Kerry supporters: Kerry is about to speak at an Iowa rally

[Maddy McCall]

Hold your nose and turn to Fox. They are going to broadcast Kerry's rally in just a sec.

And he is about to be reunited with a Green Beret who saved his life or whose life he saved (wasn't clear on this) who he hasn't seen in thirty years.

Should be a really cool rally. This Clark supporter has tuned in.

Edit: Fuck Fox, turn to CSPAN. IT's on now.

[Maddy McCall]

1. Kick for Kerry supporters. Rally is in Des Moines

[maddezmom]

2. CSPAN has a live event for John Kerry scheduled for 5:30pm EST

but right now they have a repeat on the caucus structure. I'll stay tuned.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

3. In 2004, we could get the votes of alot of people who would normally

vote Republican. Mililtary people who resent being put into a quagmire for political purposes and to make corporations rich. Military wives who are just plain scared their husbands will be killed "because of arrogance, the same kind of arrogance that guided us during that time in Vietnam". Veterans who are outraged that the Bush Administration is not keeping the promises made. Kerry is attracting those voters. Who knows, maybe some of 'em will see this on Faux, lol.

[adadem]

15. This is true

I live in a very, very conservative Republican area and I've noticed that in the past 6 months many negative letters about shrub have been printed in our very, very conservative newspaper. It's come to the point that there is a negative bush letter just about every day. Unheard of here.

[maddezmom]

4. I think he just saw him... :)

what's the background on this story.

[madmax]

5. I think I heard he was reunited with a soldier

whose life he saved in VietNam...

:hi:

[maddezmom]

6. I think the story is coming up...Bronze Star for John Kerry

the guy is coming up.

[maddezmom]

7. The best part is this man

is a Republican....Jim Rammsen, hope I spelled that correctly.

[Maddy McCall]

8. Injured, Kerry on a swiftboat pulled this guy from a river in Nam

What a story! :thumbsup:

[JohnKleeb]

9. Reminds me of something I remember reading about Kennedy

Like Kennedy or maybe it was someone else campaigned with a man he saved in the war they served in. Thanks for telling us about the Kerry rally, I support DK all the way but I respect Kerry and like him much.

[Maddy McCall]

10. Here's more info on the incident. Kerry supporters, be proud :-)

But two weeks after he arrived in Vietnam, the swift boat mission changed -- and Kerry went from having one of the safest assignments in the escalating conflict to one of the most dangerous. Under the newly launched Operation SEALORD, swift boats were charged with patrolling the narrow waterways of the Mekong Delta to draw fire and smoke out the enemy. Cruising inlets and coves and canals, swift boats were especially vulnerable targets.

snip/

In any case, Kerry said he was appalled that the Navy's ''free fire zone'' policy put civilians at such high risk. So, on Jan. 22, 1969, Kerry and several dozen fellow skippers and officers traveled to Saigon to complain about the policy in an extraordinary meeting with Zumwalt and the overall commander of the war, General Creighton W. Abrams Jr. ''We were fighting the policy very, very hard, to the point that many of the members were refusing to carry out orders on some of their missions, to the point where crews were starting to mutiny, say, `I would not go back in the rivers again,''' Kerry recalled during a 1971 television appearance on the Dick Cavett Show.

But Kerry went back in the rivers. Indeed, it was after this meeting that he began his most deadly round of combat. Within days of the Saigon meeting, he joined a five-man crew on swift boat No. 94 on a series of missions in which he won the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and two of his three Purple Hearts. Starting in late January 1969, this crew completed 18 missions over an intense and dangerous 48 days, almost all of them in the dense jungles of the Mekong Delta.

snip/

A couple of weeks later, on March 13, 1969, a mine detonated near Kerry's boat, wounding Kerry in the right arm, according to the citation written by Zumwalt. Guerrillas started firing on the boats from the shoreline. Kerry then realized that he had lost overboard a Green Beret who is identified only as "Rassman."

"The man was receiving sniper fire from both banks," according to Kerry's Bronze Star citation from that day. "Lt. Kerry directed his gunners to provide suppressing fire, while from an exposed position on the bow, his arm bleeding and in pain, with disregard for his personal safety, he pulled the man aboard. Lt. Kerry then directed his boat to return and assist the other damaged craft and towed the boat to safety. Lt. Kerry's calmness, professionalism and great personal courage under fire were in keeping with the highest traditions of the US Naval Service," Zumwalt's citation said.


More at http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/061603.shtml

Kerry supporters, feel free to start a thread about Kerry rescuing Jim Rassman. War is ugly, but Kerry emerged anti-war. And as the rally shows today, he is a hero.

[maddezmom]

12. damn right

thanks for the story.

[Leilani]

11. I just watched this event

& it was very touching. I posted about it on another thread.

These men had not seen each other since 1969 when Kerry saved his life in Vietnam.

Wonderful story!

Go Wes Clark!!!!

[madmax]

13. Kerry is doing a fine job.

Watching him on CSPAN.

[adadem]

14. Spent the day making calls

to undecided voters in Iowa...really nice folks. Out of 10 calls that were answered (lots of folks not home or not answering) 4 had already decided to caucus for Kerry and won over two undecided. They all mentioned how they trusted or had faith in Kerry. Vets and firefighters making calls too.