Kevin D. Korenthal, August 10, 2004

Even if you tried to stay out of the political fray this week, it was hard to miss the political debate on the issue of John Kerry's service in Vietnam, and how that record relates to his ability to fill the office of the President of The United States of America.

A group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans For Truth has produced a commercial which makes the claim that not only was John Kerry not heroic during his 4 short months in Vietnam but, in fact, he was a below average soldier. Among other claims, it is suggested that at least one of the three Purple Hearts John Kerry won was not earned legitimately. The circumstances surrounding a Bronze Star that he received for allegedly plucking a fellow crewmate from the water, while under enemy fire, is also contested in the ad.

I don't know which Vietnam vets are telling the truth. Is it the ones being paid by the Kerry Campaign that say he is a hero? Or the ones that somehow came together in agreement that Kerry was anything but a hero? I, for one, don't see how the answer to this question really matters. John Kerry's military service is not nearly as important as what he did after he left the military.

In case you have been living under a rock or only watching the alphabet networks for news let me tell you what the record says about John Kerry:

After returning from Vietnam, John Kerry proceeded to disgrace the very soldiers he had fought alongside. The Viet Cong used the anti-American rhetoric from Kerry and others to break the will of the POWs they held captive. Even John McCain, who now calls for the end of any dialogue on Vietnam, says Kerry's words were used to crush the spirit of the already much abused prisoners of war. McCain may not want to talk about Vietnam and the President has refused to also, but John Kerry is not running on his 20-year career in US politics. He speaks as though the only relevant part of his life was the 4 months he spent in Vietnam. Why do you suppose Kerry is so hesitant to run on his own record? Why is it that we still have not heard any new, groundbreaking ideas on how Kerry will make America safer and provide a job to every single American w/out banning free trade?

I think the most recent example showing that John Kerry does not have a single clue about what it means to be Commander In Chief was this week, when he attacked President Bush for not reacting quickly enough once he got word of the 9/11 attacks, during a visit to an elementary school in Sarasota, Florida. This is especially ridiculous considering that we know, from Kerry's own words, that after WTC was hit, Kerry sat in a daze for 40 minutes.

Copyright © 2004 Kevin D. Korenthal