Revolt of the Vietnam Veterans

San Diego Union Tribune ^ | 12/19/04 | Bruce Kesler

[squirt-gun]

They did a great job blasting the chameleon....You have to love them.

[squarebarb]

It is about time, but it's going to take a lot to make up for the twenty-five years of smearing Vietbnam Vets, and what they had to live with.

Maybe someday we'll hear about the atrocities of the North Vietnamese when they took over the north of that country, maybe we'll finally honor Nick Rowe.

[squarebarb]

Sorry. Vietbnam = Vietnam. Early-morning stiff fingers.

[hflynn]

Bill & Hill owe a lot to the Swiftees. The Clinton's never had to play their ace in the hole, exactly what kind of discharge did Kerry receive from the military?

In all probability it was a dishonorable discharge followed by a pardon from the Carter administration. The Clinton's will play their ace in the hole without hesitation in the prior to the nomination process in 2007-2008

[appeal2]

Watching them and seeing the risks they took to defeat a common enemy of theirs and the country made me proud to be an American. I must say that I took sadistic delight in the implosion of the Kerry campaign. It was a joyous occasion to watch it unravel in spite of receiving life support from the Main Stream Media. This is just the beginning. The truth always prevails! Long live the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth.

[Piranha]

I've made other contributions before, but I never felt more proud to have had the opportunity to give than I feel about the small sums that I gave the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

If they have money left, I would love to see them advance some of it to a respected historian who would write a book about the contrast between the war on the ground in Vietnam and the war at home, the events that shaped public opinion in the US about the war, and especially the role played by the Winter Soldier investigation and the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and, at long last, the truth about Kerry's discharge from service.

In my opinion, this is necessary in order to finally bring closure to the war. Now that a structure for such a book has been created (thanks to the Kerry campaign), the timing is appropriate.

[snowman1]

It won't really be over until we have that piece of garbage's records made public.

[vetsvette]

The Swifties gave all of us Vietnam vets a long overdue day of vindication, and for that we should all be eternally grateful.

Now, it's time for John O'Neill to write a definitive historical commentary on the war, its heroes and America's "enemies from within" - who's efforts on behalf of tyrannical communism led to the 1st defeat in America's history. To permit America's domestic enemies free rein to now misrepresent that period permanently in recorded history would be a travesty.

[Tom Bombadil]

I am just glad that I don't have to get up each morning to read a story about president Kerry.

Life is good.

[The_Reader_David]

I heartily agree with the need for the history of that period to be told straight. But calling Vietnam America's first defeat is ceding to America's enemies rhetorical and intellectual territory which should be defended or retaken.

The enemies of America like to portary campaigns as separate wars so that when a campaign goes badly they can unite all who oppose war generically, all who oppose the conduct of the particular campaign, all who oppose America's particular goals, and all who hate America in a grand coalition. That's what they did with Vietnam and that's what they're trying to do with Iraq.

Neither was or is a war, each was or is a campaign in a larger war. WW III (a.k.a. the Cold War) in the case of Vietnam, and WW IV (a.k.a. the War on Terror) in the case of Iraq. America has lost campaigns in wars it has won--the disasterous campaign which led to the terrible winter at Valley Forge and the mid-Atlantic campaign of the War of 1812 when the British burned the White House spring to mind.

For the history to be written right, Vietnam must be seen as a campaign in the ultimately successful Cold War which was lost because of the domestic forces you decry.

We still need to have a Cold War victory parade with Vietnam and Korea veterans marching front and center.

[Cold Heat]

It won't really be over until we have that piece of garbage's records made public.

Yes, we won the battle, but have yet to defeat the enemy.

[ghostrider]

If it was merely a revolt against Kerry, then it all dies after the elections. In which case the radical liberals, who have controlled the mainstream media since the Vietnam war, will simply resurface like a nest of crocodiles to continue their coordinated assault on the American way of life. They may even rehabilitate Kerry and run him again (he didn't miss by much). Rather is gone (sort of), Brokaw is gone (want to bet), the Canadian Jennings is not going to disappear. There is too much radical liberal investment in these media "jackboot thugs," to willingly allow them to exit the stage. The crocodile nest has is full of radical liberal clones waiting for when they are needed. The radical liberal control of the media will not be released until it is clubbed from their nasty hands. They may have lost one battle, but they will counter attack in mass, and they will employ their legions in the university and public schools. Like the Islamic terrorists, the liberal media is much too entrenched to be beaten quickly. If we are to free ourselves from their treacherous clutches, it will take many years. In the meantime, Americans will be persecuted by the government, the courts, educators and the press for having the criminal audacity to say Merry Christmas and to worship as they please.

[SuziQ]

The New York Times repeatedly used "unsubstantiated" as its adjective describing the Swift Boat veterans' allegations without ever exerting its considerable power to investigate.

This election showed the deserved irrelevance of the 'Old Grey Lady' to modern American politics.

[river rat]

WE didn't lose THAT war, and we didn't lose THIS war..
It was cowardly, self serving leftist traitors like Kerry that lost the war for us and for the Vietnamese people..

Kerry continues to insult our living and fallen warriors, by his presence in the Senate and outside of prison bars..

Kerry stood for and continues to stand for EVERYTHING I despise and hold responsible for slandering the good names or our true warrior brothers and patriots..

All the money in the world will not defend Kerry from the ghosts of those men..
They are waiting.....

I await the opportunity to piss on his muddy grave.

Semper Fi

[vetsvette]

I agree with all of your very perceptive points.

[dighton]

I am just glad that I don't have to get up each morning to read a story about president Kerry.

Amen.

Humble thanks to all, particularly the vets, who prevented it.

[Radix]

"The New York Times repeatedly used "unsubstantiated" as its adjective....."

The Boston Globe, and others in the media have also used the terms debunked and discredited in articles which I have read. I do not know how they substantiate such terms, but they use them anyhow. When called upon it, the media types simply do not respond.

[Dan from Michigan]

My dad(who was in Nam when Kerry gave his 71 speech) is usually a fairly calm guy and isn't one to gloat. He voted against Kerry and for Bush.

The day after the election, he opened up a bottle of his best wine (and he's not a big drinker) and just kicked back in his recliner watching and laughing at the talking heads cry in their beer.

[oldbrowser]

The true post mortem of Kerry's defeat is simply the last hurrah of simple patriots, amateurishly but fervently rising up and banding together, with few resources, to defeat the mainstream media's boy and Juggernaut.

I can hardly wait for the movie. There is at least one movie being planned, right? Has anyone seen Mel Gibson around lately?