New Email - Kerry Thanks Vets

[sandnsea]

Aw, isn't this sweet. My DH got it in his email.


Today I wanted to write to you to thank you again for all you did for our campaign and our country, and to update you on the work I'm doing in the United States Senate to keep faith with our fellow veterans -- and force the government to keep its promises to the young men and women in uniform today and their families.

Teresa and I can't thank you enough for your remarkable work and dedication, and your commitment to fighting for America as hard out of uniform as you did when you were serving under our flag. Your commitment to our cause was deeply personal to me. From the very beginning you had my back. When people doubted my campaign, veterans got into their cars, hopped on buses, and bought plane tickets to come to Iowa to help carry us to victory and ultimately to the Democratic nomination. You made history, and gave veterans an historic voice in the Democratic Party and gave veterans' issues a new and important prominence in a presidential campaign.

I am especially grateful that when my service was dishonestly attacked, you stood at my back. Veterans around the country took that battle to the airwaves and newspapers. You knew they were lying -- and most importantly, you knew that when the service of one veteran is attacked, it's an attack on every member of the military who has ever worn the uniform of our country.

My crewmates and I look back on the campaign and are most proud that what began as a band of brothers who fought together on the Mekong Delta grew into an extended family -- a band of brothers in 50 states bonded together by a shared experience; however older and grayer, we still knew how to fight for our country. You had the courage of your convictions to speak the truth, and you will remain my friends and family for the rest of my life.

Now, it's time to move forward and continue to press the issues we fought for during the campaign. Already this year, we've seen Republicans create a $1 billion shortage in the Veterans Administration budget. We also continue to confront the mess this administration created in Iraq through their lack of planning, their lack of diplomacy, and their refusal to do what it takes to get it right and protect our troops. I've worked hard to provide greater benefits for military families and gotten critical parts of our Military Family Bill of Rights passed in the Senate. But as the year continues, we will face these issues and many others and your support is critical to helping America's veterans and military families. I hope we can continue to work together.

I can never thank you enough for everything you did for me over the past two years. I know that. I've heard your stories, I know your hopes. They're part of me now, and I will never forget you, and I'll never stop fighting for you. Your support and your friendship have inspired me to continue to fight for those who have worn the uniform of the United States of America and those who serve today.

I continue to work hard every day, and I hope you will always be proud to be a member of this crew.

Thank you,

John Kerry

[Noisy Democrat]

1. That's really nice

Thanks for sharing it!

[karynnj]

2. Wonderful letter

This letter is so Kerry - I hope over time more of the vets who are angry about the anti-war stuff will see that his concern has been genuine and consistent over a very long career. And that it was that concern that made him speak out.