Posted on 08/25/2004 1:51:55 PM PDT by doug from upland
Nov. 3, 2004: Vietnam vets - finally, you heroes have come home
You were spit on. You were called war criminals. You were called baby killers. You served your country and came home to abuse and to be shunned by your countrymen. Many never came home at all.
There were lost limbs, broken lives, broken families, alcoholism, drugs, homelessness, despair, and even suicide. You could not understand why you were so hated. There was no parade welcoming you home. There was nobody to offer you their seat on a full airplane. There was no one wanting to shake your hand and say, "God bless you, soldier. Thank you for what you have done for our country." Never have some of us been so ashamed of our country because of what was done to you.
Yesterday's crushing electoral defeat of Senator John F. Kerry has finally brought some closure. The repudiation of one of the chief architects of bringing together the forces that heaped shame and indignity on you has finally shown the whole world what many of us knew all along. You served honorably. You were heroes.
In desperation, Kerry made a few weak attempts of hinting at apology. It was far too little. It was far too late. It was far too disingenuous. And it angered and lost the support of the most vile of those on the America-hating far left.
For the service Kerry actually gave in Vietnam, he has our gratitude. His refusal to open all the records during the campaign still leaves us wondering what his service really was and what medals he really did earn. Apparently, he is never going to let us know all of the truth.
Three decades ago, Kerry stabbed you in the back. He did it then during demonstrations, public statements, and sworn testimony before Congress in which he lied about fellow comrades in arms. The damage he did was considerable. He caused men to die. Many of you were tortured because you would not repeat his lies and admit to your torturers that you were war criminals.
During the 2004 campaign, Kerry shamelessly did it again. With people like James Carville and Paul Begala, the Hollywood elite, a failed far left network called Air America, newspapers such as the NEW YORK TIMES and LOS ANGELES TIMES, media surrogates such as Chris Matthews, and an endless supply of the slimiest attorneys, he attacked the swift boat vets who actually had the courage to come forward and set the record straight. Kerry's hitmen, and they were that in every sense of the word, tried to blackmail them into silence by creating "Brown Books" that looked into their personal lives to find financial and marital trouble. Seldom in the history of this great nation has a presidential candidate stooped so low as did John Forbes Kerry. To say that he got down in the gutter is to give him credit for too high an elevation. He was below the gutter. He was in the sewer with vermin.
The more we learned about Kerry, the more Americans didn't like him. That is why he tried so hard to suppress UNFIT FOR COMMAND. That is why 527 groups spent over a hundred million dollars trying to do damage to President Bush, why a billionaire spent a fortune, and why a slovenly so-called documentary filmmaker created one of the great works of propaganda ever produced.
The political tsunami finally hit shore and washed away Kerry's campaign when all of America finally learned that Kerry was a hero on both sides of the war. Yes, they saw his place of honor in Vietnamese Communist War Remnants Museum (formerly known as the "War Crimes Museum") in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The communists who killed over 50,000 Americans celebrate Kerry as a hero.
We can never make up for what this country did to you. We can only ask your forgiveness. You were the forgotten heroes. No longer. You have been vindicated. With heavy hearts, open arms, and tears in our eyes, we say to you all, welcome home, heroes. Finally, welcome home.
Spot on, Doug... Spot on.
I'm working hard for the President to make sure that you can publish this article on the date intended.
With all our hard work, it will happen, my friend.
The only thing I smoke is salmon. :)
Praying that this indeed comes true!
I pray that this will truly be the case on Nov. 3rd. For some reason, I've been thinking that the President will get 55% of the vote. I have no idea why that amount; if it's more I'll just pop open another bottle of bubbly!
I liked what you wrote. I really hope, wish and pray it will come to fruition. Now did you bring enough smoked salmon for everyone?
Forgive me if I don't applaud your post, but this RVN vet isn't ready to say this election is over. Voters have been fooled before('92 and '96, specifically).
Limbaugh, in the past, has asked the question: "Is the American voter stupid?" I am prepared to answer that question with a resounding "Yes"! That answer, of course, does have its exceptions.
May God bless all our brave men who fought in Vietnam. You done us proud.
I know it isn't over. The other side has the mainstream media, an endless supply of money, and the most vile and dishonest people imaginable on their side. We are in the battle of our lives. That God for the swift vets who have come back three decades later to again answer the call of their nation.
bump from the daughter of a Vietnam Vet who never heard those words before he died.
Maybe he is hearing them now from a place we all hope will be ours.
bttt
I hope you are psychic!
bttt
May it be thus, O Lord, may it be thus ...
Thanks Doug...
That what I think. Thanks.
Better than Carp....too hard to keep them lit....and crawfish will pinch your nose....if you dont hold them the right way while lighting them...
Beautiful.
Great article -- get it published on Nov. 3, 2004!
Maybe it would have more impact to have it published now. :)
Bump for AM read
I've been telling my husband the same thing - 55%. Hopefully it will be a self-fulfulling prophecy. :)
Brilliant...Do you have ESP per chance?
Viet Nam Veterans, they are STILL serving!
How will Kerry apoligize to my brothers - who can't hear him now?
Kerry's activity gave aid and comfort to the enemy that killed them --- and extended the war to cause the death of many more.
Kerry IS the enemy.....no apology at this time is acceptable - no apology is sufficent...
Semper Fi
No ESP. Unlike Kerry, I have no need to tell whoppers.
That picture is so real and moving. I went to the wall on Father's Day, 1995. Messages from wives, sons and daughters, were everywhere. We all cried, everyone who was there. All strangers sharing a common loss.
Great vision...but what about the polls?
The polls, they are a changin'.
Doug, all over the electronic media, including Fox, it's all about what an uphill battle Bush has, and how great Kerry is doing. It's hard not to be down.
This picture makes me cry every time I see it!!!
Thanks Doug, this means alot to all of us. These are strange times. During the '70s I never told people I was a Marine and cretainly never mentioned VietNam. When Reagan came in it became kinda cool to be a Vet again, so cool that men everywhere started faking it. Now we are at a point where every man that ever donned green skivvies is a damn hero! I knew heroes and they're all dead.
Thank you so much for this sweet letter. When Bush is reelected in Nov., I will do what I did at the Inauguration in 2000-cry happy tears for America and for our future.
Thank you, Doug.
Taxman Bravo Zulu!
I have to share this story with all of you. I am a server at a restaurant (or waitress as I like to call myself since I'm so politically incorrect). Anyway, a thorn in my side is that we have a bottle of Heinz ketchup at every table, so I have to look at the stuff while I'm working.
I was checking on one of my tables, a man and women, and the man was just pounding the heck out of the Heinz ketchup bottle while putting it on his plate. I asked if there was a problem, and he said, (paraphrasing)..... "Yes, I hate Kerry, and I'm taking it out on this ketchup bottle". I about lost it, I had to laugh! I could not resist letting him know in a descreet way that I shared his opinion.
On a more serious note, I am looking forward to Nov. 3, not only because we will have 4 more years of a great president, but because our Vietnam Veterans, those living and ones who have passed, WILL FINALLY BE HOME.
I embarrass Mrs. DFU by making a scene at a restaurant. I demand that they remove the Heinz, and I whip out my bottle of W Ketchup. www.wketchup.com
Good for you! After thinking about it, I am going to pass along to management that I had a customer complaint about the Heinz today.
Thanks for posting this Doug.
I've been in tears twice today (and I don't cry easily).
First, was when a Vietnam Vet called into Rush's show today and talked with Roger Hedgecock. The Vet spoke about his return to U.S. soil in San Francisco, how he stood out like a sore thumb with his short hair amongst all the hippies.
To shortly paraphrase, he was threatened outside a restroom by JFK wannabes to beat the living crap out of him and take all of his money. He stayed in that restroom for two hours, afraid for his life and wondering what the h*ll happened to America.
The emotion in his voice was so telling about the horrible treatment he received for years, and how it wrecked his life, because of people like J F'n K.
The second time I've come to tears today is reading your article.
I was a grade schooler during the Vietnam War, but had a keen sense of what was going on even then, thanks to my mom. (I learned at 10 that Walter Cronkite was a lying POS creep from her mouth, much to her chagrin - for the profanity - I'd never heard my mom swear before!)
I've always wondered what happened to the brave soul whose name was on my POW/MIA bracelet. I lost it at a swimming pool in 1972.
If I ever have the opportunity to get to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the first name I'll look for is Lt. Clive Jeffs.
All these years, and I've never forgotten him and service.
Suzie
I'm planning on making a FULL Turkey dinner again, like I
did for the 2000 election night. Momma didn't understand why I did it but she sure didn't complain.
I heard the call from that vet today. You really could feel what he had been through. It was people like John Kerry who were responsible. I've been to the Wall. It is a moving experience.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.