Wow....
I thought I would pull out a transcript of a Meet the Press interview I referenced earlier. This is from April 18, 2004.
MR. RUSSERT: Before we take a break, I want to talk about Vietnam. You are a decorated war hero of Vietnam, prominently used in your advertising. You first appeared on MEET THE PRESS back in 1971, your first appearance. I want to roll what you told the country then and come back and talk about it:
(Videotape, MEET THE PRESS, April 18, 1971):
MR. KERRY (Vietnam Veterans Against the War): There are all kinds of atrocities and I would have to say that, yes, yes, I committed the same kind of atrocities as thousands of other soldiers have committed in that I took part in shootings in free-fire zones. I conducted harassment and interdiction fire. I used 50-caliber machine guns which we were granted and ordered to use, which were our only weapon against people. I took part in search-and-destroy missions, in the burning of villages. All of this is contrary to the laws of warfare. All of this is contrary to the Geneva Conventions and all of this ordered as a matter of written established policy by the government of the United States from the top down. And I believe that the men who designed these, the men who designed the free-fire zone, the men who ordered us, the men who signed off the air raid strike areas, I think these men, by the letter of the law, the same letter of the law that tried Lieutenant Calley, are war criminals.
(End videotape)
MR. RUSSERT: You committed atrocities.
SEN. KERRY: Where did all that dark hair go, Tim? {grins}
That's a big question for me. You know, I thought a lot, for a long time, about that period of time, the things we said, and I think the word is a bad word. I think it's an inappropriate word. I mean, if you wanted to ask me have you ever made mistakes in your life, sure. I think some of the language that I used was a language that reflected an anger. It was honest, but it was in anger, it was a little bit excessive.
MR. RUSSERT: You used the word "war criminals."
SEN. KERRY: Well, let me just finish. Let me must finish. It was, I think, a reflection of the kind of times we found ourselves in and I don't like it when I hear it today. I don't like it, but I want you to notice that at the end, I wasn't talking about the soldiers and the soldiers' blame, and my great regret is, I hope no soldier--I mean, I think some soldiers were angry at me for that, and I understand that and I regret that, because I love them. But the words were honest but on the other hand, they were a little bit over the top. And I think that there were breaches of the Geneva Conventions. There were policies in place that were not acceptable according to the laws of warfare, and everybody knows that. I mean, books have chronicled that, so I'm not going to walk away from that. But I wish I had found a way to say it in a less abrasive way.
MR. RUSSERT: But, Senator, when you testified before the Senate, you talked about some of the hearings you had observed at the winter soldiers meeting and you said that people had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and on and on. A lot of those stories have been discredited, and in hindsight was your testimony...
SEN. KERRY: Actually, a lot of them have been documented.
MR. RUSSERT: So you stand by that?
SEN. KERRY: A lot of those stories have been documented. Have some been discredited? Sure, they have, Tim. The problem is that's not where the focus should have been. And, you know, when you're angry about something and you're young, you know, you're perfectly capable of not--I mean, if I had the kind of experience and time behind me that I have today, I'd have framed some of that differently. Needless to say, I'm proud that I stood up. I don't want anybody to think twice about it. I'm proud that I took the position that I took to oppose it. I think we saved lives, and I'm proud that I stood up at a time when it was important to stand up, but I'm not going to quibble, you know, 35 years later that I might not have phrased things more artfully at times.
Don't you think this man regrets what he said back then?
Here's a man who was part of the first generation of warriors who achieved a 90% firing rate in combat. From WWII to Korea to Vietnam, the increase in warrior firing efficiency was nothing short of phenominal (20% to 50% to 90%). But at the same time, these warriors took a fast plane ride home - without debriefing - to a country that showed disdain for the war and the warriors who participated in it. As I said earlier, everything that could have been done wrong for them was done wrong.
Should we be surprised at the anger expressed in 1971? Do you see how costly that was to him in 2004, and the changed perspective on it all?
Don't those who know and like this man wish he had come back to a more understanding public who could have let him express himself without holding him for what he said at the moment?
Contrast that with John Kerry and Tim Russert on February 1, 2005.
Appearing on the NBC television news program “Meet the Press,” Kerry was shown a videotape of his fellow Massachusetts senator, Edward Kennedy, calling for a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, beginning with the immediate removal of at least 12,000.
“Do you agree with Senator Kennedy that 12,000 American troops should leave at once?” asked NBC’s Tim Russert.
“No,” replied Kerry.
“Do you believe there should be a specific timetable of withdrawal of American troops?” Russert continued.
“No,” Kerry repeated.
Wow!
Mike wrote:Anyway, I couldn't wait to hear his story as I know he was very "gung ho" when he left. He told me all the same kind of war stories that come out of every war I'm sure. For example, his having to kill Iraqis who were sleeping in a house without warning because they were afraid of who might be hiding under one of the blankets. Or, the killing by his own two hands of a family or five with a bazooka because they wouldn't leave their house. This included three children. There is more, but I'm sure you all get the picture.
I feel real bad for him because he tells me that he, or any of his company, get a good night sleeps anymore, even as they are back home. The nightmares, he's told, could be with him for a long time. But, once again, contrary to the popular belief that some people may have others believe, he tells me that most of the people he works with do their job there because it is their job, but they don't have any "doubt that this is a war about President Bush and his oil buddies. These people just want to be left alone for the most part."
Now do you see why I would listen to this returning veteran and not hold him to what he says at the moment?
Yes, war *****! Let's give our returning soldiers all the love and support they need, and give them time to sort it all out. Maybe some day one of these vets won't be haunted by that past, but instead rise from it like a phoenix and achieve greatness.
- Bill
