"Unfit for Command": A Review

QandO ^ | August 14, 2004 | McQ

[gilliam]

"Unfit for Command": A Review Posted by McQ

I’ve read “Unfit for Command”. That’s the easy part. Since then I’ve been struggling to find a way to explain why this is so important to many of us out here to those who don’t find it to be important.

[Mo1]

Glad to hear all are ok .. that was one nasty storm. My heart and prayers go out to the folks hit by Charles

[MJY1288]

I'm half way through my copy that I got today.....

Here is the memories it has drudged up for me:

I was in grade school when my Brother and Cousin (Who lived with us) left for Vietnam. Both of them were larger than life to me and I was extremely proud of them. They came home from boot camp two totally different people than the two happy go lucky guys I knew so well.

After a brief couple of weeks of R&R, they were off for Vietnam with a sense of purpose and resolve that would make anybody younger brother proud. Once the tail lights of the Bus were out of site, the prayers and worry began. As a young child I sat up every night to watch the latest updates on the Vietnam War to see if we were winning and pray that my Cousin and Brothers unit did not make the headlines. The casualties seemed to be in the dozens, if not hundreds each and everyday in 1968. When the TV did the final count down before going off air, I would go to bed and pray that my brother and cousin would come home safely.

On Halloween day 1968 a green Ford LTD, that was clearly marked "U.S. Navy", pulled up to our house and two uniformed men got out and headed toward our home. I called for my mother and as the two men started up the steps of our front porch, my mother got on her knees and began crying as she said "Please tell me he is alive"... The man quickly answered "Yes", but he said "He's severely injured". At that point my younger brother and I went to console our mother as we broke out in tears ourselves.

As my mother began to compose herself the sharp dressed Military man called her by my Aunt's last name... It was at that point that we realized that it was my Cousin in the Marines who was injured. My mother immediately began to panic, because my Aunt was due home in just a few minutes. As the D.C Transit Bus stopped at the top of our street and my Aunt exited the Bus, it was obvious to us that she saw the U.S. Navy Staff Car in front of our house. Her steps seemed to be shaky and we all ran to her to comfort her. We did the best we could to assure her that her son was going to be alright, even though we really didn't know.

We all as a family prayed for my Cousin's speedy recovery, but it was 13 months before he would be shipped to Bethesda Naval Hospital and spend another 5 months there recovering from the wounds he got from stepping on a Vietnamese land mine.

My older brother would serve out his 4 year hitch in the Navy without a scratch, but from 1966-1970 we prayed everyday for his safe return. My Cousin recovered from his wounds enough to walk and function somewhat normally after three years of rehab.

For John Kerry to come back from that War and trash my brother and cousin as war criminals is something that boiled my blood in 1971, and it boils my blood today. John Kerry was an opportunist back in 1971, and he is an opportunist today. What bothers me the most is that John Kerry rose to where he is today by spitting on my brother and cousin and now he expects people like me to believe he served this nation honorably and is fit to be the Commander-in-Chief.

Well I got news for John Kerry........ John Kerry is not fit to shine my brother and cousins shoes. He betrayed the Uniform he wore, as well as everyone in his unit, and our country itself.

John Kerry is a TRAITOR!

[MJY1288]

Post#62 was meant for you as well

Thanks for posting this review,

Mike

[GretchenM]

So we can add attempted blackmail to the list of kerry accomplishments.

[gilliam]

Thank you very much. You must speak out now. We cannot let him win again.

[MJY1288]

I will do everything within my power to make sure he doesn't. The antiwar crowd back then made me aware of what it was like to hate!

I hate war, but I also know it must be waged at times. This is something liberals will never understand, they believe that if diplomacy doesn't work to avoid War, we can compromise, if compromise doesn't work to avoid war, we can appease, if appeasement doesn't work, we can pretend the threat to our way of life doesn't exist.

The above way of thinking is what spawned the Evil Tyrants we are fighting today.

"Evil flourishes when good men do nothing" This is the lesson of 9/11, and I thank God often that our President is not blinded by political expediency and understands the threat we face today and is willing to wage this war against those who would murder millions in the name of their false religion.

John Kerry simply doesn't get it, and we need to make it clear to every voter that he doesn't have what it takes to lead in these dangerous times.

[CyberAnt]

I ordered my copy from Amazon tonight - it's supposed to be here by August 23-25. The store is lying .. or they're not carrying the book.

Go get 'em Hildy .. it's about time these book stores get a grip and realize people want to read the truth .. not the left wing drivel. And you're right .. Regnery is not a small publisher. They do Ann Coulter's books and they specialize in conservative books.

What bothers me most about these bookstores is their attitude. Whatever happened to "the customer is always right". Guess they don't believe it anymore.

[CyberAnt]

"I've re read this paragraph a half dozen times, and it still shocks me"

That's exactly how I feel. I'm stunned. This is just blatant BRIBERY to add to his war crimes, treason, etc.

What I don't understand is why Kerry would take such a chance by making such a statement JUST 5 MONTHS AGO. Kerry is a pompous ass .. and he thinks he can do or say anything and get away with it.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT CLINTON DID. HE FLAUNTED THE LAW AND THE MEDIA COVERED IT UP. And the Carville's and Lanny Davis' acted the same way about everything that was said about Clinton.

America will never stand still for another Liar in Chief in the White House .. NEVER!!

[MA~Bear]

Hubby & I was quite shocked to see the B&N in Salem NH have the book sitting right out at the registers on Friday night. And a few copies up stairs in the featured section. When we were checking out with book in hand, I remarked to the clerk I was told at another place it wouldn't be out until 9/1. The clerk said that the publisher did a quick first run to help relieve early demands, then he chuckled saying that won't help, all these books will be gone in 24 hours once word get out. Guess this store is republican friendly :-)

[BigSkyFreeper]

Thanks for the ping! This article is pretty damning.

[Carolinamom]

Thank you for sharing that very moving personal experience.I can well understand your being livid w/Kerry's dishonorable and treasonous actions. Please give my regards to you cousin and brother who DID their duty w/ HONOR.

[Mamzelle]

Go back to the store and write down a few titles from the "Gay and Lesbian" section of your store. Then write a nice letter to the editor about how it's OK to have "Joys of Gay Sex for Teenagers" on the shelves, but a book about Kerry, written by 60 vets who knew him or about him makes the bookstore staffs uncomfortable.

[daybreakcoming]

I was at B&N last night and asked about the book. The mgr very nicely explained how the publisher said Sept 1 and the media said sooner. There were a number of books on a table marked current events or something like that and 8 out of 10 were Bush-Bashing - many I had never heard of. Lotta people trying to make a buck off the hate.

[reg45]

I thought Brinkley wrote "Tour of Duty"?

"Tour of Doo-Doo"

[proudofthesouth]

Have you noticed that over the past 30 some odd years the Demoratic Presidential nominee's keep getting worse and worse and more and more liberal and more and more out of touch with the people in our country? I have!

[TexasCajun]

Where did you order yours?

[doug from upland]

We need to all challenge them like that.

[sauropod]

Borders supports Al Gore and the 'Rats. I stopped patronizing them years ago.

I think B&N CEO is a major 'Rat contributor. Someone posted his stuff (contribution record) from the CRP site on here a while ago.

Time to find other booksellers.

[tioga]

-a clerk at Walden's once asked me to make a one dollar donation to feed the poor, since I had just about the exact amount in cash and no more, I said something like .."no, I am not through paying my taxes yet (this was around March), maybe I can afford it after that..." He started in about Bush and tax cuts for the rich. Prior to this I had heard him berating a young female clerk for being too slow. She was waiting on an elderly woman next to me, when I snapped. I told him off in no uncertain terms and taunted him to continue -- needless to say he likes his job and was as polite as he could be much to the amusement of the other two there. (I was firm and insisted that I was an avid Bush supporter and that the tax refund I got went to much needed expences!)

[MeekOneGOP]

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From the article:

The money quote for me, the paragraph that said “this is why” came in the 4th chapter where an incident in March of 2004 involving Admiral Hoffmann and John Kerry. In 2003 Kerry had called Hoffmann to try to get his support in his run for President. Hoffmann was initially enthusiastic as he mistakenly thought the caller was Bob Kerrey, the Navy Medal of Honor winner and former Senator. When he realize the caller was John Kerry, his entire tone changed. He refused to give Kerry his support.

In the ensuing months, “Tour of Duty” was published, in which Kerry savaged Hoffmann.

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My thanks to Traumer, Arrowhead1952 and Conspiracy Guy for the concept of the above pic

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John Kerry wrote his Review for "Apocalypse Now" on Oct 14, 1979 in the Boston Herald.

Here is the article in JPG format.

Thank you, thank you FreeRepublic.com !

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In the BOTTOM JPG, check out the TOP RIGHT paragraph regarding Cambodia .....

"On more than one occasion, I, like Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now, took my patrol boat into Cambodia. In fact, I remember spending Christmas Eve of 1968 five miles across the Cambodian border being shot at by our South Vietnamese allies who were drunk and celebrating Christmas. The absurdity of almost being killed by our own allies in a country in which President Nixon claimed there were no American troops was very real."

There is the lie. He NEVER WAS in Cambodia. The Swiftboat book Unfit for Command addresses that issue. And Nixon, who had WON election in November 1968, did not take office until January, 1969.

John Kerry is a LIAR! I think mostly Bush haters would vote for Kerry. I say George Bush in a landslide win November 2nd !

John Kerry's "Apocalypse Now" fantasy in Cambodia.
Great scan of 1979 newpaper article.

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Above published elsewhere:

John Kerry in Cambodia
["Apocalypse Now" Review]

Google Search "John Kerry 1968 Cambodia