The same press that peppered the news with questions and allegations about George Bush’s record in the National Guard are surprisingly unsurprisingly sluggish in picking up on what John Kerry’s swift boat comrades have to say about his self-promoted Vietnam heroism. The story has been circulating on the blogosphere for months (I mentioned it in May) , Drudge has been headlining it for days – but still no search hits on the CNN website.
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.
Stay tuned.
Or, maybe do your own tuning. When the time comes that they can no longer ignore it (ads begin appearing today in the US) the pro-Democrat media is going to work overtime to buffer this story in anti-Bush spin.
update = Let the games begin. Kerry campaign threatens to sue stations who air the ad.
Shmuley Boteach’s latest column in Jerusalem Post also notes Kerry’s betrayal of his fellow veterans: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1091589013512&p=1006953079897 Of course, he makes a broader point about the death of idealism in the Democratic party by contrasting J.F. Kerry with J.F. Kennedy.
Thank you for posting this, Kate. VietNam vets know the truth about Kerry.
The posture he adopts in respect to the war is preposterous.
He spent a lot more time as an American radical than he ever did in country. He was in the mainstream of radical militant politics as part of the 60s counter culture. His organization was funded by Jane Fonda.
He shares a place in American history alongside the Chicago 7, SDS, and the Weather Underground.
He charged us all with unsubstantiated atrocities before Congress, painting us all with the charges that in reality belong to only a few.
I urge you to take a look at the kind of people Kerry hung out with by renting the award-winning documentary by Sam Green and Bill Siegel, called the Weather Underground (2002).
Rick Richman of Jewish Current Issues — no fan of Sen. Kerry — posts another scathing critique of Kerry’s credentials as a friend of Israel and student of the Middle East:
http://jpundit.typepad.com/jci/2004/08/truth_in_campai.html
I suppose it’s no surprise that someone who would pose as a war hero would be found wanting in other areas of his political resume.
InstaPundit links to a fax from DNC lawyers warning TV stations away from accepting the Swiftees’ ad.
“Of course, he makes a broader point about the death of idealism in the Democratic party by contrasting J.F. Kerry with J.F. Kennedy.”
I appreciate you bringing this to people’s attention, Charles.
Although JFK had his foibles that were inexcusable (like shacking up with Sam Giancano’s mistress, for example), he would not have been a Democrat today.
Kennedy was in fact an unchallengeable war hero. And characteristic of Democrats of his era, he was a conservative and an old Cold Warrior. He lowered taxes as only a conservative could do today and he had the fortitude to back down Kruschev when Russia brought the world to the brink of war when they attempted to place missiles in Cuba.
After the 60s, the “new left” (Kerry’s group) began to co-opt the Democratic Party. JFK would not recognize his own party today. The leadership has been dominated by former 60s radicals.
5 men served aboard John Kerry’s swift boat.
5 support Kerry, the other is dead. Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth are liars.
and today for some reason kerry’s commanding officer retracted his statements that kerry didn’t deserve the silver star he had recomended kerry for…
oh and i rather think free fire zones in southest asia are well documented as was the phoenix program…the taking of human trophies also well known to have happened. was even common in ww2 as documented in tuds terkel’s book “the good war” in which america GIs tore the teeth out of dead japanese for the gold among other fun things. war is hell.
Kerry came back after 4 months with more fruit salad than most vets do after a distinguished military career. Audie Murphy and Sgt York must blanch with envy when they see what one Lieutenant can do in 4 months.
I don’t have a problem with the idea that perhaps some of Kerry’s awards were legitimate. However, it’s getting hard to tell one from the other.
You don’t have to work in the office next door to know exactly what’s happening there. The idea that the guys in one foxhole haven’t a clue about what’s happening in the next foxhole is laughable.
Kerry brought all this on himself when he, as a 60s counter-culture militant anti-war activist, postured himself as our leading VietNam military hero.
The idea that most of us went trophy hunting is outrageous. What do you think our mothers would have thought of us had we been guilty of such things?