Hardened Hearts: A Vet Speaks Out

I celebrated my 18th birthday by joining the United States Army. I wanted to go to Viet Nam to fight the communists. I got my wish; from October of 1969 to October of 1970 I was in the central highlands of the Republic of South Viet Nam.

Unlike JF Kerry I found the Vietnamese to be an honorable, industrious people worthy of the fight to protect them from communism. I did not see a lot of action there, but my life was in danger to varying degrees, every day for my one year tour.

Now I mention this not to wear it as a badge. Not to go into my boss's office and demand his job because he did not go. I don't crow about it, brag or call people cowards for getting deferments. I only wish to put my following statements in context.

I returned from Viet Nam with the normal commendations for doing a soldier's job. I received no purple heart, nor did I want one. I had no political aspirations. I wanted to be on the giving side. I wanted to provide "Charlie" with as many as possible. My tour of duty is imprinted into my memory.

It rests within me and gives me strength in hard times. Friends made, friends lost; a teenager became a man in a far off alien country. A lot of my memories have now become hazy; over thirty-four years can do that.

What has not become hazy is the treatment I got on my return home. I received what I call my "hardened hearts".

The first was handed to me in the Seattle Airport where, in uniform; I was waved over by a beautiful young woman. After a year away from home my heart was fluttering, until she called me a "baby killer". I was hurt but I shrugged it off.

My next award occurred when I was outside walking down a street trying to hail a taxi. An "Easy Rider" Peter Fonda look-alike on a Harley made a corner. I looked at him with an admiration of the free spirit he appeared to exemplify. He flipped me off and spewed expletives in my direction (from a safe distance). At this point I felt a jolt of anger, and my heart began to ossify.

My last hardened heart, one of cold steel, came in April of 1971 when John "turncoat" Kerry testified that my fellow soldiers and I were war criminals committing atrocities on a daily basis.

His fallacious testimony gave aid and comfort to our enemy while we had soldiers in the field and prisoners in the Hanoi Hilton. He played a major role in the portrayal of brave men as "baby killers". He established himself as the "New Soldier" as his book states, just like the new patriots who turn their back on the flag during the national anthem.

The typical democrat peaceniks that despised me because of my uniform I would expect to have a disdain for the military, but now we have Senator JF Kerry wanting me to forget what he did after he left Viet Nam.

Now over the years my hardened hearts have been softened by marriage, children and working hard on my own American dream. But now this patrician collaborator wants to be my president. The man who created an environment where returning soldiers were spit at and castigated as "baby Killers" wants to be Commander -in-Chief.

My heart is not as hard as it was, but my mind is still sharp enough to see a lying manipulative, opportunistic, hero of the Vietnamese resistance when he reports for duty.

I was personally spit on, as were many of my friends.

A buddy of mine here at Cornell had blood thrown at him, and others were assaulted.

This was due to sKerry's "testimony" of lies at the "hearings" as much as anything else. sKerry gave great credibility to knee-jerk egotistical pacifist isolationists. His charges against our brave military men have not been forgotten - but the Swifties are reminding the 'Nam vets and their families EXACTLY WHO did that testimony, and many of us who remembered that testimony had forgotten who had created such lies.

The effect on the morale of our troops was devastating. The leadership of the country was devastated, too. They had already been in a defensive mode to begin with instead of an aggressive "win the war" mode - they went into a "buy our way out of it" mode. Some pointed with credibility to sKerry's "we'd have to protect 3000 S.Vietnamese who might be harmed by the NV" --- that was always complete bunk, but people WANTED to believe it. Over Three million were killed after we left. sKerry was wrong there, and he lied about the rest, too. If the hearings had been more positive, it might have defused the peaceniks a bit, and we may well have gone on to make an attempt to stop micromanaging that conflict, and let our guys win the war.

Many of the culprits have recognized they were wrong - take David Horowitz as an example, as well as many FReepers who have stated as much here. sKerry is still trying to defend his indefensible actions.

Kerry's a bona fide liar. He and his VVAW buddies encouraged others to lie. He is as close to a traitor as anybody I know of.

I stated (at length in discussions) on a thread a some time ago that this is now not only a battle between the SwiftVets and the peaceniks of the 60s, but that this campaign has become a battle - a great battle - between the Old Media Fraudcasters and other mediots, and the New Media - with talk radio/ internet/ blogs.

This has become a battle to the death. Only one will be left standing. The 'Nam Vets (including me and many of my fellows in arms) are not going to be able to be silenced by the President or by the Demodogs or by the Fraudcasters. We know the truth. There is a great well of support we can draw on, and righteous anger about the way we have been treated. Many others are just as angry about how they have been misled by the Fraudcasters and the NYSlimes, et al, and they are now seeing a way to "get a bit of their own back."

Give the VietNam Vets the Parade they Never Got.

DEFEAT KERRY

THE VIETNAM VETERAN IN 2004

People who never served in Vietnam have a hard time understanding the absolute disdain for John Kerry harbored by most Vietnam Veterans.

It starts with the fact that he turned his back on his Brothers in Arms and returned home early after lying about the action’s for which he was awarded 3 purple hearts. Then due to his “station” in life, and associated contacts, (the Kennedy’s) he next set about to make himself a national figure, which he did, culminating with his false testimony before Congress about events and atrocities that never happened. He then proceeds to hold “peace talks” with representative of the North Vietnamese government in Paris, which most view as a federal crime.

It is pretty obvious that the North Vietnamese knew that he had no role in the peace process, but they let him play the part of a “useful idiot” to exploit his actions later. POW’s in the North Vietnamese prisons were tortured as a result of his false testimony. My fellow pilots and I will never forget or forgive him for that seemingly treasonous activity.

As a result of John Kerry’s lies there may be as many as 20,000 names on the Wall that need not be. General Giap in his memoirs stated that after they were soundly defeated in TET 68 they were ready to capitulate. But then they began to watch the anti-war activity in the US carried on by the likes of John Kerry (whose picture hangs in a Museum in Ho Chi Minh City honoring the North Vietnamese war effort) and the VVAW they became embolden to carry on. Good Men Died because Kerry Lied.

Historians generally agree that John Kerry was the driving factor behind the US to completely withdraw, not only its forces from Vietnam, but more importantly the money to support the South Vietnamese; who at that time could have defended themselves quite well. As a result of his lies, before the Congress of the United States, and the ultimate fall of the South Vietnamese Government, it was labeled a war that the United States lost. Vietnam Veterans to this day are ashamed of their Government for abandoning their South Vietnamese people and the resultant deaths and misery.

John Kerry had a hand in million or more South Vietnamese dead…as a result of his lies.

John Kerry had a hand in perhaps as many as 3 million dead Cambodians, butchered by Pol Pot…. because of his lies.

Kerry’s actions affected every Vietnam Veteran in a deep and personal way. Yes there was some spitting on folks returning, but that was rare for the most part and could be washed off. Frankly, most of those freaks were not brave enough to try that on a battle tested veteran for fear of their lives.

What wasn’t rare is that it was a liability to put on a job application that you were a Vietnam Vet. I remember distinctly, a friend telling me…. don’t waste your time…nobody cares. I had falsely assumed that being in Command of 10 airplanes and all the Pilots and Maintenance folks in a Combat zone should indicate some management ability. My thinking was: Not bad experience for a 27 yr old college graduate. I soon discovered, probably largely as a result of John Kerry’s lies, that was not the case.

Also what wasn’t rare was the fact that you never mentioned that you were a Vietnam Veteran. I remember after the Victory in the first Gulf War feeling so proud for the first time for my fellow soldiers and Vietnam Vets as many of us were included in the welcome home parades some 20 years plus after most of us came home.

Many of the younger generation say: “Forget what happened 35 years ago; what does it have to do with the issues today”?

Our answer: Just three words need to be said: Duty, Honor, Country. Kerry has displayed in his every action since 1968 that he knows nothing of the meaning of those words. Never has, never will….. He truly is UNfit for Command. By the way John, an apology will not work. Don’t waste your time. We know that would just be another lie!!

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