and released.
It angers me more every day to know that John Kerry was actively working with the enemy in time of war and putting the lives of our men and women on active duty in Vietnam in more danger -- especially because my husband was in country in the central highlands being shot at while Kerry was undermining the war effort. And my husband served a full one-year tour of duty from October 1, 1970 to October 1, 1971.
Thank you, Hon, for doing such detailed research and sharing it with the rest of us.
Lurch went to Vietnam to get his "resume" punched . . . nothing more. He made sure he received Purple Hearts for slight or imagined injuries, then staged his "heroic" Silver Star action to be the icing on his panty-waist cake.
Granted, "staged" is my as of yet unproven charge that it's hardly heroic to beach a perfectly-capable boat on a river bank . . . leaving men you're responsible for vulnerable and exposed to enemy fire . . . while you "supposedly" chase after an enemy who's admittedly injured and probably already dead after the hooch he hid in was levelled by a 50-caliber machine gun, and then return to the beached boat with the enemy's weapon and nothing but your word vetting the fact that you are Audie Murphy reincarnated.
Comparing Lurch's staged nonsense to what a real soldier like Kellynla went through is like trying to relive the thrills and chills of a hi-wire artist by listening to a loud-mouthed Carnival Barker.
And this genius wants America to trust him in dealing with terrorists?
ENOUGH with the winding of photographs!
Just what experience did Kerry base this on? Less than 4 months with the Swift boats? I think we should investigate as to why the crews he worked with were such drug-crazed village-burning rapists and murderers.
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.