McMahon: ‘A story that had to be told’
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By ANTHONY J. SANFILIPPO asanfilippo@delcotimes.com WASHINGTON -- A Democratic mayor from Delaware County was involved in a new documentary that claims presidential hopeful John F. Kerry betrayed Vietnam POWs with lies about war crimes. Media Mayor Bob McMahon said he assisted producer Carlton Sherwood, a retired journalist, with the production of "Stolen Honor: Wounds that Never Heal," a 45-minute film that was unveiled at the Marine Officers Reserve building Thursday.
"This was a story that had to be told," said McMahon, a Vietnam veteran. "I’m very proud of the work that has gone into ‘Stolen Honor’ and I’m happy to help give another side of the view that’s been held as true for more than 30 years."
The film features stories from 17 POWs claiming that Viet Cong interrogators used Kerry’s 1971 testimony before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee as fodder to demand confessions of such atrocities and as rationale for continued torture of the captured soldiers. Kerry’s testimony recounted tales of abuse and war crimes by American troops in Vietman; some of which was later discredited.
The film was shown to a gathering of 25 POWs, their families, supportive legislators, a throng of media and other invited guests.
Also in the crowd from Delaware County were U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon, R-7, of Thornbury, Springfield Republican Chairman Charles P. Sexton Jr. and former Delaware County Council Chairman Wally Nunn, a Drexel Hill Republican and Vietnam veteran who is the chairman of the Medal of Honor Society.
Nunn was thanked by Sherwood for his "significant contributions" to the project, while McMahon remained out of the limelight during the event. He did not say what those contributions were.
The film was produced on a shoestring budget -- $220,000 -- and was funded entirely by Pennsylvania veterans, said Sherwood, a Central Pennsylvania resident. The veterans were not named.
Produced by Red, White and Blue Productions Inc., an independent film agency based in Harrisburg, the film also includes interviews with two Congressional Medal of Honor recipients -- George E. "Bud" Day, who was imprisoned for more than 5½ years, and Leo K. Thorsness, who was also a POW for a little more than five years.
McMahon said approximately 70 POWs were interviewed for the project but that the number used in the film was trimmed to 17 because of the limited time available to complete the project.
While the stories of the POWs sounded legitimate, the Kerry campaign warned that the group has a shady history.
"This group is the poor, distant cousin of the Swift Boat Veterans for Bush," said Mark Nevins, a spokesman for the campaign. "It’s comprised of people with questionable backgrounds whose sole mission in life is to smear John Kerry."
Nevins pointed out that Sherwood, who also narrates in the film, was arrested for illegally taping a conversation in 1983 and falsely accused the Vietnam veterans of mishandling the $9 million they were granted to build the Vietnam War Memorial in 1984.
Nevins also suggested Sherwood was another right-wing conspirator who hired Republican public relations firm Shirley and Bannister to help market their product.
However Sherwood insisted this project was not politically motivated.
"I’m a political independent and always have been," Sherwood said. "This is not political, it is deeply personal."
Weldon assisted Sherwood in securing a location to showcase the film, and also set up two separate viewings for interested members of Congress.
"I am not questioning John Kerry’s service in the military because I hold in highest regard any American who serves the country, and that includes John Kerry," said Weldon, who did not serve in the military. "But by calling these POWs baby killers, he tarnished their image and contributed to keeping them in prison for as many as eight years."
Sexton was so moved by the film that he challenged former Media mayor and director of the upcoming Media Film Festival Frank Daly to add this documentary to his program.
"He should invite Carlton Sherwood to Media and have him show this film," said Sexton. "And if he doesn’t then he’s biased and a coward."
Daly, a Democrat and former mayor of Media, who is showing two of Michael Moore’s films at his festival, including the controversial "Fahrenheit 9/11," said that despite what some people think, his festival is not politically driven.
"As hard as it is for the Charles Sextons of the world to understand, the film festival has no political affiliation whatsoever," said Daly. "I originally confused the idea of a film festival with the concept of a retrospective, that’s why the Moore films were included. Once I understood what a festival was, more movies were added."
While on the subject of "Stolen Honor," Daly took the opportunity to praise McMahon in his efforts, despite not always agreeing with him on the subject of Vietnam.
"What you have to appreciate about the Democrats in Media is we are all independent thinkers," he said. "There are no Charlie Sextons who tell us all how to think. Bob is a regular Democrat, but unless you’ve been to Vietnam, you can’t understand his convictions. He took part in this project out of genuine motivation and not for political purposes. We may not agree on Vietnam, but I’m not going to criticize him because of it."
McMahon concurred with Daly, and said that veterans’ issues and the business of running Media do not run hand-in-hand.
"My colleagues in Media and I have discussed Vietnam and have disagreed," said McMahon. "But we have always come together on issues that are in the best interest of the borough of Media."
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©The Daily Times 2004
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