Website Exposes Kerry's 1971 Antiwar Book, Activities (FRN)

GOPUSA ^ | 2/24/04 | Jeff Gannon

[diotima]

(Talon News) -- A conservative activist group has created a website that features excerpts from a book written by Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) in 1971 when he was a leader in the Vietnam antiwar movement. The Free Republic Network (FRN) has posted photographs and transcripts of Kerry's testimony before Congress on the site, www.wintersoldier.com.

The cover of the book "The New Soldier" is displayed on the site which shows members of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) imitating the famous photograph of U.S. Marines raising the American flag on Iwo Jima. In this pose, the American flag is carried upside-down, a symbol of disrespect according to the rules of flag etiquette.

The name of the site comes from the Winter Soldier Investigation, an event staged in Detroit by VVAW that was intended to expose atrocities committed by American troops in Vietnam, but doubts about the claims made and the military history of those making the charges undermined its credibility. Scott Swett, a Director of FRN told Talon News his reason for creating the site was to "bring to light that the Winter Soldier Investigation was a fraud and a show trial that was financed by Jane Fonda and the other members of the hard left."

Swett declined to comment on Kerry's military service beyond saying, "To the best of my knowledge he served honorably."

The website talks about Kerry's much-publicized act of defiance where the future senator gained national attention for throwing his medals over a fence in front of the U.S. Capitol. Years later he admitted that he threw someone else's medals during the protest march after a reporter spotted Kerry's medals in his Senate office.

The website also tells how the apparently "spontaneous" speech Kerry delivered that day was actually written by a speechwriter for Robert Kennedy named Adam Walinsky.

John Kerry and the VVAW signed the "People's Peace Treaty" in 1971 and sent a delegation to Hanoi. The document was a summary of the North Vietnamese bargaining points, including the key concession that the United States must agree to withdraw all troops before any negotiations could take place for the return of American prisoners.

A portion of the book is devoted to Kerry's testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during which he said of his fellow soldiers, "They told the stories [that] at times they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan."

Five days before his testimony before the Senate, Kerry appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" where he said, "There are all kinds of atrocities, and I would have to say that, yes, yes, I committed the same kind of atrocities as thousands of other soldiers have committed in that I took part in shootings in free fire zones. I conducted harassment and interdiction fire. I used 50 caliber machine guns... I took part in search and destroy missions, in the burning of villages."

Last week, Kerry was asked about reports that he had accused "American troops of war crimes," during his testimony by CNN anchor Judy Woodruff. The Massachusetts senator denied the statements that were recorded by the Congressional Record as well as his own book.

"No, I was accusing American leaders of abandoning the troops," Kerry said. "And if you read what I said, it is very clearly an indictment of leadership."

Jane Fonda appeared on CNN two weeks ago to explain that she and Kerry might not have even "shaken hands" at a Valley Forge, PA rally where the two were photographed together. But flyers distributed by VVAW for the Operation RAW (Rapid American Withdrawal) list Kerry and Fonda as speakers as well as sponsors.

Kerry recently charged that discussion of his war record and his antiwar past was equal to questioning his patriotism. Yet the Democratic Party has continued to blast President Bush about his service in the Texas Air National Guard, from which he was honorably discharged. DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe said that the Bush may have been AWOL, a statement he has refused to retract.

On Sunday, Kerry sent a letter to President Bush saying, "As you well know, Vietnam was a very difficult and painful period in our nation's history, and the struggle for our veterans continues. So, it has been hard to believe that you would choose to reopen these wounds for your personal political gain. But, that is what you have chosen to do."

But it is Kerry who campaigns with his "band of brothers" and has established his image with the media as "John Kerry, war hero," while the Bush campaign has been focusing on the senator's voting record on defense and intelligence issues.

Copyright © 2004 Talon News -- All rights reserved.

[Interesting Times]

I have a book in my possession entitled "The Winter Soldier Investigation" published in 1971 by the Veterans Against the Vietnam War. At the beginning of the book, they credit and thank Jane Fonda along with Donald Sutherland and others for contributing to the investigation. In the back of the book is a complete list of military personnel who testified. On the list is Lt. John Kerry. Although there is no testimony by him, he is credited with being there. So did Jane and John lie when they said they didn't really know each other?

Kerry acted as a moderator for one of the "panels" at Winter Soldier, but we don't have any record that he testified. There's little doubt Jane and John knew each other, and one of the reasons for WinterSoldier.com is to create a central repository for that sort of evidence.

[talleyman]

Hanoi John / Benedict Arnold Kerry Bump!

[Hon]

"The cover of the book "The New Soldier" is displayed on the site which shows members of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) imitating the famous photograph of U.S. Marines raising the American flag on Iwo Jima. In this pose, the American flag is carried upside-down, a symbol of disrespect according to the rules of flag etiquette."

This is a bit of misinformation that has been constantly repeated. The photo on the cover of Kerry's book is a composite of several photos. They were taken as some of the VVAW marched around the White House. One of them carried a large US flag displayed upside down.

And as others have mentioned here and elsewhere, that is a well known distress sign--especially for sailors. Though they might have meant it to be disrespectful.

But there is nothing to suggest that there was any specific effort to mock the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima.

[dfwgator]

John Kerry served in Vietnam? I did not know that.

[Hon]

"The website also tells how the apparently "spontaneous" speech Kerry delivered that day was actually written by a speechwriter for Robert Kennedy named Adam Walinsky."

This is another bit of information that may not be factual. I have to admit that I helped pass this on in some of my posts here.

But the original charge for this goes back to Spiro Agnew and maybe also Chuck Colson.

Yesterday I had a friend of mine call Adam Walinsky and ask him about his involvement with Kerry and specifically that speech. Walinsky said that his only involvement in the Dewey Canyon III event was that "Kerry was broke" and he gave him some money so that he could bus people there.

Walinsky said he had nothing to do with Kerry's speech and that he didn't think it was particularly well-written. (Walinsky used to be RFK's speech writer and advisor.) He said that Kerry went off into a room with George Butler (who was a cameraman for the documentary being made about the event--which is available) and wrote the speech.

Whether Butler himself had a hand in the speech is unknown at this time. We're trying to track him down.

[Interesting Times]

It isn't a composite -- check page 14 in "Home to War."

I agree that it's unclear whether the marchers were intentionally mocking Iwo Jima. At least I haven't been able to confirm that.

[Hon]

"But flyers distributed by VVAW for the Operation RAW (Rapid American Withdrawal) list Kerry and Fonda as speakers as well as sponsors."

Another error. Kerry is not listed as a sponsor.

[Interesting Times]

On page 135 of "Stolen Valor," Burkett says, "And Kerry's emotional, from-the-heart speech had been carefully crafted by a speechwriter for Robert Kennedy named Adam Walinsky, who also tutored him on how to present it."

It isn't clear where Burkett got that, though... there isn't a footnote.

[Hon]

You're right. I thought the one on Kerry's book used that and another photo, but it is just that one.

Did you notice who took the photo? George Butler. He was a close friend of Kerry's (then) brother-in-law, and as I said, the cameraman (maybe director) of the documentary they made of the event.

[Interesting Times]

Yes... a documentary that we covet.

[Hon]

"And Kerry's emotional, from-the-heart speech had been carefully crafted by a speechwriter for Robert Kennedy named Adam Walinsky, who also tutored him on how to present it."

I'm pretty sure that claim came from Agnew. IRRC, it's cited on the internet somewhere. Anyway, Walinsky says it isn't true.

[Hon]

"Vice President Spiro T. Agnew briefly led the White House charge against Kerry. Appearing in the Bahamas, Agnew said that Kerry, "who drew rave notices in the media for his eloquent testimony before Congress, was later revealed to have been using material ghosted for him by a former Kennedy speechwriter, and to have spent most of his nights in posh surroundings in Georgetown rather than on the Mall with his buddies."


Both of Agnew's charges were false, according to Kerry and Walinsky, the former Kennedy aide to whom Agnew referred."

http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/061703.shtml

[Hon]

George Butler also did the "Pumping Iron" documentaries that helped make Arnold--if you want some irony in your diet.

[PJ-Comix]

The Massachusetts senator denied the statements that were recorded by the Congressional Record as well as his own book.

"I hereby DENY my own words. What I said in 1971 never happened. I tossed the words down the Memory Hole."

[Hon]

In fact it is the same George Butler who had a hand in the recent attempt to smear Arnold as a Hitler worshipper:

"ABC News and The New York Times had carried statements Thursday attributed to Schwarzenegger in 1975 during the filming of the bodybuilding documentary "Pumping Iron." Schwarzenegger was said to have told an interviewer that he admired Hitler's rise to power and wished he could have experienced the thrill the Nazi leader must have had holding sway over huge audiences.

The news organizations said the remarks were contained in transcripts from a book proposal made by "Pumping Iron" director George Butler. On Friday, Butler, in a statement issued by the Schwarzenegger campaign, said the remarks were taken out of context or inaccurately quoted.

He added that he does not have the "Pumping Iron" outtakes, but said the transcripts show that earlier in the interview Schwarzenegger said that in Germany "they used power and authority but it was used in the wrong way."

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/10/4/153114.shtml

[FreeAtlanta]

Some of your posts seem like you are playing the 5th column roll. Do you listen to Moby?

[Interesting Times]

Same guy who smeared Arnie. Interesting.

Two moments of minor leftist fame, widely separated in time...

[secretagent]

Hon strikes me as principled and interested in the truth.

But even an unprincipled partisan won't use easy to refute lies against his opponent, if it will backfire.

It makes sense, both for principle and for winning, to stick to the truth.

[SAMWolf]

Bump

[ConservativeMajority]

Kerry and Fonda are both listed under the section titled "Sponsors". They are also identified as speakers.

Hon, how is it you are such an expert on this subject, and what do you make of Kerry's denial that he ever said some of this stuff?