Questioning Kerry’s Service
By Judson Cox (03/29/04)
Senator Kerry sites Vietnam as his defining experience, and qualifies his every position by referencing his service. Without Vietnam, Kerry is just a “haughty, French-looking Democrat”. Kerry has made a career of politicizing war. He gained national recognition through speaking against the war. Now, he travels the campaign trail with his “band of brothers” to trumpet his service in Vietnam.
By Kerry’s own admission, however, his service in Vietnam was less than honorable.
“I committed the same kinds of atrocities as thousands of others,” said Kerry as an anti-war activist guest on NBC’s Meet the Press (quoted in Brinkley’s book, page 362), “in that I shot in free fire zones, fired .50-caliber machine [gun] bullets, used harass-and-interdiction fire, joined in search-and-destroy missions, and burned villages. All of these acts are contrary to the laws of the Geneva Convention…” (Lowell Ponte, “Cash-and-Kerry, Part Two,” January 28, 2004, Front Page Magazine.)
While in command of Swift Boat No. 44, Kerry and crew functioned without forethought in a ''Free Fire Zone'' injudiciously firing at targets of opportunity achieving a number of enemy kills along with some civilian deaths as well. His body count included a woman, her baby, a 12-year-old boy, an elderly man and several South Vietnamese soldiers. He freely admits enjoining in this type of activity and the casualties they caused--even the civilian casualties… He then took command of a second swift boat, No. 94, which operated in the Mekong Delta…It was with this assignment that he was awarded his Silver Star for killing a Viet Cong soldier who was already pinned down and wounded in a ''Hooch'' courtesy of Kerry’s .50 caliber gunner. (Frank Salvato, “John Kerry's Past: Disturbing on Many Levels” March 6, 2004, ChronWatch)
Massachusetts Democrats are seldom punished for taking lives, but in the case of John Kerry, such an investigation may be warranted. If we are to believe the atrocities he admits to, Kerry is a dangerous madman who went on a killing spree the moment he set foot in Vietnam. Kerry only served in Vietnam for four months. If Sen. Kerry is the psychopathic murderer he claims to be, he must have stayed rather busy!
Equally as strange as the massacres Kerry claims to have committed in his remarkably short tour, is that a movie crew seems to have been following him through the jungles. Kerry’s campaign commercials show footage of the time he spent in Vietnam, and many politicians, friends and reporters recount spending evenings in the Kerry mansions watching the Senator’s “home movies” of Vietnam. Again, he was only there for four months! I know several Vietnam veterans, some of whom served two and three full tours of duty (without committing any war crimes), none of whom have their service on film. This raises the question of who was doing the filming, and why?
Perhaps John Kerry’s four months were nothing more than a political move, for the purpose of establishing credibility. Kerry transferred out of Vietnam early, to a state-side assignment, where he spent his time driving Adam Walinsky to deliver anti-war speeches. Then, he received an early discharge from the Navy and began working with the Vietnam Veterans Against the War. In that position, he testified before Congress, recounting unfounded accusations of war crimes committed by U.S. soldiers in Vietnam, and otherwise engaged in anti-American propaganda to aid the enemy.
In 1971, the Communist Daily World published photos of Kerry speaking as a leader of Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW). The April 23, 1971 Daily World boasted that the marchers displayed a banner depicting a portrait of Communist Party leader Angela Davis, who was on record stating: "I am dedicated to the overthrow of your system of government and your society."…By frequently participating in VVAW’s demonstrations, Kerry found himself marching alongside what the Boston Herald Traveler identified as "revolutionary Communists." The December 12, 1971 Herald Traveler reported the presence of an "abundance of Vietcong flags, clenched fists raised in the air, and placards plainly bearing legends in support of China, Cuba, the USSR, North Korea and the Hanoi government." (John F. McManus, “Kerry Postures as a War Hero,” May 5, 2003, The New American, via FreeRepublic.com)
Sen. Kerry’s record seems to show a man of anything but honor. He has admitted to being a war criminal, and engaged in activities bordering on treason. We should remember his record next time Kerry and his surrogates accuse President Bush of using war for political gain.
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