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Contributors
Chris Field- Contributor
Chris
Field is Editor of Human
Events Online [go
to Field index]
TWO
CENTS
 ".
. .listen to those who served with him in Vietnam."
Fit for Commander in Chief?...
[Chris Field] 8/3/04
John Kerry and the rest of the Democratic Party
are promoting Kerry's Vietnam "war hero" status as
a major -- if not the major -- reason for Americans to support
his candidacy
for the White House.
In fact, his running mate, Sen. John Edwards,
said, "To
really understand John Kerry, you have to listen to those who
served with him in Vietnam."
So, I decided to heed Sen. Edwards' advice and
found what approximately 200 of Kerry's fellow "Swifties" think
of him, including Rear Admiral Roy F. Hoffman, USN (Retired).
Admiral Hoffman said
this of the liberal Massachusetts Senator:
"I DO NOT BELIEVE JOHN KERRY IS FIT TO BE
COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS NOT A
POLITICAL ISSUE. IT IS A MATTER OF HIS JUDGMENT, TRUTHFULNESS,
RELIABILITY, LOYALTY, AND TRUST -- ALL ABSOLUTE TENETS OF COMMAND."
Admiral Hoffman, along with Captain Charley Plumbly,
USN (ret.), Alvin A. Horne, Bill Lannom, John O'Neill, Way
Symmes, William
E. Franke, and about 200 other "Swifties" were signatories
of an open letter to Sen. Kerry, which is sourced in a yet-to-be-released
book --"Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak
Out Against John Kerry (pre-order it here).
This letter states, in part:
"It is our collective judgment that, upon
your return from Vietnam, you grossly and knowingly distorted
the conduct of the
American soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen of that war (including
a betrayal of may of us, without regard for the danger you actions
caused us). Further, we believe that you have withheld and/or
distorted material facts as to your own conduct of the war.
"We believe you continue this conduct today,
albeit by changing from an anti-war to a 'war hero' status.
You now seek
to clad yourself in the very medals that you disdainfully threw
away in the early years of your political career. In the process,
we believe you continue a deception as to your own conduct through
such tactics as the disclosure of only carefully screened portions
of your military records. Both then and now, we have concluded
that you have deceived the public, and in the process have betrayed
honorable men, to further your personal political goals.
"You conduct is such as to raise substantive
concerns as to your honesty and your ability to serve, as you
currently seek,
as Commander-in-Chief of the military services.
"Senator Kerry, we were there. We know the
truth. We have been silent long enough. The stakes are too
great, not only for
America in general but, most importantly, for those who have
followed us into service in Iraq and Afghanistan. We call upon
you to provide a full, accurate accounting of your conduct in
Vietnam."
Note to Sen. Edwards: I've listened to what "those who
served with him in Vietnam" think of John Kerry, and now
I believe we do "really understand" him. Care to revise
and extend your remarks?
Note to Sen. Kerry: Will you honor the request
of your fellow Vietnam Swift Boat Veterans and release your "complete and
unaltered" military records, allowing the American people
to be fully informed of your military service? CRO
copyright
2004 Human Events
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