News Kerry’s former commanders and coworkers speak out against him

[Stanley_Smith]

What enemy? Perhaps my history knowledge is simply lacking, but I don't recall North Vietnam ever attacking the US or its property. Call me insane, but I think the war just might have been political, for the aim it was stated to be for: the containment of communism. Funny that even though the communist regime remained in place - that is, the US lost the war - communism did not completely overtake Southeast Asia as the fearmonger politicians seemed convinced it would.

Yeah, your history is missing a piece of information. During the Korean War, the North Korean's army didn't attack the US or its property. But the US and its allies still involved in that war. Without the US and the UN intervention, for sure South Korea can't not be one of the richest country in the world now and look at North Korea... If the US didn't pull out of Vietnam like they did, South Vietnam could be like South Korea right now, or even better; and so you know, Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam used to be called "the pearl of the Far East"...

 

[Ivan Seeking]

We lost in Vietnam because the risk required to win was too great - a major conflict with the USSR and/or China; WWIII. This is why the war was lost before it began. Note also that Korea never has been resolved. How many countries do you think we should occupy?

You also forget the great irony of Vietnam: We were willing to destroy the village in order to save it. When the people you protect turn against you, who are you really protecting?

 

[Njorl]

Does anyone know of any other soldier who was released from duty in vietnam for 3 purple hearts? and can anyone point me towards the regulation that allows release with 3 purple hearts?

There is no such regulation, nor did John Kerry get released from duty for his 3 purple hearts.

Navy instruction 1300.39 allows a navy officer to request reassignment if he is wounded in combat twice requiring hospitalization or three times not requiring hospitalization in a single tour of duty. The request does not have to be granted. Kerry was re-assigned to the states.

Much has been made that John Kerry is the only one known to have used this. It is not a big deal. It does not apply to enlisted men, as far as I can tell (every citation of it uses "officer"). It is inconceivable that a careerist would use it.

Now, how many non-careerist Navy officers have been wounded in combat 3 times in a single tour since the regulation was in place?

Njorl

 

[Tigers2B1]

There is only one man named on that list, "Steve Gardner", who ever served with Kerry in any combat situation. Other crewmates contradicted Gardners criticisms.

Njorl

First could you provide a source for THAT assertion - that during Kerry's tenure in Vietnam the only person on the list that Kerry "served" (I assume that also includes receiving and giving orders) with was "Steve Gardner." And second - the unsupported assertion made by you that these opinions, the opinions of over 200 Swift Boat Vets, are baseless, is just that --- unsupported. I see that you're careful not to say that these Swift Boat Vets have nothing relevant to say --- which IS the issue you know. But if you’re going to make such a fantastic claim - a claim that only one person out of over 200 signatories has anything relevant to say – I’m sure you wouldn’t mind someone asking for links and related quotes to the source(s) you used as a base for that conclusion-- Therefore - I'll be that someone.

 

[Tigers2B1]

http://www.swiftvets.com/PressRelease051704.htm

Kerry Fraudulently Using Picture of Swift Boat Vets who Condemn him in National Advertising

(May 17-Alexandria, VA) Today, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group of more than 220 Swift Boat veterans from the unit in which John Kerry served, call on Kerry to stop the unauthorized use of their images in national campaign advertising.

For example, the photo in Kerry’s national campaign ads contains 20 officers, including Kerry, 11 of whom signed a letter condemning Kerry yet their image is being widely used in his own campaign. It was taken on the island of An Thoi on January 22, 1969. These officers together with Swift Boat Veterans for Truth call upon him to cease the unauthorized use of their photo by his campaign. They are jointly submitting the attached letter to John Kerry. (Photo, letter to Kerry, link to authorized use of the photo and earlier letter to Kerry below.)

Of the remaining eight officers in the photo: two are deceased and four do not wish to be involved in any manner; only two of the 20 are believed to support Kerry.

Go to the linked site (above) to view the picture used by the Kerry Campaign – Scroll to the bottom of that linked page to view the picture showing Kerry and those in the original picture that have actually supported Kerry - Note the dramatic reduction from about 20 Swift Boat veterans to two --

 

[Stanley_Smith]

We lost in Vietnam because the risk required to win was too great - a major conflict with the USSR and/or China; WWIII. This is why the war was lost before it began. Note also that Korea never has been resolved. How many countries do you think we should occupy?

Right, the war was never meant to be won by us because we did not allow or let our ally, the ARVN to attack the enemy directly, North Vietnam. When you kill a snake, you hit it in the head, right?

"Korea never has been resolved" I'm not sure why you brought this up. How do you want it to be resoved? Attack North Korea and liberate it ? We have two different nations with different political systems. South and North Korea are two sovereigned and independent nations. I don't think we are occupying South Korea now. Notice the word occupation.

You also forget the great irony of Vietnam: We were willing to destroy the village in order to save it. When the people you protect turn against you, who are you really protecting?

Not everybody turns against you, at least the enemy is successful making you believe that everybody is against the US. Perhaps you forgot what's so called " the great vote by feet" when millions of South Vietnamese ran away from what 's so called "the liberation army" in 1975.

 

[selfAdjoint]

In the original Korean Police Action, we gave up in the summer of 1952 after the bloody fighting at the "Iron Triangle" in North Korea. It was an election year, and candidate Eisenhower promised to "go to Korea" and end the conflict honorably. Negotiations took another year and the war ended with a truce in 1953.

Many thought at the time that if we had been willing to pay the butcher's bill we could have ended the war with most of North Korea conquered. Leaving just a protection strip along its northern border, the Yalu river. This would surely have been a better deal for the North Korean people, and we wouldn't be sweating NK nukes now.

 

[Gokul43201]

...Without the US and the UN intervention, for sure South Korea can't not be one of the richest country in the world now and look at North Korea...

That's not a fair judgement. What about Japan, then ? They had a couple atom bombs dropped on them by the US, and they are still among the richest countries around.

 

[Gokul43201]

http://www.swiftvets.com/PressRelease051704.htm

Go to the linked site (above) to view the picture used by the Kerry Campaign – Scroll to the bottom of that linked page to view the picture showing Kerry and those in the original picture that have actually supported Kerry - Note the dramatic reduction from about 20 Swift Boat veterans to two --

20 swift boat vets in the picture,
Names in bold (signees) number 11,
And you're left with...3 ?

Clearly, that's a website with an agenda. Did they request permission from those not involved before pulling their pictures ?

 

[Stanley_Smith]

That's not a fair judgement. What about Japan, then ? They had a couple atom bombs dropped on them by the US, and they are still among the richest countries around.

So when North Korea overan Seoul, the capital of South Korea and occupied most of South Korea at the start of the war, and say the US and UN didn't intervene, you are saying that the-could-have-been" unified Korea" still be one the richest nations in the world like South Korea today under communism doctrine ?

what about Japan ? in Europe, we have the marshall's plan, helping the European to recover from the war. In Japan, we helped them wrote a new constitution and occupied them for a few years and helped them get up from a country of ruin. That's part of the reason why Japan is one of the US's ally now, right ?

 

[Tigers2B1]

Ahhhh - the Democratic Convention. How silly. Note that the Demos are bringing in Kerry’s Swift Boat service during convention speeches. Note that the Demo 'standard bearer' – the unimpeachable Bill Clinton – gives a speech lauding Kerry’s service in Vietnam and ends with the words "SEND ME! SEND ME!" (supposedly Kerry's own words many, many times over in Vietnam) – all the while noting that the messenger, 'Never inhaled' Billy C., was a draft dodger. Are libs THAT LOST?