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.

[Hon]

"Kerry and Fonda are both listed under the section titled "Sponsors"."

Where exactly? I was going by this list:

I've been wrong before--even just today. I don't pretend to be an expert. I've welcomed being corrected.

[Hon]

"what do you make of Kerry's denial that he ever said some of this stuff?"

If he denies it, he's lying. The few times he has been (gently) confronted with this part of his past (such as on Meet The Press) he has said these were the words of an angry young man. He tries to have his cake and deny it too.

Right now he is actively targeting the Veteran vote. It is grotesque to say the least. I'm thinking he ought to put out bumper stickers like: "War Criminals For Kerry!"

[diotima]

Try this one:

[ConservativeMajority]

and what's really interesting is one of the other sponsors, Rep. John D. Conyers, Jr. I guess we couldn't ask about his involvement in this without someone accusing us of racism.

[Hon]

Thanks. I wonder if he put up any money or whether he was a funnel for money.

According to Walinsky Kerry himself was broke at the time, and that is why Walinsky gave him money--for busses. And Kerry is listed as in charge of transportation.

It's said in one of the books that McGovern and Hatfield funneled $50,000 into the Dewey Canyon III demonstration--from a New York source.

In the books it is suggested that they kept Kerry around for his fundraising ability. I wonder who else he hit up besides Walinsky.

[ConservativeMajority]

Some rich widow, no doubt

[kabar]

Fonda did admit during the CNN interview that she and Kerry spoke to the crowd. She mentioned something to the effect that she spoke, Sutherland spoke, etc and that Kerry spoke at the end. Fonda said she didn't remember meeting him and probably never shook hands. Pretty good memory for such an insignificant encounter. LOL

[Interesting Times]

From "Home to War" pg. 104-105:

-----

Even worse, the week before Dewey Canyon was to start, there was not a cent left in the VVAW treasury. John Kerry was certainly doing yeoman's service at fund-raising. He had given up his book contract with Random House in order to travel and speak throughout the country on behalf of VVAW; organizing, bringing in veterans, asking for donations -- working sometimes twenty hours a day. But when Phelan had trouble with the park permits, Kerry had to return to Washington to marshal a group of lawyers, and in the end Kerry negotiated many of the permits personally. This accomplished, he returned to the VVAW office, only to receive a phone call telling him that five thousand vets were waiting for their bus tickets to D.C., but no one knew where the money to purchase them would come from.

Kerry immediately got on the phone to some of the biggest Democratic Party fund-raisers in New York and set up a meeting. When it broke up, VVAW was $75,000 in the black, and busfare for at least a few hundred out-of-towners was assured.

-----

So, the Winter Soldier investigation was primarily financed by Fonda and Lane, but Dewey Canyon III was paid for by Democratic Party fund-raisers. Very interesting.

[Hon]

I had just been trying to talk myself into scanning that book from p.98 to 104.

I love the stuff about Kerry forgoing his book contract with Random House. Oh, the heartache.

Of course he got another book deal later. And while I still haven't read it, from all accounts all he did was contribute the last chapter.

Why would Kerry have had a book contract before Dewey Canyon? Nobody had ever heard of him? Very fishy.

[Hon]

Check out p. 103. It gives a more exact time frame for when VVAW had members in Paris talking to the NLF (Viet Cong):

"Even as Shoup was speaking [March 16, 1971], VVAW had two representatives in Paris--including Native American veteran Mike Hunter, a former airborne ranger with a Silver Star--offering their apologies to the North Vietnamese for the genocide that had occurred at My Lai and elsewhere in Vietnam. Unfortunately, that private peace offering never made the papers."

[Hon]

"So, the Winter Soldier investigation was primarily financed by Fonda and Lane, but Dewey Canyon III was paid for by Democratic Party fund-raisers. Very interesting."

Good point. I also wonder if $50K of that $75K isn't what I've seen described as having been funneled by McGovern and Hatfield.

Either way, quite telling. Especially since by this time McGovern was already running for the Presidency.

[Hon]

Here is the quote, it's from "Winter Soldiers" by Richard Stacewicz, page 242:

According to an FBI memorandum from the Washington office dated April 13, 1971, "VVAW had received fifty thousand dollars from United States Senators McGovern and Hatfield, who... obtained the money from an unknown New York source." (footnote 36)

36. FBI teletype serial number 448092-71, April 13, 1971... FBI archives.

[stylin_geek]

Bump.

[CyberAnt]

Just for reference sake, Abraham Lincoln, FDR, and Reagan never had any military service (although Abe did serve 4 mos in his local militia). all 3 men were strong leaders in the military field.

However, Carter served in the military for 7 years, but he was one of the worst as far as military leadership went.

Military service has nothing to do with personal conviction.

[fella]

So Kerry was a sponser of this and other events. Such mass events are not cheap to put togather. At this time kerry was not gainfully employed and had no visable means of support. Which brings up the unseamly questions of where did he get the money to attend much less sponser these events? And how much money did he kick in to sponser these events?

[syriacus]

Military service has nothing to do with personal conviction

True.

[cake_crumb]

"Kerry recently charged that discussion of his war record and his antiwar past was equal to questioning his patriotism"

I question his patriotism. As a thinking, rational being, I question the patriotism of anyone who would so assiduously promote the interests of a bloodily tyrannical government for 30 years over the interests of his own fellow soldiers and his own country. That's in addition to questioning his ability to make foreign policy when he still fights against human rights reforms in Vietnam today.

The only reason Kerry terms questions about his actions as attacks against his patriotism is to put those doing the questioning on the defensive so they'll stop questioning. It sure isn't a guilty conscience. I don't believe he HAS one. He couldn't have one.

[cake_crumb]

I have always heard they were both there. Kerry was supposed to have been an Emcee of sorts. Jane provided funding for it. Jane saying she didn't formally meet John because they didn't shake hands sounds eerily similar to Clinton saying "I did not have sex with that woman, Monica Lewinsky".

Also proves Hanoi Jane didn't change one single stripe when she became a "born again Christian" and apologized to Vietnam veterans for the things she did. Anymore than John has changed a single stripe since morphing from one of the people who campaigned for the world to desrespect Vietnam veterans in general, but demands respect for being a Vietnam vet today. I find it EXCEPTIONALLY odd that not many people are pointing that out in response to Kerry's preemptive patriotism attacks.

[cake_crumb]

"War Criminals For Kerry!"

That's a GREAT IDEA. Very Protest Warrior.

I'm hoping to get some vets at the Vietnam Veterans Against John Kerry anti-Kerry protest to declare themselves as presidential candidates. They're Vietnam war heros too. Kerry talks like that's the only qualification necessary to the job of leader of the free world. On that note all the veterans against Kerry are more qualified than HE is to hold that office.

[cake_crumb]

"According to Walinsky Kerry himself was broke at the time, and that is why Walinsky gave him money--for busses. And Kerry is listed as in charge of transportation"

How could a guy with the money Kerry's family had be broke? Too young to dig into his trust fund money or something?