2004 Soap Box Archives

Real Issue 08/30/04

I never served in uniform and would never take it upon myself to
criticize someone who did, John Kerry notwithstanding. Mr. Kerry’s service is being questioned by the men who served with him. And they have a perfect right, maybe even a duty to do that. I don’t feel that I do.

But as an American citizen I certainly have the right to question his actions as a civilian who came back from the Vietnam war and saw the tide turning and decided to make political hay out of the opportunity, without ever taking into consideration the men who were still fighting the war and most especially the ones who were in cruel Vietnam prisons enduring torture and deprivation unparralled in modern times.

One such prisoner was a man named Paul Gallanti. Mr. Gallanti was a prisoner of the North Vietnamese for five years. He lived in, or subsisted in, a seven-foot by seven-foot room with a concrete bed. He was tortured and mistreated and told that he would never get back to the United States because he was a war criminal.

Every morning at 5 am and every evening at 9 pm he and his fellow prisoners were forced to listen to a recording of John Kerry’s testimony before the United States Senate in which
he accused the American military at large of rape, mutilization
and torture of the Vietnamese people, thereby reinforcing the
war criminal stance of his captors.

Mr. Gallanti credits John Kerry with being one of the driving forces which motivated radical hippies to spit on servicemen returning from Vietnam.

I cannot understand how Mr. Kerry can act so proud of his military service these days, when thirty years ago or so he condemned the U.S. military for a bunch of wanton thugs who raped and murdered at will without conscience or remorse.

I have no doubt that there were some atrocities in Vietnam, most of them committed by the Viet Cong against their own people, but I’m sure there were also some committed by Americans. It happens in every war.

But to take a few isolated incidents and make a statement indicting every person who served in Vietnam is not only a horrible untruth but a disservice to everyone who has ever worn the uniform.

The vast majority of the men who fought in the Vietnam war were and are decent human beings who would never dream of doing the things John Kerry accused them of doing.

Mr. Kerry was either personally involved in such incidents, which constitutes a war crime, or poorly informed, and how he found out so much while only spending only four months in country is beyond me.

This man wants to be Commander and Chief of a military he once betrayed.

Our Vietnam Vets have had to put up with more than a human being should be expected to endure.

How about an apology Mr. Kerry?

Pray for our troops.

What do you think?

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels

 

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