Mr. Kernodle,
Happy New Year !!! Am sending you below a summary article I'd like to send out to tons of vet organizations and the media. Also separately, the three articles I mention in this article. But, as I say in the main article, we strongly support what you are doing but will always check with you first in any effort to help. I wanted to put together our material and your material in a text that can't be longer than 4 pages so that requred considerable editing. But I'm hoping it covers the essence of the issue and what you are doing for people and tells them where to go. I'll change anything you don't like, add anything, or even scratch the whole article if you don't like it. If you want people to contact you I can add your e-mail and/or phone number. Please advise. It is also being looked over by my top 4 Advisors but with instruction not to do anything until we hear from you. They can reach a lot of other Vietnam vets. There are a couple of newspapers that I'm sure will carry something on this, VVA News - Conn, the editor is on our Board, also a large San Diego newspaper. Also a number of places on the web that usually post my articles, Northwest Veterans Newsletter, whose Editor is also on our Board, AllSouthWestNews, CNS.Com, and Arena of Ideas. Also, many who asked for the film said they had newspaper-TV-radio connections.
Leonard Magruder - VVAR
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VIETNAM VETERANS FOR ACADEMIC REFORM -
the student auxiliary at the University of Kansas
Leonard Magruder - Founder/President
Former professor of psychology, Suffolk College, N.Y.
Below is a series of ongoing exchanges (in 4 parts) between Leonard Magruder, President of Vietnam Veterans for Academic Reform, and Mr. Joel Charles Kernodle, President of the 1st Marine Division Association of Indiana, the purpose of which is to tell you about a counter-protest being organized by Mr. Kernodle for Jan. 18 in Washington , DC. Mr. Kernodle is a 56 year-old USMC infantryman and combat veteran of Vietnam and a recipient of the Purple Heart. A retired commercial /industrial finance executive he lives in Indianapolis.. He has also served as president and/or founder of various other civic and veterans associations. This article deals primarily with his cause, which we will be supporting, always checking with him first on anything we do. Please pass this along for a big turnout in Washington. We have three short articles you can copy and hand out at the protest if you like, also will send you some suggestions for posters. To see the articles go first to: http://members.aol.com/bear317k/magruder.htm . Go to the bottom of that long article to Magruder Articles Index. Click on that and you will see a list of titles. The three most useful short articles for this occasion are:
1) We Don't Want Your Views on War - You Lied About Vietnam.
2) Berkeley and the Ghouls
3) Leftists Still Foulmouthed and Ignorant
Remember, the protestors on Jan. 18 primarily represent the university, a national failure. They will yell good, but really have nothing to say to America in this hour of mortal danger. They can't even do what they are supposed to do. Because of them Johnny can't read, write, tell right from wrong or get through without massive grade inflation. They have put America in 19th place in international scholastic competition. Multiculturalism, speech codes, and political correctness have led to a totalitarian climate on campus of racism, anti-semitism, and ignorance of American history. Send them a serious article and all you ever get back is "take me off your list." What do they know about truth or freedom?
I have sent a number of copies of my documentary "How the Campus Lied About Vietnam" to strategic TV stations in Washington to show that what the anti-war protestors will be saying on Jan. 18 is simply a recycling of the lies they used to betray SouthEast Asia to tyranny and genocide in the 60's. The soldiers were not here when the campus lied about Vietnam. But they are here now and they are going to be heard.
Part 1 (VVAR has an idea. From a recent article)
STUDENT ORGANIZATION AT UNIV. OF KANSAS ... CALLS FOR PROTEST IN WASHINGTON
Leonard Magruder, President of Vietnam Veterans for Academic Reform, the student auxiliary at the University of Kansas, today sent out 80 complimentary copies of his documentary, "How the Campus Lied About Vietnam," as requested by universities and vet organizations all over the country. This is part of a new national campaign by his organization to fight media bias against 3 new films that challange the false view of the Vietnam War that has been institutionalized on campus to protect those who would not serve.
Said Mr. Magruder,"This is also our response to the infamous "Not in Our Name" advertisement signed by many who were leaders in the 60's war protests calling the current war on terrorism "unjust, immoral, and illegimate". These are the same words they used in the 60's to hand SouthEast Asia over to genocide and tyranny." Once again the leftist tyranny on campus is fatally misinterpreting a world crisis, which, unless stopped, will again lead to polarization and failure. For massive growing complaints nation-wide from students see www.noindoctrination.org.
At the anti-war protest in Washington on Oct. 26 protestors, mostly university people, shouted from near the Vietnam Memorial (The Wall), "If these men were here today they would be with us." That is certainly not likely to be true of the vast majority represented by The Wall. In a recent poll of Vietnam vets by VFW Magazine, "90% of those who saw heavy combat are proud to have served their country. 66% said they would serve again if called upon." This effort by the protestors to falsely manipulate those who can't fight back is a disgrace. Said Mr. Magruder, "At the next demonstration coming up (Jan.18) I would like to see 100,000 Vietnam vets form a line, away from the Wall, but between it and the protestors, to say, "These men would not be with you in your "Hate America" campaign. They gave their lives fighting for a just cause, the freedom of South Vietnam from Communist aggression from North Vietnam. You lied in the 60's and you are lying again. And what you are teaching students about the Vietnam War is a lie also." The film, "How the Campus Lied About the Vietnam War," is a one-hour film based on 62 interviews with Vietnam vets at parade weekends in the late 80's. Only one question was asked, "How do you feel about the campus war protestors"? The general response was that the position taken by the protestors was "false, hypocritical, and damaging to the war effort." ("The Stalwart", K.U. student newspaper). This is also a description of what you will be hearing from the protestors on Jan.18. In this film you will hear of the damage done to any war effort and its soldiers when our intellectuals fall for enemy propaganda as they did in the 60's. The nation is not going to go through this again.
PART 2 (Mr. Kernoble has the same idea, but can do something about it.)
Dear Mr. Magruder,
I have not only read all of the materials you were so kind to forward, I have posted them within a special forum created for a club, which has an internet site, to which USMC combat veterans belong.
There has been a furor over a post originally made of your actions leading Vietnam Veterans for Academic Reform just a few days ago within the club website. Nearly all of the members believe in doing something about these radical protesters and the rebirth of this type of movement. There is tremendous anger and a feeling among them of violation as a result of these leftist radicals "using" both physical monuments to veterans and their own interpretations of what deceased veterans would protest. The membership is aware there will be a march/rally/protest in Washington, D.C., 1/18-1/19/03 . It is the desire of most of the membership to engage these leftists for two reasons. First, to attempt to demonstrate to the public and to the media that Vietnam Veterans are nearly unanimous in their support of bringing terrorists, threatening anti-American dictatorial regimes, and extremist Muslim states to their knees, and if necessary, eliminated. They also believe our active duty military should have their actions and honor validated publicly, unlike the ignominious and utter failures at home to protect their own actions and honor when they were in Vietnam. Second, they are adamant to not allow these leftists to defile, rally around, misrepresent, or dishonor in any way physical military monuments they consider sacred, such as The Wall, the Iwo Jima Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, etc., or otherwise use them for their own agenda. These men also resent the radicals' use of their dead comrades, speaking "through" them as though they would be against current anti-terrorist actions.
Respectfully
Joel Charles Kernodle
Part 3 ( A Call to Arms goes out)
United States Marine Corps combat veterans of the Vietnam War have initiated an offensive; a war, if you will, against the stance and arrogance of the leftist radical movement. These vile traitors, sympathetic to the enemies of this nation have again, after thirty years, risen their ugly heads, Phoenix-like, to aid and abet our enemies. As before, they are demonstrating, trying to present, with the help of the liberal media, a false impression to the citizens and politicians of America, and the world, of a popular opposition to the United States defending itself and waging war upon those bent upon it's destruction. Your "arms" are your willingness to help show the world the radical left is not going to be given the sole position of presenting the only voice of the will and wishes of our people. Your "call" is to plan to join up with these Marines, and other patriotic Americans, and proceed to Washington, DC to be a needed member of our demonstration against that of the leftist anti-war protestors.
Semper Fidelis
Joel Charles Kernodle
PART 4 (details for the troops)
After consideration of the organizations that would prove most beneficial to our cause, I have determined the most efficient means of getting ourselves up-to-speed on our enemy and the workings of Washington D.C. is to enlist as our primary ally, FreeRepublic. They also are very familiar with the authorities in DC. Not only that, they are adept at getting things done that have to be done to be "kosher" with the authorities there, they are knowledgeable of press/media contacts and they will be there in DC as our allies to help us avoid making any missteps.
I encourage each and every one of you to go to a FreeRepublic website, http://www.freerepublic.com , and view the material. You will get an informative view of what "protesting" in DC, surely the Protest Capital of the world, is all about. We want to stay in the best of graces with the gendarmes. It usually takes 30 days to get a permit, so we would have had a problem there. The second and third problems might have been (as required normally) what number would we state and who is our organization? We will be OK and in compliance on all counts, thanks to FreeRepublic. We will all muster at the closest permissible area to the Wall and the Brothers of Nam statue.I will make a short announcement as close to 0900 as possible. We will proceed from our 0900 muster point east along Independence Ave to The Capitol. We will look to the FreeRepublic people for direction, and we will follow their advice and lead. The police will not allow two opposing groups to mingle or get within an unacceptable, to them, proximity [generally speaking, close enough for physical assault or large objects to be thrown successfully]. We are allowed to bellow our lungs out. We can use bullhorns and we can even use the kind with a battery and an amplified horn. We must use signs that use a stick no longer than three feet [3']. We can cook up very derisive chants and can make banners as long as we want that can be stretched between two of the three foot sticks. There are are some parade-route no-nos we must be careful to avoid, such as racist remarks and things like that. We can cuss the tar out of them though.
The FreeRepublic folks will be setting up video/recording sessions with the media. This will be ALL media; print, radio, and TV. Both the FreeRepublic and VVAR [Leonard Magruder at Vietnam Veterans for Academic Reform] have asked who will be the person being the representative of the veterans and the right. I told them that would be me [Joel Kernodle]. There may be a possibility of a debate with a representative of the leftists, and asked if I am capable of doing that and would I be willing to do so, and I said, most emphatically, YES. The places mentioned the most for TV include FOX, CNN, and C-Span. The most "important" and likely ones for print will be the New York Daily News, AP, UPI, and Reuters.
Joel Kernodle
Amongst those advised:
Board of Advisors of VVAR- National
Mr. Richard Kitson - President, Vietnam Veterans of America - Suffolk Chapter (New York)
Mr. Dennis Garbosky - founder, Vietnam War Historical Society (New York)
Lt. Col. Chuck Allen (ret.) - founder, "National Vietnam Veterans Review" (North Carolina)
Mr. Ray Gallagher - past Commander, American Legion - Toronto (Canada)
Col. Stanley Horton - former Director, V.V.Leadership- Houston (Texas)
Mr. John Lowe - Commander, Native American Veterans Association (Kansas)
Mr. Roger Young - Co-Editor, "Northwest Veterans Newsletter", and military consultant - (Washington)
Mr. Stephen Markley - former Director, V.V.Leadership - Minnesota (Kansas)
Dr. William Beausay - Academic Consultant - psychology (Ohio)
Mr. Steve Hawkins - President, Committee on the Crisis in Education (Kansas)
Mr. William Street - history - Vietnam War (Hawaii)
Mr. Dan M. Steinruck - Virginia State Director for Point Man Ministries (Virginia)
Mr. Bernie Russo - President, VVA Chapter #484, Editor, VVA Newspaper- Conn. Edition (Connecticut)
Mr. Joseph P. Larson - Consultant - Computer Science (Kansas)
Beverly Haire - Consultant - POW/MIA issues (Florida)
Mr. Bill Laurie - Academic Consultant - History of Vietnam War (Arizona)
Rev. Lloyd Snodgrass - Academic Consultant -Theology (Kansas)
Excerpts from supportive letters:
"Your activities, indeed, sound very worthwhile. " - Edwin Feulner - President - the Heritage Foundation
"Academic reform is necessary and no one has more moral authority to demand that they clean up their act than those who have put their lives on the line for their country." - Thomas Sowell-national columnist, Stanford scholar.
"Very best wishes for success in your important work." - former president George Bush
"I salute your aims … my best wishes in this." - Charlton Heston - actor, producer
"Very best wishes for your important work." - Christopher DeMuth - President American Enterprise Institute
"Your concerns regarding the academic climate on our nation's college campuses will be provided to the Legion's National Committee on Education." - The American Legion
"I never miss an opportunity to thank Vietnam veterans for serving their country…best wishes for great success." - Norman Schwarzkopf - General - U.S.Army (ret.)
"…has greatest respect for veterans and takes this very seriously." Office of Kweisi Mfume - President - NAACP
"It's comforting to know that people like you are in the trenches taking a stand in mainstream America. Keep up the good work." - Karl Day - Editor - Washington Watch
"Best of luck on your enterprise "- William F. Buckley Jr. -Editor -National Review
"Thanks for all your efforts on behalf of Vietnam veterans." - Michael Clodfelter - Vietnam vet and author of Vietnam in Military Statistics- A History of the Indochina Wars.
"I share your objectives." - Dr. James Buchanan -Nobel Laureate- George Mason University
Magruder44@aol.com