Free Republic

American prisoners-of-war held by communist North Vietnam during the years between 1965 and 1973 will celebrate their 40th year of freedom as a result of the release engineered by Pres. Nixon in 1973. The Nixon Library, on the occasion of both the 100th anniversary of the president's birth and the 40th anniversary of the formal dinner he hosted in May 1973 for recently returned American POWs, will recreate that dinner at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, CA, on May 24. Hundreds of still-living POWs will attend, and several have already been interviewed by Diane Sawyer to air during the...

On July 3rd, 2009, Sarah Palin resigned as Governor of Alaska, figuratively nailing the following sign to her door: “Men Wanted For Hazardous Journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.” This most famous newspaper advertisement ever penned placed its original author, Sir Ernest Shackleton, in the position of selecting his Antarctic expeditionary crew from among 5,000 applicants. Comparing Sarah Palin to Shackleton might appear to stretch the limits of metaphorical license, even for an Irishwoman given to hyperbole. I contend that it pales when compared...

A Vietnam veteran who defended Sen. John Kerry against "Swift Boat" attacks in the 2004 presidential race has been stripped of his Silver Star by the Navy -- more than a year after he was sentenced to prison on a child pornography charge. But the Silver Star wasn't stripped from Wade Sanders because of the child porn conviction, per se.

The following statement is by Richard DiFederico, Department Commander of Connecticut’s largest war veterans’ organization, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States: “Those who served in Vietnam or offshore or in neighboring countries rightfully earned all the belated thanks and appreciation our nation can muster. Those who served in uniform during the Vietnam era also deserve our gratitude, which makes Mr. Blumenthal's claim to be something he is not so outrageous. It diminishes the service of all who served and sacrificed, most especially those whose names are inscribed on the Vietnam Wall. Mr. Blumenthal was considered one of...

Why have we seen nothing about what the new healthcare system means to individual troops and their families? Why has no one mentioned that an argument against healthcare-as-a-right is pretty emphatically denied by the fact that one of the most notable military "perks" or privileges is close-to-free (if not free of hassle!) healthcare insurance? What reward to the military for their service will replace TRICARE and other government care, the likes of which will now be available to every deadbeat, war-protestor, and illegal alien? What new perk for our troops will elevate their superior service to this country or influence...

Several days ago, on one of the Fox News nonprimes (possibly the Kelly/Hemmer 5:00 election show), a brand new Obama-declared super-delegate (sorry, I didn't get her name or state!) announced in answer to a question about BO's elitism that he could hardly be considered elite because he went through Columbia & Harvard on the G. I. Bill. This wasn't challenged. I've found no reference to BO's military service anywhere, nor can I imagine how the G. I. Bill could have helped him otherwise.

Costly Slander, Cheap Redemption by Scott Swett, Vietnam Veterans Legacy Foundation (6/22/2005) - Eight days after viciously comparing the treatment of terrorist prisoners by American troops at Guantanamo Bay to Nazi death camps and Soviet gulags, Senator Richard Durbin offered a weepy semi-apology, expressing regret before his fellow Senators if his remarks "in any way cast a negative light on our fine men and women in the military." Senator Durbin loves and supports America's troops, you see. "They are the best," he gushed. "I never, ever intended any disrespect for them." No one asked whether his respect for the troops...

Wondering why prosecution for treason, for giving aid and comfort to the enemy, was not included in this poll. What IS aid and comfort if Durbin's remarks fail to qualify?

As the MSM have so subtly hinted, we Republicans should be reaching out to heal the wounds. Suggest that the President's first such concession to our blue opponents be the appointment of Sen. John Kerry as Ambassador to France. The mind reels pondering the logic and the benefits: 1. The French obviously like him. 2. JFK's familiar with Paris having visited there, often at his own expense (feel free to expand on meaning). 3. JFK would then have an opportunity to prove his mettle in sweet-talking his amis et amies into supporting the U. S. in the war on terror....

The media are too busy repackaging old Iraq news in an October offensive against President Bush's re-election to investigate truly startling evidence unearthed this week that the Communist Party may have been directing John Kerry's anti-war activities in the early 1970s. The evidence, contained in captured communist records on file at the Vietnam Center at Texas Tech University, shows a well-coordinated effort by the Communist Party to recruit U.S. servicemen to become part of the American anti-war movement. The objective was to organize high-profile activities to undermine support for the Vietnam War, including holding hearings on alleged war crimes, lobbying...

Turnabout not fair play for ‘Stolen Honor’ 10/24/2004 Email to a friend Voice your opinion Printer-friendly Does anyone else find it interesting that when Michael Moore’s hit job on President George Bush, "Fahrenheit 9/11," was shown at the Media Theater a couple months back, the showing went off without a hitch? Hundreds of Bush-hating Moore fans were able to pay their money and enter the theater, which had been rented by the Media Film Festival. They were able to laugh, boo, cheer and cry and have their political views reinforced. A select few might have watched the film with a...

An editorial appeared today in the Delco Times by Gil Spencer. It's not yet posted on the the Times' webpage. Can anyone reproduce it on Free Republic?????

Wonder how the Boston fans felt about his obvious failure to mention anything about the Sox. He's just a real connected guy.

"In Germany with Francis. He says that Kerry's comments are devastating to both morale and discipline. Says troops are revolting knowing that they're fighting (and dying for) the wrong war at the wrong place at the wrong time. He says it has totally crushed the troops. They think that everyone in America believes what Kerry says and that Bush will lose because he used them for his mistake. Sound familiar?"

SENATOR KERRY: I understand what the President is talking about, because I know what it means to lose people in combat. And the question, is it worth the cost, reminds me of my own thinking when I came back from fighting in that war, and it reminds me that it is vital for us not to confuse the war, ever, with the warriors. That happened before. And that's one of the reasons why I believe I can get this job done, because I am determined, for those soldiers and for those families, for those kids who put their lives on...

Vietnam EXPOWS Unity, Fidelity Vietnam EXPOWS is an organization of former prisoners of war from the Vietnam war. We don't think John Kerry is fit to serve as President of the United States because of his betrayal of his fellow servicemen even while the war was still going. His actions included slander of all Americans serving in Vietnam, procuring what he knew or should have known was false testimony alleging that war crimes by Americans were routine and condoned by military leaders. He consulted privately and without authorization with communist enemy leaders and then worked to undermine American negotiators by...

Just wondering: Matthews' Hardball segment on 9/9/04 suggested in part that Kerry's testimony didn't really affect the fate of currently held POWs. Even tho that appears to some (like Matthews) as debatable, I'm not so sure it can't be proved that Kerry's testimony did affect their treatment and did affect Nixon's plans to get them home earlier than '73. The National Advertising Council agreed to create and distribute print and radio ads entitled "Send a letter to Hanoi" some time in '71. The idea was to highlight the request of the families, the government and the International Committee of the...

PENTAGON INSPECTOR GENERAL CONTACTS SECRETARY OF THE NAVY ABOUT KERRY AWARDS > >Reacts to Investigation Request by Judicial Watch > > >(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the public interest group that >investigates and prosecutes government corruption and abuse, announced >today that the Inspector General ("IG") of the Department of Defense has >informed the Secretary of the Navy of Judicial Watch's "formal complaint >and request for investigation, determination and final disposition of the >awards granted to Lieutenant (junior grade) John Forbes Kerry, U.S. Naval >Reserve." > > >The Defense Department IG cited Section 8(d) of the Inspector General Act >of 1978, which...

namvets.com Welcome home Brothers and Sisters! The gang assembles for the 4th of JULY Parade in LaPorte, IN 2004 A Memorial That Tells The Truth In 1975, as the last helicopter frantically left the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, it was virtually unthinkable that a memorial to the nearly 60,000 American soldiers who had perished in the Vietnam War would one day stand on the same spot on Washington's National Mall where anti-war protest rallies had earlier gathered. Six years later, it was equally unimaginable that the just-chosen design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial would, when built, turn...

Swiftboaters