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Edited on Sun Aug-22-04 06:06 PM by Moonbeam_Starlight
Been thinking about this a lot lately. My grandfather served in the Army Air Corps during WWII and flew B-24 bombing missions over North Africa. He came home and raised his two daughters, had a successful career, a happy life, and six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren before he passed away two years ago at the age of 80.
He was decorated several times but refused to talk about his medals. He saw it as "bragging" and he was too humble for that.
He used to tell me "veterans don't ever tear down other veterans....we stick together."
His words struck me this morning as I was thinking about this whole slimy swift boat business.
They FELT Kerry was tearing them down when he testified about the atrocities that went on during Vietnam. But he was trying to make sure no service member ever had to DO things like that again. He blamed the GOVERNMENT that asked young men and women to do such things. But they didn't understand that and lashed out.
Nowdays, they still nurse a grudge. And how do they address it? To do the very same thing to him that they PERCEIVED he did to them.
Can they not see through the fog of their emotions enough to understand what Kerry was trying to accomplish back then? To HELP his fellow service member? To call foul on the government for PUTTING them in such positions? I'm 33 years old, hardly remember the Vietnam war, but I have read the transcript of his remarks before the Senate committee and I have watched most of it and I understood EXACTLY what he was saying and trying to do.
My veteran husband understands it, too. My Vietnam veteran father in law (three tours) understands what he was doing in 1971, too. He understood it even then.
So what is the problem with these guys? I know some of it is definitely politically motivated but I think it is inaccurate to think it is ALL about politics.
They didn't get it then. And they still don't seem to get it now.
Kerry never tore down a fellow veteran. But the SBVs are now. For that, they are beneath contempt.
And my poor grandfather, spinning in his grave....
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