Kerry & his Vietnam Buddies

Avatar for schifferle
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Kerry & his Vietnam Buddies
131
Thu, 07-29-2004 - 9:52am
A perspective from Vietnam Vets who served with Kerry. Few Swift Officers support him. "Of 19 Swift boat skippers pictured other than Kerry" in the photo the Kerry campaign featured in an advertisement released in May titled Lifetime. "11 consider him unfit, 4 are neutral, two have died, and 2 are working with the Kerry campaign. Four other officers were not present for the photo session; all oppose Kerry."

http://www.swiftvets.com/

Senator John Kerry has made his 4-month combat tour in Vietnam the centerpiece of his bid for the Presidency. His campaign jets a handful of veterans around the country, and trots them out at public appearances to sing his praises. John Kerry wants us to believe that these men represent all those he calls his "band of brothers."


But most combat veterans who served with John Kerry in Vietnam see him in a very different light.

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has been formed to counter the false "war crimes" charges John Kerry repeatedly made against Vietnam veterans who served in our units and elsewhere, and to accurately portray Kerry's brief tour in Vietnam as a junior grade Lieutenant. We speak from personal experience -- our group includes men who served beside Kerry in combat as well as his commanders. Though we come from different backgrounds and hold varying political opinions, we agree on one thing: John Kerry misrepresented his record and ours in Vietnam and therefore exhibits serious flaws in character and lacks the potential to lead.

We regret the need to do this. Most Swift boat veterans would like nothing better than to support one of our own for America's highest office, regardless of whether he was running as a Democrat or a Republican. However, Kerry's phony war crimes charges, his exaggerated claims about his own service in Vietnam, and his deliberate misrepresentation of the nature and effectiveness of Swift boat operations compels us to step forward.

For more than thirty years, most Vietnam veterans kept silent as we were maligned as misfits, addicts, and baby killers. Now that a key creator of that poisonous image is seeking the Presidency we have resolved to end our silence.


The time has come to set the record straight.


(cont.)





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Avatar for schifferle
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sun, 08-01-2004 - 11:18pm
<< Do you seek records to see if Kerry was circumcised? >>

Well, for starters, as if you didn't know, how about the type of wounds received for those purple hearts? I didn't notice anything resembling written recordings of his wounds. Full disclosure? Not so far. Maybe if you tried reading the Swift website more carefully, you'd know what I was referring to.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 08-01-2004 - 11:26pm
I rarely read Republican propaganda. I've heard it for so many years, I know most of it by heart.

But what I found really interesting about Kerry's records is that he had a top secret clearence all the way back to his service. So Kerry had early on the job training about the strengths and weaknesses of intelligence years ago. Bush got all his while he was president.

I'm not sure America can stand to train Mr. Bush on the shortcomings of intelligence in wartime for another four years.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 8:19am
His dad ran the CIA, was VP then President.... one would suppose growing up with national security issues around the family would have affected Bush positively :-)

As to Kerry when he was on the intelligence committee his attendance record was 22 per cent... Kerry obviously didn't care much about our security... he's got a demonstrated record of skipping out.

When Sen. KKK Byrd was opposed to the Iraqi war and was on C-Span for the world to see, questioning the intelligence the President cited as the basis for action, Kerry who had access to the same information as the President voted for war. Thus we assume if Kerry had the feelings you state about security and national security he had to look at the intelligence... and if as every Democrat on this board thinks it's obvious the intelligence was flawed, and If as every Democrat on this board thinks Kerry is smarter than Bush... well by golly... Kerry sent men off to meaningless deaths even more so than Bush... and when Bush asked for money to provide the men equipment to save lives, Kerry voted no, while concurrently complaining that the men didn't have appropriate equipment.

Hmm... Kerry... using the military for cannon fodder... on purpose... gee... what a poor choice to run for commander in chief.

Avatar for schifferle
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 10:00am
<< I rarely read Republican propaganda. I've heard it for so many years, I know most of it by heart. >>

Too bad you've got your mind slammed shut. I've read for years and will continue to read articles & check out websites by Democrats, as well as political points of view from other parties for years to come. You've got your head stuck in the sand.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 11:07am
>>>However, Kerry's phony war crimes charges, his exaggerated claims about his own service in Vietnam, and his deliberate misrepresentation of the nature and effectiveness of Swift boat operations compels us to step forward.

For more than thirty years, most Vietnam veterans kept silent as we were maligned as misfits, addicts, and baby killers. Now that a key creator of that poisonous image is seeking the Presidency we have resolved to end our silence. <<<<

Kerry's war crime charges are not phony... Few years back... I was waiting in a waiting room...I don't remember where it was but It was a room and there was an veitnam veteran in the room waiting too. Now at that time I didn't know much about the war and the veterans so I didn't realize what he was saying but his words remained with me. He just wanted to vent I suppose the way elderlies do and so he was saying to the lady behind the counter that "he had done bab bad things, horrible things etc... " The lady was consoling him and sayinf he was helping his country etc...

The at least don't say the war crimes were phony. I for once know it from a veteran who was not john kerry and he was truly repenting what he did. It remained with him for so many years to talk about it is public in front of room full of people.

Avatar for tmcgoughy
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 11:17am

So because someone does not get their information from sources that clearly have an agenda, their mind is shut?

The first key to wisdom is constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth.  -
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 11:27am
The guy (Kerry) is a self professed war criminal, he shouldn't be holding any public office! Bush wasn't in Vietnam commiting war crimes... gee who to vote for a war criminal or someone who isn't a war criminal.... not all that tough to decide now is it :-)
Avatar for tmcgoughy
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 11:30am

"gee who to vote for a war criminal or someone who isn't a war criminal.... not all that tough to decide now is it :-)"


If only it were that simple.

The first key to wisdom is constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth.  -
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-21-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 11:37am
I am inclined to think that Bush did believe the intelliegence reports, as did Kerry. My problem is that we now know that this was flawed, has there been any consequences for anyone whom gave the incorrect intelliegence? Has Bush and Co. fired anyone? Has anyone payed the price (other than our Miltary Soliders) for having faulty reports and reporting them as "facts"? I have not seen this adminstration say anything other than "stay the course", I have not heard (maybe he did say it)that this intelliegence was wrong and we may not have waged war knowing this was bad intel. To me this sounds like bad leading. To me there are no consequences for this, heads should be rolling with this.

Now as to the Bill that he wouldn't vote for, go read the bill and you come back and tell me that all it says "Funds needed to arm our soilders". Have you ever read a bill? They put alot of language in those bills that don't even pertain to anything the bill is designed for. If someone agrees with 80% of a bill, but not 20% should they vote for or against? Think about what locally we taxpayers do. I'm assuming that every town is like mine, where we vote for a budget, if I or my neighbor vote against it, does it mean that we don't support our town, or education, or garbage pickup? For example a few years ago we needed to vote for the Education budget. Do you know what was included in the education budget, a price tag to fix a Brand new police station that some contractor messed up on. I voted against the education budget just because it included this item, do this mean I am against education? Or against adding a maintnance bill for the police station?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 11:49am
So at least you agree that war crimes are not phony. At least that's settled. I respect the man who owns up to the mistake, who has the courage to stand for the truth. Nobody asked him to tell the truth. He did it himself. He was not caught in his misactions, he had the integrity to let people know, so I would honor this man and vote for him..

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