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 Greetings! You are reading an article from The Mudville Gazette. To reach the front page, with all the latest news and views, click the logo above or "main" below. Thanks for stopping by! February 22, 2004 Veterans Sound off on KerryBy GreyhawkThe number of veterans speaking out against John Kerry continues to grow. FrontPage Magazine reproduces this post from a Marine chat net authored by a retired Marine Master Sergeant. It repeats a lot of my recent questions, and sums up a growing number of veteran's thoughts on JFK's illustrious military career. It's full of great quotes, too. "...hardly in Vietnam long enough to get good tan" is among my favorites. (Think what he'd have earned in a full tour!) This guy missed the angle of Kerry abandoning his command, but we know that one already. Those who insist on using the "ancient history" clause to ignore Kerry's record should skip forward to the second to last paragraph. (We'll talk later.) I was in the Delta shortly after John Kerry left. I know that area well. I know the operations he was involved in well. I know the tactics and the doctrine used, and I know the equipment. Although I was attached to CTF-116 (PBRs) I spent a fair amount of time with CTF-115 (swift boats), Kerry's command. Veterans are deeply divided; while many respect the President, others can't stand John Kerry. Posted by Greyhawk / February 22, 2004 2:43 AM | Permalink 3 TrackBacksThe Imperial Animatrix is rapidly becoming the Anti-Kerry Brigade commander. The Commissar does to Saddam's letter with ridicule what I did with anger. Ridicule works better, methinks. Suzie does what I'm doing - for similar reasons. Of course the Empe... Read More Hat tip to Kim DuToit - The Mudville Gazette has a great article on John Kerry and his service in Vietnam. Here we have a JFK wannabe (the guy Halsey wanted to court martial for carelessly losing his boat and... Read More Wonderful stuff. I too am amazed at how many medals Kerry won in his short time in Vietnam. That's the real left-wing conspiracy. I'm going to ask my father-in-law about this one.... Read More 19 Comments |
November 26, 2010America@war [Greyhawk]
I think anyone who's ever pondered the "comment" option - once only available on blogs and bulletin boards, now ubiquitous on almost any web site - will appreciate this:
The so-called faculty of writing is not so much a faculty of writing as it is a faculty of thinking. When a man says, "I have an idea but I can't express it"; that man hasn't an idea but merely a vague feeling. If a man has a feeling of that kind, and will sit down for a half an hour and persistently try to put into writing what he feels, the probabilities are at least 90 percent that he will either be able to record it, or else realize that he has no idea at all. In either case, he will do himself a benefit. That's wisdom from the past, captured for posterity at the US Naval Institute, shared via the web on the institute's 137th anniversary. From their about page:
"The Naval Institute has three core activities," among them, History and Preservation: The Naval Institute also has recently introduced Americans at War, a living history of Americans at war in their own words and from their own experiences. These 90-second vignettes convey powerful stories of inspiration, pride, and patriotism. Take a look at the collection, and you'll see it's not limited to accounts from those who served on ships at sea, members of the other branches are well-represented. I'm fortunate to have met USNI's Mary Ripley, she's responsible for the institute's oral history program (and she's the daughter of the late John Ripley, whose story is told here). She also deserves much credit for their blog. ("We're not the Navy nor any government agency. Blog and comment freely.") We met at a milblog conference - Mary knew (and I would come to realize) that milbloggers are the 21st-century version of exactly what the US Naval Institute is all about. Once that light bulb came on in my head, I mentioned a vague idea for a project to her - milblogs as the 21st century oral history that they are. "Put that in writing," she said (of course - see first paragraph above!) - and here's part of the result. Shortly after the first tent was pitched by the American military in Iraq a wire was connected to a computer therein, and the internet was available to a generation of Americans at war - many of whom had grown up online. From that point on, at any given moment, somewhere in Iraq a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine was at a keyboard sharing the events of his or her day with the folks back home. While most would simply fire off an email, others took advantage of the (then) relatively new online blogging platforms to post their thoughts and experiences for the entire world to see. The milblog was born - and from that moment to this stories detailing everything from the most mundane aspects of camp life to intense combat action (often described within hours of the event) have been available on the web... And et cetera - but since you're reading this on a milblog, you probably knew that. And you know that milblogs aren't just blogs written by troops at war, that many friends, family members, and supporters likewise documented their story of America at war online in near-real time, as those stories developed. The diversity in membership of that group is broad, the one thing we all have in common is the impulse to make sense of the seemingly senseless, and communicate the tale - for each of us that impulse was strong enough to overcome whatever barriers prevent the vast majority of people from doing the same. Everyone at some point has some vague idea they believe should be shared - we were the people who, from some combination of internal and external urging, found and spent those many half hours persistently trying to write it down. But where will all that be in another 137 years? Or five or ten, for that matter. That's something I've asked myself since at least 2004 - when I wrote this:
Membership in the ghost battalion has grown in the years since, and an ever growing majority of those abandoned-but-still-standing sites are vanishing. Have you checked out Lt Smash's site lately? How about Sgt Hook's? If you're a long-time milblog reader you know the first widely-read milblog from Operation Iraq Freedom and the first widely-read milblog from Afghanistan are both gone from the web. If you're a relative newcomer to this world you may never even have heard of them - or the dozens upon dozens of others who carried forth the standard they set down. If you have a vague notion that something should be done about that, (a notion I've heard expressed more than once...) then you and I and the good folks at the US Naval Institute are in agreement. Preserving the history documented by the milbloggers is just one of the goals of the milblog project, the once-vague idea that we're now making real. And it's a big idea, if I say so myself - too big to explain in one simple blog post, so stand by for more. Likewise, it's too big a task to be accomplished by just one person. So if you're a milblogger (and exactly what is a milblogger? is a topic for much further discussion on its own) I'm asking for your help. All I'll really need is just a little bit (maybe just one or two of those half hours...) of your time, and your willingness to tell the tale. We've already made history, it's time to save it. (More to follow...) Posted 4:02 PM | Permalink |
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The Mudville Gazette is the on-line voice of an American warrior and his wife who stands by him. They prefer to see peaceful change render force of arms unnecessary. Until that day they stand fast with those who struggle for freedom, strike for reason, and pray for a better tomorrow.
 
 
 Furthermore, I will occasionally use satire or parody herein. The bottom line: it's my house. I like having visitors to my house. I hope you are entertained. I fight for your right to free speech, and am thrilled when you exercise said rights here. Comments and e-mails are welcome, but all such communication is to be assumed to be 1)the original work of any who initiate said communication and 2)the property of the Mudville Gazette, with free use granted thereto for publication in electronic or written form. If you do NOT wish to have your message posted, write "CONFIDENTIAL" in the subject line of your email. Original content copyright © 2003 - 2011 by Greyhawk. Fair, not-for-profit use of said material by others is encouraged, as long as acknowledgement and credit is given, to include the url of the original source post. Other arrangements can be made as needed. Contact: greyhawk at mudvillegazette dot com  Tending Distant Far from hearth and home, watching What tales we'll tell When things grim Some distant sunset, vision fading Saluting fallen friends whose names - Greyhawk, Baghdad, December 2004 |
"Veterans are deeply divided; while many respect the President, others can't stand John Kerry". Greyhawk, my hat's off to you. You've got a knack for knifing right through the BS and getting to the heart of the issue.
That Marine Sergeant sounds like he knows what he's talking about.
Kerry doesn't.
Kerry has absolutely no visible positions other than to raise taxes, makes no sense whatsoever in his useless sound bites, and has a record that would choke anyone who can read.
If this is the best the donks have, he'll only bring them shame as long as they continue to run him.
Um...it was standard navy policy to offer sailors wounded three times the option of rotating back home.
Kerry took said offer.
For this, he's a bad guy?
Yes, considering the wussy and probably fraudulent manner in which he obtained the PH's, and the fact that he is now gloating over his spineless "achievements," Kerry is not only a bad guy, he brings shame on all those who are truly heros fighting for liberty then and now.
"Kerry has absolutely no visible positions other than to raise taxes, makes no sense whatsoever in his useless sound bites, and has a record that would choke anyone who can read."
One other visible position is his promise to give the United Nations veto power over our national security. And that is more than enough to warrant his defeat.
Have you heard about the crap Kerry was spewing (apparently addressing Congress back just after he left Vietnam) calling military personnel "monsters?"
Laura Ingraham was playing the soundbite earlier tonight on her show...
ERG! Yet one more reason I will NOT be voting for the JFK wannabe!
Kerry has no business being President.
But before you totally write off his war record, validate the claims made in this post.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/kerry/service.asp
It makes me wonder who was pulling strings for him in high places.
Anyone with a day in the military can take down the Snopes piece.
We'll be doing so one bit at a time here in Mudville starting tomorrow.
this original post is nothing but hey, this sounds fishy, and this probably happened. there is no solid fact in the post other than the medals Kerry received. and at least he didn't wimp out in the national guard.
Have you ever gotten a veteran from Vietnam to talk about his experiences "in country." What I mean by that is, have them describe their experiences about/in combat? I've talked with many who were there, and to a man, none would expand much past the phrases one hears: it was hell, I did my time, etc. Never has any one of these men who served their country well, elaborated much past that. None were officers. All were "grunts." (sorry if that isn't a term used by all services, but I am at a loss for an all inclusive term) To a man, they would not talk about what they experienced, except for the occasional comment like, " I wouldn't have minded being there, except for the three speeding tickets I got,": that from a truck driver who hauled ammo all the time. So, I find it peculiar that here is a man running for President who can't respond to any question asked of him no matter what the subject, that isn't preceeded by his reference to having served there. I can full understand why so many veterans can't stand the man. And a good reason not to vote for him.
timmy, perhaps you could like to elaborate further on your comment about "wimping out" in the National Guard. If you'd like, you can read about the First Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, Florida Army National Guard here:
http://iraqnow.blogspot.com/
1/124th is returning from Iraq after a year of duty. As a matter of fact, there are thousands of Reservists and Guardsmen in Iraq and Afghanistan right now, who are, as you put it, "wimping out".
So, please, elaborate away.
if the best snopes can do is cite the Boston Globe (owned by those same folks who also bring you the New York Times) 'puff piece' on Kerry, then I have no further use for snopes and their much-vaunted 'research'
No doubt Kerry earned his 3 Purple Hearts, albeit for minor injuries that hardly cost him any missed days. As for his Silver & Bronze Star medals, he was (apparently) legitimately written up for them, even if the actions he participated in pale in comparison to those of others who received far less recognition for their efforts.
The point is, even if he *was* a bonafide war hero, he blew it all when he returned home and joined the VVAW (Vietnam Veterans Against the War). Associating with Jane Fonda, throwing away his medals to make a "statement," bastardizing the Iwo Jima flag-raising on the cover of a liberal magazine (complete with upside down U.S. flag)... the list goes on and on.
It's not his war record but his post-war record I have a problem with.
And yes, I serve in the military so I can comment!
When were Marines in the Delta??? Humeston, Sgt, 2016927, Echo 2/4 , The Magnificent Bastards. June 65- December 66. I Corps
Semper Fi
I tried to keep an open mind and read the book by Douglas Brinkley-Tour of Duty -John Kerry and the Vietnam War. On the first page of the prologue Kerry asked "the Foreign Relations Committee and beyond them to the nation at large:'How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake'?" I guess we were trained a little differently in the Marine Corps. Number one, there is a first and last man to die in any conflict, however unfortunate it may seem. Second, Kerry was a Lieutenant (j.g) probably one of the most dangerous (to himself and others) uninformed ranks in any military service. Third, and most importantly, any one's individual's opinion on anything is just that. Wars, battles, missions differ so greatly based on enemy situation, your position, your training and that of your men, etc. It is okay to state, write books, and give you experiences to all. But don't tell me that is what went on over the length of the war, all over the country, by all servicemen. I flew in Huey gunships in Phu Bai and never got south of Chu Lai, An Hoa or Hoi An,so I would never say what we experienced was countrywide. In short, I feel the Mr. Kerry pissed down my back and told me it was raining. Bottom line is that he was protesting while we still had servicemen left behind, still fighting or missing in action. Mr. Kerry still doesn't get it.
John Kerry should be run out of this country. His wife is a disgrace to the American working man. I would not give them the time of day. They are a direct source of lies and harm to this nation.
John Burton
May God Save Us
68-69 Vietnam