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 tmcgoughy
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 11:53am

"...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. "


Kerry explained in an interview yesterday that this no

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.  -
Avatar for tmcgoughy
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 11:57am

"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?"


As I explained in earlier posts, I have seen this happen too many times

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 - 12:13pm
'If only it were that simple. Would you consider our soldiers in Iraq (specifically the ones involved in the Abu prison scandal) war criminals? By your analogy, it would appear so.'

Those who confessed, sure... they are in the same boat as Kerry... well not quite... instead of living in a mansion with a billion bucks most war criminals get to do a painful tour of hard labor at Leavenworth.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 12:24pm
The worst thing is Bush and CO.. who understands the process of passing a bill falsely critizes the opponent and spins the fact.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 12:26pm
"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."

Tenent (a Clinton appointee and Bush holdover) is gone, we really don't know much about turnover in covert ops... after all it's covert. The greatest damage was done by Senator Robert Torricelli of NJ whose no longer in office, aside from his outing covert CIA sources on C-SPAN (and getting them killed) which was pretty devastating to intelligence... during the Clinton era the policies established by both the Democrats in the Senate and President Clinton all but assured destruction of functional intelligence. Search sometime for "Torricelli principle" to learn more.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 12:27pm
Well we have a self admitted war criminal running for President... in Kerry... it's time to stop electing war criminals to office... isn't it? At least with respect to Kerry there is no debate... he's admitted it!
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 12:30pm
"Kerry explained in an interview yesterday that this no vote was a vote against a policy that clearly was not working and an administration that was unwillinging to admit/accept a change in course may be necessary. So, it appears that he voted on principle and rationale and not because he did not support the troops."

He voted against getting troops defensive equipment such as modern flack jackets, while at the same time complaining about the lack of modern flack jackets while on campaign... he voted against deployed troops... when you vote against your troops during war... you make a statement... we can couple this with his admission to being a war criminal years earlier... and we can all agree there is no way to have someone in office who turns his back on deployed troops and admits to being a war criminal.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 12:33pm
"As I explained in earlier posts, I have seen this happen too many times in my line of work and it is truly a sad state. Many people do not understand the complexities of law making and are quick to jump to conclusions based on how someone voted. It is often the wrong conclusion."

Yup the public is just too stupid... well actually not... Kerry voted against the bill because Dean was giving him grief running well in the primaries against the war... and Kerry had to show he could also vote against the war... thus it suited Kerry's need of the moment... that is the reason Kerry voted against our troops... however it makes a statement... his history of admitting to war crimes... only Democrats could think someone opposed to the military, opposed to every major defense system in the past 20 years, and opposed to intelligence (before 9/11) who is a self admitted war criminal is somehow a good leader for the military.... hahaha.... this is almost a comedy.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 12:35pm
"The worst thing is Bush and CO.. who understands the process of passing a bill falsely critizes the opponent and spins the fact."

The bill was to support our troops, it had other stuff in it... what bill in the last half century hasn't... the spin is anyone trying to deny Kerry voted against supporting our deployed troops... when the time came to cast his vote up or down to fund our troops, Kerry voted no. That says about all anyone needs to know about him.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 12:39pm
It is not always black and white as you put it whether it is war crimes or passing a bill. But that's the way you and Bush and Co wants to form opinions than you have the right. I like to look at things at more depth and with more intelligence.

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