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.
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.
Ping.
Thanks for your reply Doug, I know you're a 'spot on' and busy FReeper so I appreciate your response.
Loved your PT Cruiser pics! Keep at 'em dude!
Heck, let's bump it to the top!
MY first ever PING!
Many thanks, Doug.
I swore revenge on the traitors and media-beasts 30 years ago, and by God it looks like we're about to get it.
Great picture.
The real reason the Wall is so said is that it is clear that these men were betrayed by their country. The Left because they are evil and the rest of us because we were so weak.
Sad.
Ping
Thank you for a wonderful post. Keep it up! We are winning!
I would really like GWB to include this in his acceptance speech.
It's SOO long overdue.
BTTT!!
Thank you for posting that "picture" (#35). It tears at my heart every time I see it.
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