rhino 0 #1 June 4, 2004 Soldier's Letter to Kerry Dear Senator Kerry: Since it has become clear that you will probably be the Democratic nominee for President, I have spent a great deal of time researching your war record and your record as a professional politician. The reason is simple, you aspire to be the Commander in Chief who would lead my sons and their fellow soldiers in time of war. I simply wanted to know if you possess the necessary qualifications to be trusted in that respect. You see, I belong to a family of proud U.S. veterans. I was a Captain in the Army Reserve, my father was a decorated Lieutenant in World War II; and I have four sons who have either served, or are currently serving in the military. The oldest is an Army Lieutenant still on active duty in Afghanistan after already being honored for his service in Iraq. The youngest is an E-4 with the military police. His National Guard unit just finished their second tour of active duty, including six months in Guantanamo Bay. My two other sons have served in the national guard and the navy. In looking at your record I found myself comparing it not only to that of my father and my sons, but to the people they served with. My father served with the 87th Chemical Mortar Battalion in Europe. They landed on Utah Beach and fought for 317 straight days including the Cherbourg Peninsula, Aachen, the Hurtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge You earned a Silver Star in Vietnam for chasing down and finishing off a wounded and retreating enemy soldier. My father won a Bronze Star for single handedly charging and knocking out a German machine gun nest that had his men pinned down. You received three purple hearts for what appears to be three minor scratches. In fact you only missed a combined total of two days of duty for these wounds. The men of my father's unit, the 87th, had to be admonished by their commanding officer because: "It has been brought to our attention that some men are covering up wounds and refusing medical attention for fear of being evacuated and permanently separated from this organization..." It was also a common problem for seriously wounded soldiers to go AWOL from hospitals in order to rejoin their units. You used your three purple hearts to leave Vietnam early . My oldest boy came home from Iraq with numerous commendations and then proceeded to volunteer to go to Afghanistan and from there back to Iraq again. My sons and father have never had anything but the highest regard and respect for their fellow soldiers. Yet, you came home to publicly charge your fellow fighting men with being war criminals and to urge their defeat by the enemy. You even wrote a book that had a cover which mocked the heroism of the U.S. Marines who raised the flag on Iwo Jima Our current crop of soldiers has a philosophy that no one gets left behind; and they have practiced that from Somalia to the battlefields of the Middle East . Yet as chairman of a Senate committee looking into allegations that many of your fellow servicemen had been left behind as prisoners in Vietnam, you chose to defend the brutal Vietnamese regime. You even went so far as to refer to the families of the POWs and MIAs as Professional malcontents, conspiracy mongers, con artists, and dime-store Rambos. As a Senator you voted against the 1991 Gulf War, and have repeatedly voted against funds to supply our troops with the best equipment, and against money to improve our intelligence capability . I find this particularly ironic since as a Presidential candidate you are highly critical of our pre-war intelligence in Iraq. However, you did vote to authorize the President to go to war, but have since proceeded to do everything you can to undermine the efforts of our government and our troops to win . Is this what our fighting men and women can expect of you if you are their Commander in Chief? Will you gladly send them to war, only to then aid the enemy by undermining the morale of our troops and cutting off the weapons they need to win? Our country is at war Senator, and as has been the case in every war since the American Revolution, a member of my family is serving their country during the war. Now you want me to trust you to lead my sons in this fight. Sorry Senator, but when I compare your record to those who have fought and died for this nation, and are currently fighting and dying, the answer is not just no, but Hell No ! Sincerely, Michael Connelly February 14, 2004 Dallas, Texas Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 26 #2 June 4, 2004 Snopes-- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuckbrown 0 #3 June 4, 2004 As much as I dislike Kerry, his Vietnam record is a big non-issue. The fact of the matter is he went and exposed himself to hostile fire and the possibility of getting killed or seriously wounded in a tremendously unpopular and divisive war. People tend to forget how Vietnam almost tore this country apart. Kerry's direct combat experiences certainly eclipse every US presidential candidate's since Teddy Roosevelt. Eisenhower never got shot at and JFK couldn't see a destroyer in the middle of the ocean. I think Kerry's a twit, but not because of his war record. Edited cuz my gremmar sux. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrunkMonkey 0 #4 June 4, 2004 QuoteAs much as I dislike Kerry, his Vietnam record is a big non-issue. The fact of the matter is he went and exposed himself to hostile fire and the possibility of getting killed or seriously wounded in a tremendously unpopular and divisive war... Eisenhower never got shot at and JFK couldn't see a destroyer in the middle of the ocean. And GWB was an AWOL weekend warrior who justified skipping Vietnam by spending $1m in UPT costs, flying a couple of sorties over the "Dangerous Skies over Dallas-Ft Worth" and then deciding that the ANG was too inconvinient with some stupidass campaign in Alabama. He's (GWB) unfit to be CinC. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crozby 0 #5 June 4, 2004 What is this obsession that US military types have with the President's war record anyway? Do all the US firefighters think its really important that the next President has a convincing record at putting out fires and getting cats out of trees? What the fuck has the activities of a squaddie 20 years ago got to do with running a country? Rhino, you're military or ex-military, what position within your govenment does that qualify you to do? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #6 June 4, 2004 "Rhino, you're military or ex-military, what position within your govenment does that qualify you to do?" Cultural attache to Iraq.-------------------- He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhillyKev 0 #7 June 4, 2004 QuoteDo all the US firefighters think its really important that the next President has a convincing record at putting out fires and getting cats out of trees? No, but the US firefighters think he shouldn't have a record of cutting their funding causing the closing of numerous fire houses that would be first responders in case of terrorist attack. That's why the New York City Fire Department has endorsed Kerry. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuckbrown 0 #8 June 4, 2004 Without getting into a debate about who is or isn't fit to be CinC. Both the right and the left seize on a candidate's military record, i.e., combat service, as a litmus test for their suitability to command the armed services. This ignores the fundamental position of the Consitution which is that a CIVILIAN is to be in charge of the military. This is a separate issue from being an Officer in Charge of a military unit. Obviously we want someone of experience to lead troops into battle, i.e., react cooly, calmy and professionally when being shot at. Those same traits are not necessarily required of a President, whose job is to make political decisions regarding the use of force as a matter of national policy. Clinton dodged the draft, but I don't blame for that. I blame him for not giving our troops in Somolia armored vehicles. But on the other hand he did bomb the shit out of Saddam and tried to save the situation in the Balkans. I'll give him some credit. Bush I had an enviable combat record, but he was a pussy in dealing with Saddam the first time around. Reagan had no combat record, but I think did an admirable job of leading the rebuilding of our armed forces and winning the Cold War. Carter was an officer on a combat vessel (submarine) but pussed out in Iran. Ford had non-combat experience and did the best he could give the times. Nixon the same. He got us out of Vietnam with some semblance of dignity (Christmas Bombings and mining Haiphong). He was a supply officer in the USN during WWII. LBJ won the Silver Star in WWII but he fucked up beyond belief with the use of military force. JFK too was a decorated combat veteran, but he too fucked up with the use of force, e.g., Bay of Pigs, Vietnam, Laos. So my point is combat experience doesn't mean you're fit to lead the nation's armed forces. Find some other reason to hate GWB, and I'll find another reason to hate Kerry. The war record doesn't cut it. Nor should it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,150 #9 June 4, 2004 Dear President Bush. You lied to Congress and the American People. You have taken us to war under false pretenses. You have mismanaged that war beyond belief. You have ignored the Constitution. You promised us a small and short lived deficit but have given us a record deficit with no end in sight. You gave lip service to veterans but cut the budget for veterans' care You gave lip service to education but severely underfunded the education initative. You promised no nation building but are engaged in a nation building effort that will cost every American man, woman and child over $1,000 You have lost us the good will of our traditional allies. You deliberately withheld information from Congress about the cost of your Medicare proposal. I could continue but for the sake of brevity will simply stop here. Sincerely... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuckbrown 0 #10 June 4, 2004 You could have at least warned us a hijacking was about to happen. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pajarito 0 #11 June 4, 2004 QuoteYou could have at least warned us a hijacking was about to happen. Just let it blow over. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crozby 0 #12 June 4, 2004 You've got to admire his stamina though - he's like a Duracell Bunny! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhillyKev 0 #13 June 4, 2004 QuoteYou've got to admire his stamina though - he's like a Duracell Bunny! Don't give him to much credit. It's not hard hitting a target that big. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,150 #14 June 5, 2004 QuoteYou could have at least warned us a hijacking was about to happen. Just emphasizing that anyone can write a letter and put it on the internet. Posting someone else's letter on the internet indicates a complete lack of creativity.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,150 #15 June 5, 2004 QuoteYou've got to admire his stamina though - he's like a Duracell Bunny! Telling the truth doesn't take much effort.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GravityGirl 0 #16 June 5, 2004 Okay. Now compare that to President Bushs Military Record. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rhino 0 #17 June 5, 2004 QuotePosting someone else's letter on the internet indicates a complete lack of creativity. Opinions are like assholes.. Everyone has one.. I tend to agree with the letters bottom line. Kerry is a puke... Rhino Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ron 10 #18 June 5, 2004 QuoteKerry's direct combat experiences certainly eclipse every US presidential candidate's since Teddy Roosevelt Bush Sr was shot down in the pacific...."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuckbrown 0 #19 June 7, 2004 I'm taking nothing away from Sr.'s war record. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
