VFW and Veteran's Groups Links

[volosong]

For those wishing to defend and define Kerry's military record for veteran's groups, here are some links:


US Veteran Organization Directory (including state break-down)

http://www.vetfriends.com/organizations/index.cfm


State VFW e-mails:

http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=news.levelc&cid=1641&tok=1


Iraq Vets Against the War [e-mail]


Would also suggest sending them a transcript of Kerry's FRC 1971 testimony so they can read the truth of his statements instead of the Republican garbage:

John Kerry, testifying on April 22, 1971: "Several months ago, in Detroit, we had an investigation at which over 150 honorably discharged, and many very highly decorated, veterans testified to war crimes committed in Southeast Asia. These were not isolated incidents, but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis, with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command. It is impossible to describe to you exactly what did happen in Detroit--the emotions in the room, and the feelings of the men who were reliving their experiences in Vietnam. They relived the absolute horror of what this country, in a sense, made them do.

They told stories that, at times, they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Ghengis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam, in addition to the normal ravage of war and the normal and very particular ravaging which is done by the applied bombing power of this country."



AMERICA SHOULD APOLOGIZE TO VIETNAM VETS

Triple amputee and Vietnam hero Max Cleland sat in his wheelchair in the broiling hot Texas sun waiting for George W. Bush to do this right thing. In his hand was a letter signed by 9 US Senators, all war heroes, entreating the President to specifically ask the swift (sieve) boat vets to cease their campaign of lies and character assassination.

This was no “stunt,” but an valid appeal against an unprecedented campaign of political poison and smoke designed to distract the American people from the real issues. George W. Bush hid, as he always has, whether from military duty in Vietnam or from discussing his record of a dismal economy, environmental desecration, social unrest, and of course IraqNam.

A transcript of Kerry’s 1971 testimony proves that the attack ads are totally misleading: Kerry relates only hearsay recollections; he blames the nature of war and the country and not the soldiers for any atrocities; he decries search and destroy tactics and free fire zones; and he opposes continuation of an unwinnable and morally questionable war...Conclusions later adopted by a majority of Americans.

If there had been more people with John Kerry’s insight and courage, there would be fewer names on the Vietnam Wall. And if attempting to staunch the needless hemorrhage of American blood is “treason,” then cowardice and hypocrisy are virtues and genocide is charity.

Tragically, many Vietnam veterans were treated despicably after returning from Vietnam. Those shameful events rather than John Kerry are the likely cause of their pain. America and not John Kerry owes them an apology. In view of President Bush’s record on veteran’s affairs, any veteran supporting anyone other than John Kerry is sustaining a "self-inflicted wound."