John Kerry and the rest of the Democratic Party are promoting Kerry's Vietnam "war hero" status as a major - if not the major - reason for Americans to support his candidacy for the White House.
In fact, his running mate, Sen. John Edwards, said, "To really understand John Kerry, you have to listen to those who served with him in Vietnam."
So I decided to heed Sen. Edwards' advice and found what approximately 200 of Kerry's fellow "Swifties" think of him, including Rear Admiral Roy F. Hoffman, USN (Retired). Admiral Hoffman said this of the liberal Massachusetts Senator:
"I do not believe John Kerry is fit to be commander in chief of the armed forces of the United States. This is not a political issue. It is a matter of his judgment, truthfulness, reliability, loyalty, and trust - all absolute tenets of command."
Admiral Hoffman, along with Captain Charley Plumbly, USN (ret.), Alvin A. Horne, Bill Lannom, John O'Neill, Way Symmes, William E. Franke, and about 200 of Kerry's fellow "Swifties" were signatories of an open letter to Sen. Kerry, calling for the release of his full military records, as described in the yet-to-be-released book - Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry.
This letter states, in part:
- "It is our collective judgment that, upon your return from Vietnam, you grossly and knowingly distorted the conduct of the American soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen of that war (including a betrayal of may of us, without regard for the danger you actions caused us). Further, we believe that you have withheld and/or distorted material facts as to your own conduct of the war.
"We believe you continue this conduct today, albeit by changing from an anti-war to a 'war hero' status. You now seek to clad yourself in the very medals that you disdainfully threw away in the early years of your political career. In the process, we believe you continue a deception as to your own conduct through such tactics as the disclosure of only carefully screened portions of your military records. Both then and now, we have concluded that you have deceived the public, and in the process have betrayed honorable men, to further your personal political goals.
"You conduct is such as to raise substantive concerns as to your honesty and your ability to serve, as you currently seek, as Commander-in-Chief of the military services. [...]
"Senator Kerry, we were there. We know the truth. We have been silent long enough. The stakes are too great, not only for America in general but, most importantly, for those who have followed us into service in Iraq and Afghanistan. We call upon you to provide a full, accurate accounting of your conduct in Vietnam."
Sen. Edwards, I've listened to what "those who served with him in Vietnam" think of John Kerry, and now we believe we do "really understand" him. Care to revise and extend your remarks?
Sen. Kerry, will you honor the request of your fellow Vietnam Swift Boat Veterans and release you "complete and unaltered" military records, allowing the American people to be fully informed of your military service?
