[techweenie]

The new commercials for swiftboat vets shows women stating that Kerry condemned all soldiers in Vietnam, etc., etc.

Here's what actually happened:

-----------------------
27 Year-Old Kerry Testified Before Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senator Kerry was asked to testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the war in Vietnam. There, he made a passionate and eloquent case for ending the war, in which he said: “How can you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?” [Senate Foreign Relations Committee Testimony, 4/22/71 ]

At That Point in the War, 45,000 Americans Had Died. At the time that Kerry testified before the committee, over 45,000 American soldiers had already died in the war. [Combat Area Casualties Current File (CACCF) in the Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, National Archives And Record Administration]

Another 12,000 American Soldiers Would Die Before Wars End. Between the time Kerry testified and the war's final resolution, another 12,000 American soldiers died. [Combat Area Casualties Current File (CACCF) in the Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, National Archives And Record Administration]

Kerry, Who Had Seen Friends Die in Vietnam, Was Fighting to End a War that Was Wrong. Kerry saw combat action in Vietnam, and had seen friends die in battle. Upon returning to the States, Kerry had the courage to stand up and fight against a war that was wrong, and take that case all the way to the United States Senate. As Kerry said in his testimony, “Someone has to die so that President Nixon won't be, and these are his words, ‘the first President to lose a war.' We are asking Americans to think about that because how do you ask a man to be the last man to die in Vietnam? How do ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?”

Kerry also fought to gain recognition for Vietnam Veterans in Congress.

Kerry not only criticized the absence of leadership in the war, he also criticized the administration's abandonment of those who fought saying, “This administration has done us the ultimate dishonor. They have attempted to disown us and the sacrifice we made for this country. In their blindness and fear they have tried to deny that we are veterans or that we served in Nam . We do not need their testimony. Our own scars and stumps of limbs are witnesses enough for others and for ourselves.” KERRY GAVE POWERFUL TESTIMONY ON THE WAR, PRAISED FOR COURAGE

Kerry Stated That He Was Reporting on What Others Had Seen in Vietnam.
In his testimony, Kerry stated: “ I would like to talk, representing all those veterans, and say that 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, 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, the feelings of the men who were reliving their experiences in Vietnam , but they did. They relived the absolute horror of what this country, in a sense, made them do.” [Senate Foreign Relations Committee Testimony, 4/22/71]

Kerry's Testimony Was an Indictment of America's Political Leadership—Not Fellow Veterans.
“We are also here to ask, and we are here to ask vehemently, where are the leaders of our country? Where is the leadership? We are here to ask where are McNamara, Rostow, Bundy, Gilpatric and so many others. Where are they now that we, the men whom they sent off to war, have returned? These are commanders who have deserted their troops, and there is no more serious crime in the law of war. The Army says they never leave their wounded. The Marines say they never leave even their dead. These men have left all the casualties and retreated behind a pious shield of public rectitude. They have left the real stuff of their reputation bleaching behind them in the sun in this country.” – John Kerry [Senate Foreign Relations Committee Testimony, 4/22/71]

Kerry Believed Responsibility Did Not Lie With Veterans .
“My feeling, Senator, on Lieutenant Calley is what he did quite obviously was a horrible, horrible, horrible thing and I have no bone to pick with the fact that he was prosecuted. But I think that in this question you have to separate guilt from responsibility, and I think clearly the responsibility for what has happened there lies elsewhere. I think it lies with the men who designed free fire zones. I think it lies with the men who encourage body counts.” [Senate Foreign Relations Committee Testimony, 4/22/71]

Senators Praised Kerry for his Courage.
After his testimony, Kerry was praised by Senators of both parties on the Committee including Democratic Senators Pell and Fulbright and Republican Senators Case and Javits. [Senate Foreign Relations Committee Testimony, 4/22/71]

------------------

Pretty impressive for a 27-year-old. Wonder what GWB was doing at the same time? Since the prez has said everything he did before age 43 was a 'youghful indiscretion' we really can't examine that.