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Kerry Lied, And So Did I...
WinterSoldier.com ^ | October 6, 2004 | Steve Pitkin

Posted on 10/06/2004 8:35:23 PM PDT by Interesting Times

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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.

This time it’s Iraq.

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Steve Pitkin
Boca Raton, Florida

See also: Yesterday's Lies: Steve Pitkin and the Winter Soldiers by Scott Swett


TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: homeatlast; johnkerry; kerry; kerrylied; kerryliedrally; phonywarcrimes; stevepitkin; vvaw; wintersoldier
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To: IYAAYAS
I'm sorry but this doesn't do anything for me. A man says someone "made" him lie but now he's telling the truth? He probably is telling the truth now but has 0 credability, at least with me.

Steve takes full responsibility for agreeing to "testify" at Winter Soldier, and has apologized for doing so. He basically just wanted to get out of there and didn't think it would ever matter to anyone.

61 posted on 10/07/2004 6:44:22 AM PDT by Interesting Times (ABCNNBCBS -- yesterday's news.)
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To: Interesting Times
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

62 posted on 10/07/2004 6:50:12 AM PDT by joesnuffy (Moderate Islam Is For Dilettantes)
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To: joesnuffy

Let's get this guy on Hannity and Clownes.

If anybody reads this post that has contacts, please post your efforts here.

Thanks.


63 posted on 10/07/2004 6:55:43 AM PDT by George from New England
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To: backhoe

I know that most of us got the connection to "Apocalypse Now" but I feel that needs to be posted for those who didn't.


64 posted on 10/07/2004 6:57:52 AM PDT by George from New England
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To: shezza

Is Steve alone? Or are there a few others "in his boat"

Maybe if this gets pushed into the MSM, some others will come forward too.

We can only pray and hope for the truth to rule.


65 posted on 10/07/2004 7:00:32 AM PDT by George from New England
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To: Interesting Times; TBarnett34; Alamo-Girl; onyx; ALOHA RONNIE; SpookBrat; Republican Wildcat; ...
Kerry Lied, And So Did I...

Steve Pitkin submitted this remarkable article to The Washington Post, but it apparently didn't fit their needs...


Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my General Interest ping list!. . .don't be shy.


66 posted on 10/07/2004 7:04:21 AM PDT by MeekOneGOP (The GOP throw their trash out. The DemocRATS worship theirs.)
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To: Interesting Times
Steve Pitkin submitted this remarkable article to The Washington Post, but it apparently didn't fit their needs...>

The liberal media will always be on the side of liberal, corrupt demonrats!The man has more courage than the both Johns do~

67 posted on 10/07/2004 7:18:32 AM PDT by Grassontop (Forgive the demoncrats for they know not what they do! Pray for God to change their hearts!)
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To: MeekOneGOP

I sent Steve a link to this thread, and he wanted to mention that the Washington Post was not alone -- the Atlanta Journal-Consistution and the Miami Herald also refused to run this article.


68 posted on 10/07/2004 7:29:39 AM PDT by Interesting Times (ABCNNBCBS -- yesterday's news.)
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To: xzins

Ping.


69 posted on 10/07/2004 7:33:40 AM PDT by scripter (Thousands have left the homosexual lifestyle)
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To: scripter

I truly believe that Freepers could spread this around the country in very little time.

For example, I'm sure we have freepers in

1. Every State

2. Probably in every county

3. Possibly in every precinct

If each of those would forward that to their personal email lists, it would get wider distribution than the Wash Post could ever dream. If each of those forwarded it to their lists and so on, FR could blanket America in a matter of a day or less.

I know, I know....I've been staring at the moon too much.

:>)


70 posted on 10/07/2004 8:06:25 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army and Proudly Supporting BUSH/CHENEY 2004!)
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To: George from New England

To the best of my knowledge I'm the only one in the crowd who stepped forward. Then again, I'm probably one of the only ones who went back into the military and served 32 years total, 21 1/2 active duty.
What I still don't know after all these years, is how many of them were even in the military, much less in Vietnam.
The Secretary if VVAW claimed to be a Naval Pilot, and turned out to be an enlisted Storekeeper on board an Aircraft Carrier, and never set foot on Vietnamese soil.
This is not to demean in any way those who honorably served on Aircraft Carriers at all, but the only plane he flew was in his mind.


71 posted on 10/07/2004 8:09:23 AM PDT by Tu Dia (Tu Dia)
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To: MeekOneGOP

Steve Pitkin's story needs to go national - BTT


72 posted on 10/07/2004 8:12:53 AM PDT by Happy2BMe (Just 28 more days until November 2nd.)
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To: Interesting Times
Quick! Email this to Dan Rather and Mary Mapes!

They'll be right on it.

I'd at least like to see Drudge post it.
73 posted on 10/07/2004 8:15:57 AM PDT by Preachin' (Kerry/Rather 2004)
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To: Interesting Times

WOW!!


74 posted on 10/07/2004 8:36:43 AM PDT by ThomasMore (Pax et bonum!)
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To: Interesting Times
The media are disgusting. They are so LIBERAL biased. Glad we have FR,
FOX News, Rush Limbaugh et al and the good bloggers banging away at the
bad guys.

75 posted on 10/07/2004 8:48:04 AM PDT by MeekOneGOP (The GOP throw their trash out. The DemocRATS worship theirs.)
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To: xzins
If each of those would forward that to their personal email lists...

Hey, I've done my part. J

76 posted on 10/07/2004 8:54:05 AM PDT by scripter (Thousands have left the homosexual lifestyle)
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To: Interesting Times

"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."

It's bad enough the way this man and others were treated after returning home but to consider Kerry as a war hero is just amazing to me. If Kerry came home and opposed the war, then fine, that's his right. But to come home and lie and not support his fellow troops that were still over there is disgusting.


77 posted on 10/07/2004 9:05:03 AM PDT by Raven281
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To: Happy2BMe
Steve Pitkin's story needs to go national - BTT

Steve appeared a couple of weeks ago on Brit Hume's show and Hannity & Colmes, and on the Tony Snow and Sean Hannity radio shows, but it's been pretty quiet since then. We're working to get him lined up with some more interviews.

78 posted on 10/07/2004 9:05:46 AM PDT by Interesting Times (ABCNNBCBS -- yesterday's news.)
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To: TBarnett34; 06isweak; 0scill8r; 100American; 100%FEDUP; 101st-Eagle; 101stSignal; 101viking; ...

Thanks for the headsup, TBarnett.

Pinging for Steve Pitkin


79 posted on 10/07/2004 9:14:42 AM PDT by MistyCA
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To: MistyCA

Thanks for the ping.
Bump


80 posted on 10/07/2004 9:20:03 AM PDT by Darksheare ("I helped the VietCong win the war, I'll help Al-Qeada too." -John Kerry promises a sensitive war.)
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