The Truth about John Kerry
Tue August 3rd, 2004 21:22 MST
Veteran Swift Boat Officer John O’Neill and historian Dr. Jerome Corsi have written the definitive book on John Kerry and Vietnam. John O’Neill, who inherited command of Kerry’s Swift Boat after Kerry’s abbreviated tour of duty has much insight on Kerry’s performance as a Swift Boat Officer. Dr. Corsi is a specialist on the history of the Vietnam Anti-war movement, and covers Kerry’s vicious attacks on his fellow soldiers and his country during his time with the anti-war movement.
The book is Unfit for Command and will be available at Amazon here.
This book will give you information about the presidential candidate that can be found nowhere else. It contains information so damaging that the Kerry campaign is already lashing out against it.
If you just can’t wait, here are a few goodies.
As one of the veterans of that war, among the many others who visit here (as well as the webmaster himself), I want this story told. All of us are acquainted with the bogus vets. That’s one story. The other is the war protester.
Kerry combines the worst of these two personalities. The vet who overrated his experience, his tour and his performance, who benefits in certain circles because of it, and enjoys the addtional advantage of having been anti-war for personal gain. AND at the expense of men and women STILL there.
I remember Kerry in those days. He was a fraud then and he’s a fraud now, a poseur, a self-satisified climber. I would have hated to have served under him.
It isn’t impossible to combine honorable war service with honest anti-war attitudes. All of us at some level have some doubts. But most of us, eight out of ten, would do it all over again, even knowing what we know now.
The grounds for being in Vietnam have been covered over and over, and we can disagree about them. Arguments over that war have always mingled honest pacifism with a host of other dishonest and selective motives. Kerry landed in the second group; he lacked the guts to be an open pacifist and “objected” to Vietnam with an elaborate and specious collection of “facts”, which served a purpose he had laid out years before the war.
Kerry’s actions then had no novelty, no originality, carried no particular threat to him and were, of all things, predictable. He is a shallow, unintelligent (but polished), corrupt and indecent human being who does not deserve his Senate seat, much less the presidency. His life is a long and unimaginative screenplay (his) that would have ended years ago if not for his class, his married money and the momentum of Massachusetts liberalism. It doesn’t matter what you are if you fit the model. Look at Edward Kennedy.
A lot of us are wondering how someone could have so many pictures of himself on such a short tour?
My husband was a 6 year Naval Vietnam vet. and he doesn’t have that many pictures or videos of himself!!
Not only that, Linda, but I have never known ANY veteran who wouldn’t be embarrassed by such a self presentation. Moreover, it was a fiction presentation, which would humiliate any man with a conscience.
As far as kerry is concerned, he obviously was planning ahead, to warehouse this bogus footage. From what I have read it was filmed after the fact, and staged, which is typical of the DNC, or an aspiring dem.
I heard on the radio, what I think was an apolitical ad, done by the ‘Swifties’ all claiming kerry is unfit for command, I say apolitical because they do not affiliate with any party but just want the turth to be known. Dont know for sure if it is an ad or not I hope it is it will tone down that self-righteous SOB real quick.
Mark
Mark:
The ad is already being called a “dirty trick”, which means that Kerry’s vets are okay, but dissenting vets are tools of the nefarious Bush attack machine.
All these years we’ve managed to stay silent, for the most part, on the war. Now this bastard drapes himself in this spurious patriotism and heroism, and he is supposed to be insulated from criticism. Let’s call it what it is. BS, but also the deepest and most vile cynicism and ambition of any elected official since Clinton.
Kerry is either insane or the most pathologically ambitious fool we’ve seen beside Clinton. He’s certainly the most narcissistic and personally self-indulgent SOB in public life.
I really want all this to be true but it sounds too good. Has anyone here checked out the authors of this book and those who signed on to the ad to make sure they are who they say they are? Remember the BS from Clark about Kerry’s mistress. I’d hate to be caught out (again).
I’ve read the fax that Kerry’s lot have sent to radio stations threatening legal action if they air the Swift Boat Veterans commercial, it doesn’t specifically deny the charges made. That says to me that they may be true.
Rhod:
Exactly, now I just read that McCain is upset with some white house ad. Why doesnt he join the other side and be done with it.
All the respect for John McCain but enough is enough, his whining is typical democrat, so what the hell be gone. He conspired with the dems for this stupid campaign finance reform and in the end it will benefit his true loyalties the Democrats. He has turned into such a putz.
Yeah I agree about the 7 swifties if the numbers is still that high tell the truth and have made it clear they are not doing this for political reasons or any party affiliation and refuse to be part of any party but the dems cant handle it when it comes back at them. Aint that too Friggin bad.
Mark
These people are the real thing. I have spoken with some of them.
SBVT has over 250 members. All are against Kerry’s past. All are former Swift Boat people. This includes every commanding officer and their chain of command through CINCPAC (now deceased, represented by his son).
The Kerry people are going to try an link them to the Republican party (they are nonpartisan and are prohibited by law from coordinating with Republicans.) They are going to attack the PR firm, as if it has any relevance to the truth or falsity of the charges. They are going to claim that this is just a disgruntled group of old veterans (which leads to the question, why haven’t we had such a group with Truman, Eisenhower, Johnson, Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 42. All of those candidates were veterans).
Look for the nastiest “kill the messenger” attack ever. Look for FUD to be spread far and wide, to cast doubt on these honorable combat veterans. Look for dirty tricks to keep the ads off the air. Look for attacks on all of these individuals.
Kerry chose to make himself a Vietnam hero - now he’s going to have to face the reality. And he’s going to have to face his unAmerican behavior after the war also.
SBVT isn’t going away. Neither is VVT.
Andy:
It is true and the ‘Swifties’ even held a press conference. They claim no political affiliation, and claim they are not part of the ‘Republican-Right wing ‘ conspiracy.
All they want to tell is the truth and when they want to tell the truth and it involves a democrat the Commie press and the democrats want no part of it they would rather lie to the American People and build up this fraud they have as a candidate and try to pass him off as a ligitimate hero..
Almost to the man the Swift-boaters are in unison and denounce what kerry did and what he stands for, what he stands for is still up in the air because for 30 years nobody has been able to figure that one out.
But you wont hear about from ABC, NBC OR CBS they will not report it for the very reason the DNC is going into the damage control mode and will try to salvage this piece of garbage they call a candidate.
Mark
Though no where near John Kerry, I did serve with the USMC in Vietnam’s Northern I Corps and DMZ Area from October 1967 to September 1968 including the TET offensive. I will never forget his betrayal of our fight to defeat Communism there by subsequently lying about U.S. military atrocities to promote the anti-war effort. I have greater respect for some of the true anti-war resistors who recognized that John Kerry wasn’t even one of them, “He was just a wanabe politician looking for a horse to ride”. This should be evident to all from his first appearence in Vietnam with a stated political agenda and an 8mm camera with which to produce future photo ops. Giving him credit for brains but not honor, he did contrive a unique escape plan to get himself out of Vietnam in four months. Too bad more of us didn’t think of putting ourselves in for a Purple Heart ever time we got scratched. This would include Oliver North who turned down a third Purple Heart and chose to stay with his comrades for his entire 13-month tour.
John McCain is a hero and the Swiftboat vets are greater heros
As a Blue Water sailor of the US Navy of the Vietnam era I’d like to say that among my shipmates it was the Brown Water sailors of the Swiftboats that we admired the most for their courage and valour. If I remember properly - warning, I do suffer, sometimes, from CRS Syndrome - The swifties suffered a higher rate of death and injury than any other units in Vietnam speeding up and down those treacherous rivers on unarmoured boats without any of the body armour that protects todays American heros.
I AM PERSONALLY OUTRAGED THAT SENATOR MCCAIN WOULD INSULT THESE UNHERALDED AND UNAPPRECIATED AMERICAN HEROS.
McCain has his right to defend his Senate buddy and coconspirator but he has no right to diss and insult my heroic comrades.
Senator McCain, after earning my love and respect;
http://pep.typepad.com/public_enquiry_project/2004/08/john_mccain_is_.html
John,
Great strategy excellent tactic, go after John Kerry as unfit as commander in chief, not as a President, voiced by soldiers who see John Kerry as who he is. It’s now on the open and the amount of publicity in USA today before the ads is shown is amazing. Neutral parties now will be curious to see why these soldiers are so outrage against the norm of the tradition that they would love to see one of their own kind becomes the commander in chif. Yeah why? Go buy the book and read it to find out why.
Side show - I have watched Fox News Brit Hume shows last nite, and with the exception of Hume, the rest are just a bunch of idiots whose asses are so thick -err their brains, I am sorry- to even understand why these soldiers are so outrage when Kerry attempted to be their commander in chief. They talked with their asses in their brains like we should not attack Kerry’s anti-war record (it’s not Kerry anti-war attitude but it’s the lies he used publicly to tain his fellow comrades as baby killers to achieve his objectives and victorious consequence to the communists and disatrous consequences to his comrades in arm still at the fight and South Vietnamese), like the ads will not help Bush (as if Bush funded these soldiers - god damn those stupid idiots disguised as political analysts) blah blah. Either none of them knows what the hell they are talking about or they know but try to make the masses believing in the manipulation as if they are the guiding lights. I am much more inclined to believe that they don’t know jack shit.
Regardless, the game is now open, the Demo will look for a single weakness and exaggerated it to discredit the whole things (yes, some stupid asses on Brit Hume’s show did do just that) as if one lies before then nothing he said will be credible. Just the merit of this tactic alone, showing people who subscribe to it is evil. Very evil indeed.
Lan….you hit it right on the button!!
The average American cannot understand why the majority of their veterans don’t support Kerry the “hero.” They demand to know why we are against this man of medals, a servant of the people who just happened to get involved in a few anti-war demos, who really is a nice loyal, upstanding ex-Navy officer who put his life on the line for his country while Bush stayed home.
Why do they question our intentions? Because they have been kept clueless and in the dark for over thirty years while a political machine run by the Kennedy’s brought pressure to bear on a liberal media already in their hip pocket, a political machine that has been in the forefront making sure Kerry satisfies his ambitions.
Real veterans won’t spare any mercy on this crud who personifies arrogance, egotism and grandstanding, to name a few of his better attributes. To say that he is a hero is to defame the very special company of men and women, many who gave their all, to fight on the side of right for their own and other countries.
Kerry lacks all the necessary tools to be leader of a Boy Scout troop, let alone leader of the United States and its military. He lacks fortitude, honor, humility, ethics, integrity, loyalty, sincerity and the other qualities and abilities our President and CIC needs to lead in critical times.
Kerry doesn’t deserve to even walk in the shadow of any veteran I’ve ever known.
I’m going over to SwiftVets to add my thanks and give them a boost for all their efforts.
Having volunteered for duty in Korea and having lost comrades in Vietnam, I feel like so many now, revulsion for Kerry who would trivialize the meaning of such hallowed medals to further his shallow political ambitions. He recently made a statement during his DNC Speech…”I defended my Country in Vietnam and I’m ready to defend it now”. Let’s see if we have this straight Mr. Kerry, you were in Vietnam a whopping 4 1/2 months. Are you going to “defend” our country and carry out the responsibilities of the Presidency in the same fashion as you served us in Vietnam (and for the same period of time)? The term for President in our beloved Country is a four year tour of duty and we need someone who will serve all four years with honor!
Kerry is an unscrupulous poser. That moniker can be framed on 90% of all politicians. It’s a fact that self-aggrandizement is the hallmark of a politician’s life. It has to be, for whom else will herald a politician’s coming. That said, let’s realize this one fact.
HE WENT TO VIETNAM!!!!!! Whatever his reasons he placed his life on the firing line. That shows conviction and courage. Whatever your feelings or beliefs, you can’t argue that he went there. He didn’t dodge the draft using a deferment like Clinton, or Cheney. He didn’t hide in the National Guard like Bush, or get a cushy journalist job in Saigon like Gore. He was in the combat zone. PERIOD.
Vote your conscience.
Hector….
You are obviously new to this blog and have probably visited other vet sites. Good, because if you spend a little more time going back to view some of the considerable commentary, you will note that the debate over President Bush’s Guard service is a dead issue except for those who do not have a freaking clue what they’re talking about. Guardsmen and Reservists have served honorably for as long as they’ve been around and any negative comments by you in their presence about them dodging combat or tough assignments just might get your ass deservedly kicked up around your shoulder blades.
“He went to Vietnam”…..AFTER Kerry couldn’t avoid the draft and leave the country to study in France, AFTER he used his considerable connections to get, what was originally a soft assignment on a guided missle frigate. When somebody whispered in his ear that his political future would be guaranteed if he spent some time in-country, he wrangled a swift boat assignment that would have kept him out of harm’s way except for the fact the unit mission changed a couple weeks after he arrived.
“He placed his life on the firing line”…..Don’t believe that BS. Kerry was assigned missions but, being the opportunist he was and is, freelanced and cowboy’d. He was a loose cannon who was a danger to himself and his crew, regardless what you read into his exploits.
Everything Kerry did in Vietnam and afterwards as an anti-war activist were calculated and choreographed to build a political resume. That he went to Vietnam is not an issue to the majority of veterans who also went there and served honorably; it is the lies he told and the fabrications of events put forth to enhance his image of hero. His betrayal of those who served there, the many who died, the many more who were wounded and those that were fortunate enough to return home unscathed were shamed and disgraced by his false testimony before Congress.
For a glory seeker like Kerry to promote himself as a war hero, to see him surround himself with a few veterans, the majority of whom are former war protestors is revolting to the majority of us veterans who do not support him.
Kerry will have to answer serious questions about his despicable past in the weeks and days ahead. At long last, even the media that has been supporting him from day one is now finding out the truth about Kerry and what they know isn’t what Kerry wants the American people to know.
But veterans know what Kerry is about, and yes, WE WILL vote our conscience.
Hector is the kind of man I appreciate here. He is balanced, and while I disagree with him on Bush and Cheney, he is right about Gore, right about politicians, and partially right about Kerry.
He’s also unlike the fool Attorney Thugge on an above thread, who was just an offensive pain in the ass.
I disagree with Hector about Kerry for this reason. Fewer than 20% of the men who served in Vietnam ever served in combat. It was possible to serve there with comfort and safety, as many men did, and despite the extremes of climate, it was not a bad duty station. I don’t fault these men either.
The dice rolled differently for me in 1966, but I could have earlier chosen to serve in Vietnam in ways that might have saved me from some grief. I didn’t because I wasn’t calculating my safety, and it didn’t seem quite right. You take your chances. My story isn’t special, but Kerry’s is.
By his own admission, Kerry chose a professional specialty that seemed to give him veteran’s status, but would avoid risk. As things go, he was wrong and wound up on a river boat, where his performance is questionable.
Questioning Kerry’s service gives NO ONE on this site any pleasure. NONE. He is one of us in certain ways, but every veteran knows that the military isn’t full of heroes. It’s full of scoundrels, punks, thieves, cowards and simply mediocre men. Like the rest of life.
Veterans don’t give other veterans a pass simply for that reason and NEITHER SHOULD CIVILIANS! Expect MORE of your soldiers. Soldiers can be narrow and stupid like everyone else. What we see is that Kerry is seizing the highest level of praise from the institution we know very well, where the opportunities for fraud and misrepresentation are plentiful, when his first choices and genuine performance DO NOT qualify him for it.
NO ONE knows Kerry better than we do, his rapacious ambition, his treachery, his dishonesy and fraudulent military record. It’s not his service we diminish, it is what he has done with it.
Dear Rhod:
Of all the unmitigaterd crap I’ve read on this site, your claim that “Questioning Kerry’s service gives NO ONE on this site any pleasure…”
is the largest steaming heap to date, followed closely by “NO ONE knows Kerry better than we do…”
I suggest that the men who served on his boat know Kerry better than either of his wives, much less you; unlike you, I have spoken to two of his crew-in two different VFW halls. What I would give my next disability check for is to see you tell either of them to their face that Kerry bought their support with a transfer: I’d hold their coats.
Bro:
Sorry I pissed you off again LT, but you should spend more time reading and less reacting. I think my post, the one that you chose to extract a single sentence from…and then explode, was pretty fair to Kerry’s service. I question what he did with it, and many, many others do too.
I also said nothing about buying support with a transfer, so you’re confused again. Complain about what I actually said and not what’s in your head somewhere. I’m also satisfied that you talked to TWO of Kerry’s supporters, and find that enough to convince you that Kerry is okay, but we have nothing so far, in ALL your posts, that support Kerry’s view of things. Nothing. Just a lot of anger and cricisism.
If you want to defend Kerry, defend him, but stay off the strategy of discrediting the messenger to discredit the message. Somewhere out there, we might find a valid and convincing defense of Kerry, but up to now it isn’t yours.
C3PO:
So you have spoken to his half a dozen supporters for the Swiftees. ?? which two were they?
Try reading the 264 signatures of the swift vets in their open letter to Hanoi John. The signatures are all former swifts, who served at least 12 months and didnt bug out after he gained a couple of medals.
You are right that only the Swifts know Hanoi John best, that is why they have written a book called ‘UNFIT FOR COMMAND’, All of kerrys former commanders find him UNFIT for even dog-catcher, ie a used car salesman would have more credibility than that of kerry. And to me their word is gospel.
We here know Hanoi John best when he came back and proceeded to stab every Vietnam Veteran, and all Veterans in the back. Starting with his Anti-war activities with the VVAW, half of which were NOT even Veterans, his Book, ‘ the New Soldier’, a total fabrication and lies, the testamony before the SFRC, His work with the Norht Vietnamese Communist, from meetings with them to actually endorsing them and of course his dear friend and sister Hanoi Jane Fonda.
John Kerry is no hero.