Kerry"s Betrayal of the American Military

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry shows no remorse for the damage he inflicted on his country, its allies in Southeast Asia and America's armed forces while he was a Navy lieutenant and a leader of the radical Vietnam Veterans Against the War in 1971.

As a Pentagon official under two presidents, I made 10 inspection trips to Vietnam between 1968 and 1973. It was part of my beat. The Military Logistics Chiefs, my staff and I covered Vietnam thoroughly from the North Vietnam border to the Mekong Delta. We spent time in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. We knew Vietnam, the Vietnamese and our superb armed forces conducting this struggle.

As a presidential appointee under Presidents Johnson and Nixon, I spent time in Vietnam before, during and after the few months Navy Lt. John Kerry spent in that country.

No country in history had better intentions or made greater sacrifices, in the interest of humanity, than did the United States in Vietnam. This point was emphasized by President Kennedy as he made the decision to intervene, by President Johnson as he escalated the war and by President Nixon as we went through the major task of Vietnamization, i.e., turning the fighting over to the Vietnamese, and training and supplying them to do the job.

Our leaders, many with World War II and Korean experience, were the very best, and our military personnel from all our services, with a few minor exceptions, were outstanding.

Interestingly, I was with Army Gen. Creighton Abrams and Adm. Elmo "Bud" Zumwalt as the Riverine Interdiction mission in the Mekong Delta developed. I visited these forces with Zumwalt. Abrams couldn't say enough good things about Zumwalt and the positive changes resulting from the mission switch from coastal patrolling to interdiction on the inland waterways.

By 1971 Vietnamization was well under way. Over 300,000 additional Vietnamese had been added to their armed forces. We had drawn down our forces from 567,000 to under 300,000 allied, mostly U.S., troops in South Vietnam.

Defense Secretary Melvin Laird and President Nixon had announced our plans for doing away with the draft and establishing the all-volunteer military.

By this time, with the support of Jane Fonda, the vocal Vietnam Veterans against the war (VVAW) had formed. Over 800 Americans had been captured and were in North Vietnamese prisons. The Paris Peace talks were well under way, and those of us involved at all levels were trying to bring this conflict to a satisfactory conclusion.

The deep concern in Vietnam by U.S. forces and the South Vietnamese as to the anti-war group activities in the United States is remembered in detail by many of us. Meanwhile, Kerry was spinning false tales condemning his fellow sailors, soldiers and Marines.

In April of 1971 John Kerry, as VVAW spokesman, testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chaired by Sen. J. William Fulbright. Most of Kerry's relevant statements were wrong. Again, it is vivid in my mind. That testimony plus Kerry's many other inflammatory speeches should have led to a full-scale investigation of his "admitted" crimes and of his allegations.

While we had more than enough information on Kerry and the VVAW for an investigation, we frankly thought they were "nut cases."

Think a minute about just one Kerry statement, i.e., "crimes were committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command."

Let me list a few of the people who were involved with and/or in the chain of command while Kerry was in Vietnam. Under President Johnson there was Defense Secretary Clark Clifford, Navy Secretary Paul Ignatius, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Staff Gen. Earle Wheeler, Adm. U.S. Grant Sharp, Abrams, Gen. Fred Weyand, Zumwalt, among others. Under President Nixon there was Defense Secretary Melvin Laird, Sen. John Chafee (then secretary of the Navy), Sen. John Warner (then deputy secretary of the Navy), Adm. Tom Moorer, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Jack McCain (Sen. John McCain's father), Generals Abrams and Weyand and Adm. Zumwalt.

The operational commanders knew the rules of engagement and often carried them out at great risk to themselves and their people. All levels of command knew what was going on.

Can you believe that these outstanding individuals and their subordinates would condone war crimes? Is it possible that the 27-year-old Kerry could have believed what he was saying?

The American military felt betrayed by Kerry & Co. Much of the resentment they experienced on arriving home was caused by Kerry and his ilk. I can't begin to estimate what John Kerry cost our country and Southeast Asia in money and lives.

There are words to describe a person who aids the enemy in time of war. John Kerry can be described by most of these words.

The kindest conclusion I reach is that while articulate, he was either naive, an opportunist, easily misled or not too smart. Possibly a combination.

One thing for sure is that the flagrant character flaws displayed by John Kerry in 1971 should not be forgotten and, lacking any remorse on his part, not be forgiven. To me, it seems impossible that a person who has done as much damage to his country and the world as John Kerry did, would be considered for commander in chief of our great country.

Looking at Kerry's sworn testimony against his fellow Vietnam veterans, I do wonder when he is telling the truth.

Shillito, now a retired businessman living in San Diego, served as assistant secretary of the Navy and assistant secretary of defense during the Johnson and Nixon administrations. As an Army Air Corps pilot during World War II, he was shot down over occupied Europe and was a prisoner of war from 1943 to 1945.

I just received this e-mail of a letter a Cmdr. in Iraq wrote to the family and friends of a Marine just killed in battle. I hope to God Kerry does not become the Commander in Chief for these brame young people.

Weekly Update 15 Oct 04

Ladies,

It is with the deepest sadness and most profound grief that I must report to you the loss of Daniel Wyatt, LCpl, Fox Co, 2nd Bn, 24th Marines, USMC. Daniel was killed in the line of duty, while conducting foot patrolling operations in Yusufiyah Iraq. Daniel was killed by a command detonated improvised explosive device. He died instantly, suffered no pain and was immediately recovered by his fellow Marines.

My command security element and I personally recovered Daniel's body and escorted him back to the forward operating base, and then onto the helicopter for the beginning of his final ride home. I cannot even begin to express to you the soul touching sight of combat hardened Marines, encrusted with weeks of sweat and dust, who have daily been engaged in combat, coming to complete and utter solemnity and respect in the handling of the body of one of their own. It puts on display a level of brotherly love you just cannot see anywhere else.

We conducted a memorial service for Daniel in the battle space owned by his fellow Marines, as well as one the following day at the battalion forward operating base. I have spoken with his fiancée and expressed the sorrow and sympathy of the entire Battalion.

If I might for a moment, I hear and see some of the media coverage. I hear the accusations and charges. I hear what could almost be labeled as hysteria over the situation in Iraq. Let me tell you something from ground level. The town of Yusufiyah that Daniel and his fellow Marines seized, had not seen government structure or security forces for over 8 months. FOREIGN FIGHTERS, TERRORIST AND THUGS have had free reign and have routinely murdered people in the market for no reason other than one day they MIGHT support a democratic process and speak for themselves. For nothing more than they MIGHT choose a version of religion even slightly different than the terrorists and foreign fighters. They live in squalor and fear. The Marines of Daniel's unit have not had a shower since seizing the town. They have eaten MREs day in and day out. They live a Spartan existence that few can imagine. And, on all my trips to their position for planning, coordination and command visits, I ask them if they want to be relieved. To a man, they look me in the eye and tell me NO WAY. Why? Well, I am not going to soften it for anyone, the primary reason why is to kill terrorists. Please remember, that is what they are trained and paid to do. But, they also tell me, they want to help the people of Yusufiyah. They want to show all of Iraq that they can stand on their own feet, push back against extremism, and with our help live the life of freedom that all men yearn for. Yes, from the mouths of these young and hardened warriors, this is what they tell me. And then...and then...they ask me how I am doing! Un-freaking believable! They worry about everyone else but themselves.

So believe what you want. That is your right as Americans. But I am telling you, there are no heroes on any football fields, basketball courts or halls of government. There are honorable and decent people all over America. However, the heroes are on the battlefields of Iraq. Suffering, killing and DYING that others might live, and live in FREEDOM. Americans free from terror, Iraqis free from oppression and tyranny.

I am an under-educated gun toter from Indiana who is just lucky there is an organization like the USMC where a half-wit like myself with some rudimentary combat skills can succeed. But I do know heroes! I am surrounded by over a thousand of them. And I am not the least bit ashamed to tell you I have wept like a baby for Daniel Wyatt. Because when one of these heroes falls, it is if an Angel of God himself has fallen from heaven! I will not profess glory of battle or any other such hype. I will profess duty and sacrifice. Daniel showed us all true duty and ultimate sacrifice. I have no doubt that the instant he died, he was whisked to heaven on the wings of Angels and placed before the unapproachable light of Jesus, who himself said: "greater love hath no man, than a man lay down his life for his friends."

GOD BLESS AND KEEP DANIEL WYATT, HIS FAMILY AND FIANCEE AND GOD BLESS AND KEEP ALL THE FAMILIES OF 2/24.

Yours in profound sadness Mark A. Smith, LtCol TF 2/24 Cmdr Mahmudiyah, Iraq

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