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What if John Kerry believes he is telling the truth??
8-29-2004
Bill Keller - Editor
As I have watch the Swifties cast a pall over John Kerry’s Viet Nam exploits, a troubling though has been probing the edges of my mind. What if he believes his own tales?
First, let me say that I do not doubt he performed his duties as assigned. However, with his every senior officer and over 60 eye witnesses to his actions on the dates in question raising serious doubts about his actions, I have substantial doubts as to the heroics of some of his actions. And, in my heart, I can see no justification for his purple hearts. While it appears he followed the “letter of the law” it is coldly apparent he did not follow its spirit.
So let’s look at the tales he has spun over the past 30 years.
Of course, there is the testimony in April of 1971 prompted by the Winter Soldier gathering in Detroit. While history has shown many false witnesses were there, we must believe that John Kerry believed, heart and soul, that the sons of the “Greatest Generation” committed war crimes against the Vietnamese people as part of their standard operating procedures. That they raped, mutilated, murdered, and tortured villagers while burning their homes to the ground. He believes this so strongly that, to this day he tells us he will not retract any testimony or apologize to the 2.5 million Viet Nam vets.
And, the secret missions into Cambodia. First, he was there during Christmas, 1968. An event “seared” into him. Then he was close to Cambodia and had possibly entered a few times in February or March. Next there were four secret missions to deliver special ops guys. The CIA guy even gave him a special hat he carries in a secret pocket in his brief case. SSSHHHHHHHHH! Pow! Pow! Or, maybe he was mistaken and there was only one mission.
No one, official, unofficial, on his boat or off his boat support any of these claims. Yet, John Kerry has believed them heart and soul for 30 years. He has given sworn testimony, testimony on the floor of the Senate, and numerous recounts of his exploits to a wide assortment of reporters over the past 30 years. I believe the final count of him recounting these adventures is over 50 times. Obviously he believes, in his heart of hearts, these are actual events that he personally participated in.
Finally, lets touch on his “two” tours in Viet Nam. In actuality, they consisted of a little over 5 weeks in Vietnamese waters during his first assignment on a destroyer and a little over 4 months during his swift boat days. Being generous, let’s grant him 6 months in country. Does that mean I did two tours because I was in country from April 21, 1970 until April 23, 1971?? I knew a number on guys on their second or third tour. Do they get credit for double duty?
So, ask yourself how you feel about having Senator Kerry as your President during wartime knowing that he actually believes his war stories. That for him, they are real, vivid and have shaped how he would use and deploy the armed forces of the United States.
What a disquieting prospect.
Bill Keller
Editor – Conservative Outlook
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