Veterans Charge Kerry Ignores Important Questions
February 26, 2004
by Thomas D. Segel
mensnewsdaily.com
Those who write commentary can always see the impact of their words by responses they get from readers. In writing about Senator John F. Kerry's Vietnam War Exploits and the questions surrounding that service, more questions than answers were generated from veterans. They covered a wide range of issues, but had one common thread. They are all questions, which have been repeatedly asked and have always been ignored by the Democrat candidate for president. They are also important questions that are never asked by the mainstream media.
Retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel William C. Curtis of Mission, Texas served his country for thirty-two years as both an enlisted man and an officer. He says, "Since Senator Kerry and his staff have made his wartime service an issue, I think it should be examined. For many veterans, if it is just said that he was a "hero" and was awarded medals for valor, they might very well vote for him based on those "facts". I think our country deserves to be assured what the "facts" really are."
The colonel believes we should do our own digging and dig hard. He feels we should not accept statements just because they are offered up as truths. He suggests we should talk to members of Kerry's boat crew and hear from the officer or officers who signed off on his award recommendations. We should also hear from the commander who allowed Kerry to leave Vietnam after only four months of combat service.
Another Texas Marine, retired Sergeant Major Bill Steigerwald of Harlingen echoes some of what Lieutenant Colonel Curtis is saying, "I believe an interview with those who served with Kerry during the period he was cited for his awards is necessary. How did he earn them? What did he really do to earn them? What are the details on the kind of wounds? From what were the wounds received? There are sure to be witnesses out there who know him and know what he did."
Gary Linderer was a Ranger Sergeant in Vietnam He also served with the 101st Airborne Division. He to feels Kerry has failed to answer most of the questions posed by veterans. He says, "The Democrats have asked to see and have been provided President Bush's military records. Is Senator Kerry willing to produce the same? Also, were any of his boat crew decorated for valor during the four months he was in command? Finally, will Senator Kerry make a public apology for the claims he made of atrocities being committed on a daily basis all over South Vietnam?"
Joann Odd is a military wife in Ninilchik, Alaska. She says there have been so many conflicting reports about Kerry's Purple Hearts and other medals that she is confused. "Some say it was customary for guys in that particular outfit to write up their own commendations and that his "wounds" were trivial. Surely, some of those he served with are still around to verify the facts?" She asks.
Donald T. Miller was a Lieutenant in the First Air Cavalry, serving in Vietnam during the same period as John Kerry. He is most interested in learning how Kerry earned a "chest full of medals" in such a short period of time. Says Miller, "My impression of Mr. Kerry's persona is quite different from this ongoing public "hero" portrayal. The Vietnam vernacular of "medalchaser" aligns most closely with my mind's eye view Many young junior officers went to Vietnam years ago to make their name, advance their careers, get fast track promotions, build up their medal inventory, work on making their mark, and become "heroes". Many pursued these goals at all costs to the ultimate peril of themselves and their men. Many of them possessed the same arrogant, haughty demeanor exhibited by Senator Kerry. One order of additional scrutiny please".
Veterans who are still enraged about Kerry's anti-war activities also abound.
"Does he ever intend to apologize to the veterans he has maligned?" Asks Frank Biscay an Air Force veteran and Treasurer of the American Legion Post in Island Park New York
Another New York Army veteran, Mike Leonardos of Endicott asks, "What the hell was he thinking when he broke faith with his brothers and sided with Jane Fonda and her horrible acts of Treason?"
Retired Colonel Tom Hobbs of the Marine Military Academy asks, "Senator Kerry, do you believe any of your numerous anti-war activities could have compromised the health and well being of fellow servicemen serving in Vietnam?"
Ronald V. Regan, Sr. is an Army and National Guard retiree and host of television shows "Combat Veterans" and "Veterans Forum" in Leesburg, Florida. He has one very tough question to John Kerry, "How can you sleep at night knowing that you have caused the deaths of many U.S. Servicemen and betrayed all of the Vietnam era POWs?"
Army Captain David P. Walker of Smartville, California says he and virtually all of his "bonafide" Vietnam combat veteran peers are very much concerned over the developing situation with what they call "The New JFK". Among the many questions he poses are, Why did he cast away his awards and decorations, thus publicly displaying his total disrespect for their meaning, only now to have them proudly mounted on his office wall?"
He also asks "Why did he recruit non-veterans, meaning ZERO military service, to provide eyewitness testimony to war atrocities? And why does he now deny working closely, willingly and enthusiastically to provide aid and comfort to the enemies of this country?"
Paul Galanti was a Naval Aviator and Scotty Morgan flew for the Air Force. Both ended up as POWs in the infamous "Hanoi Hilton". Their stories of brutal torture by North Vietnamese guards include reports of showing the POWs movies, newspapers and magazines made by American anti-war activists, including such people as Jane Fonda, Tom Hayden, Joan Baez and others. Their captors told them that the Vietnamese knew they could not beat the United States on the battlefield, but that the anti-war activists would cause the Americans to end the conflict.
Galanti, who later became active in Senator John McCain's presidential campaign, stated, "during torture sessions they cited anti-war speeches as an example of why we should cross over to their side." He further said he, "learned of Kerry's l971 testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee while being tortured by his guards." In his account he also said, "Kerry accused U. S. soldiers of routinely committing rapes, beheadings, mutilations and all manner of atrocities against the Vietnamese people."
These are the statements made by veterans that have never been addressed by John Kerry and these are some of the many questions they have asked which he has ignored and never even attempted to answer. If there is anyone who has the right to some straightforward, honest answers it is the American Veteran.
Thomas D. Segel
Thomas D. Segel is a twice wounded, former combat correspondent who saw enemy action during the Korean War and two tours of duty in Vietnam. He retired from the Marine Corps as a Master Gunnery Sergeant after 26 years of service. His next assignment was as Director of Information and adjunct faculty member of the Marine Military Academy. He then completed a new career and recently retired from service with the State of Texas, where he was Director, Division of Information, Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Rio Grande State Center. He holds the Thomas Jefferson Award for Journalistic Excellence, The Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association Distinguished Performance Award and six Armed Forces Writers Association Distinguished Achievement Awards. Segel has authored four books, including "Men in Space" which received the honor of being placed on both the National High School and National Junior High School Library Lists. He currently writes for several on line publications, national magazines and newspapers. His writings are distributed nationally to more than 1,300 publications by the Paragon Foundation News Service. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Texas Pan American and earned his masters degree at Vanderbilt University. He is a past national president of the United States Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association. Segel resides with his wife, Pattie, in Harlingen, Texas.
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