This Soldier's Story by John Kerry

[JI7]

This Soldier's Story
By JOHN KERRY

Published: March 1, 2004

"Nineteen-sixty-eight was a year unlike any other I have known. I was 24 years old, a newly minted naval officer in a convoy headed for the Gulf of Tonkin.

I remember lazy moments standing watch on the U.S.S. Gridley — out on the fantail, the fo'c'sle, anywhere, looking at the sea, enjoying glorious sunsets and sunrises on the bridge.

Then, on the afternoon of Feb. 26, having left Midway Island, the reality of Vietnam hit me right between the eyes. Gridley's executive officer came to me and asked if I had a friend named Pershing — and I knew immediately why he was asking.

I fought to restrain an empty crying. I didn't even have to read the telegram; I knew that Dick Pershing, my childhood and college friend, was dead. For days on the empty Pacific I could barely stand the knowledge that I would never see him again. It was the loss of someone irreplaceable, a loss of innocence, a loss of the sense of invincibility and bravado that young men have as they go to war.

Soon after, off Vietnam, we learned that Senator Eugene McCarthy and a band of college students living on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches had rocked the foundations of the political world in the New Hampshire primary, sending the message to President Lyndon Johnson that he couldn't be president any more. Weeks later we heard of the death of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated while campaigning for justice in America. We knew that cities across the country had exploded in riots and much of Washington itself was in flames. There was war all around us and war at home."

please, read the rest by clicking bottom link :

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/01/opinion/01KERR.html

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

2. Softer than the TANG???

I doubt it mister.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JI7]

4. there has been an increase in freepers here

i think as the election moves away from the primary with democrats running against each other, and towards democrats running against bush, more freepers have shown up and will continue to.

[MoonRiver]

17. I agree.

I hope the adm. keeps on top of this. It could get out of control really fast. Freeps will take advantage of any opening to spread their vile ideology.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[WillyBrandt]

5. His second tour was four months long.

His first was was much longer in fact. Nice performance, though.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Johnyawl]

6. Three Purple Hearts earned him his trip home.

That worked the same way for everybody.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RummyTheDummy]

12. Nor are you.

Anyway, civility would be lost on your ilk anyway. Just ask Max Cleland.

On edit: Karl Rove just called. He wants his talking points back.

[JI7]

13. that's about right

[eileen_d]

14. You know what's cool?

Alerting on posts and then posting "Mod Alerted." That is totally awesome.

Oh, BTW... :kick: for Kerry

[Johnyawl]

15. You know what's even cooler?

He alerted the mods, and he's the one that got tombstoned!

I've seen stupid disruptors before, but that one takes the cake!

Another :kick: for Kerry

[JI7]

16. we will be seeing more of them

as we get closer to the general election.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

18. Can't get much cooler than that!

well... other than John Kerry as President! :)