When the Swift Boat of John Kerry
is coming at you, it is time to lead,
follow or get out of the way.
Why do those who never served their country attack our true patriots? Here's what one site said: "
I'm actually not a Kerry supporter, but I do tend to get nauseated when a bunch of corrupt war profiteers attempt to smear the character of a decorated war hero. I'm doubly nauseated when it's done with lies and quotes taken out of context. I'm completely and totally nauseated when it's done to promote a bunch of chicken-hawks who never set foot on a battlefield."
http://www.oldamericancentury.org/swiftboat.htmHow will these unfounded, unfair attacks on heroes from past bod with returning Iraq veterans, who have risked life and limb to serve our country?Iraq war veterans could make their political mark on the midterm elections. Ten of them are running for Congress, and all but one of those are Democrats.
Major Tammy Duckworth, an Army helicopter pilot, lost both legs in Iraq and the partial use of one arm. She won the Democratic primary last month in the race for the House seat held by Illinois Republican Henry Hyde, who is retiring this year.
On the March 24 edition of CNN's American Morning, CNN senior national correspondent John Roberts asked Democratic congressional candidate and Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth if her "narrow victory" in the recent Illinois primary election indicated "that maybe this idea of running Iraq war vets for the Democratic Party isn't as hot an idea as some Democrats originally thought it was?"
DUCKWORTH: Well, I've had 44 percent in a three-way race. That's pretty darn good. I think that the results at the race more reflected the dynamic personalities that were in the race. Christine Cegelis, the -- my opponent who got 40 percent -- was a vibrant, dynamic person. And I think it was just more a wealth of great candidates. I think this is the first time this district has a chance to elect a Democrat and the first time in 32 years for the Republicans to finally lose their grip on this district.
John Kerry won this award in Vietnam. Any Vietnam veteran like me knows they don't hand out Silver Stars for nothing. It is awarded to all branches of the service for distinguished gallantry against the enemy. The Silver Star is the third highest military award designated soley for heroism in combat.
Kerry was awarded a Silver Star while he was in tactical command of his Swift Boat and two others. Their mission brought a demolition team and dozens of South Vietnamese soldiers in to destroy enemy sampans, structures and bunkers. Along the Bay Hap river, they ran into an ambush. Kerry directed the boats "to turn to the beach and charge the Viet Cong positions" and he "expertly directed" his boat's fire and coordinated the deployment of the South Vietnamese troops, according to Admiral Zumwalt's original medal citation.
After the South Vietnamese troops and a team of three U.S. Army advisers disembarked at the ambush site, Kerry's boat and another headed up river to look for the fleeing enemy. The two boats came under fire from a Viet Cong rocket-propelled grenade, shattering the crew cabin windows of PCF-94. Kerry ordered the boats to turn and charge the second ambush site. As they reached the shore, a Viet Cong soldier jumped out of the brush, carrying an RPG launcher. With the enemy soldier only a short distance away from the boat and crew, forward gunner Tommy Belodeau shot him in the leg with the boat's 7.62x51 caliber M-60 machine gun. Belodeau's machine gun jammed as he fired and only one man had a clear shot. Kerry leaped ashore followed by Medeiros. As they pursued the fleeing Viet Cong soldier, Kerry shot and killed him with rifle fire.
After returning to the United States, Kerry joined the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) making him DOUBLY patriotic. Then numbering about 20,000 <12>, VVAW was considered by some (including the administration of President Richard Nixon) to be an effective component of the antiwar movement. VVAW's members, including Kerry, could speak with personal knowledge about what they had seen in Vietnam. Beyond such specifics, however, they were seen as having
"paid their dues" in Vietnam, and therefore being entitled to at least a respectful hearing. Americans who opposed the war were grateful for VVAW's work.
To insure I'm not glorifying war or medals too much, I'll close with the poignant words of a Swift Boat crewman I used to know.
As ComWestPac walked to the bottom of the gangway, I could tell he was pissed. They had asked us to clean up, etc. Well, fuck that. He knew me because he had given us medals before. Warner was there to give us a Presidential Unit Citation. We weren't real thrilled about it because of the 9 guys getting the medal many were dead. I don't like to think of them as numbers because each individual death is without measure. Since we already had so much hardware, it just didn't matter anymore. We wanted our buddies back. And that Citation? It is with the rest of them; midway off a span under the San Francisco Bay Bridge. I can see the bridge from my parking deck. May they rest in Peace for eternity. Same for the bravest guys ever lived- my guys. I can barely see the keys as I type this. Some things will never change.
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