John Kerry: Unfit for Service

[daveman]

Kerry as SecDef would be a slap in the face to all the military, but most especially to Vietnam veterans, whom Kerry knowingly lied about in testimony to Congress.

WinterSoldier.com - Newly Discovered Army Reports Discredit "Winter Soldier" Claims

From March 13-16, 2008, members of the antiwar group Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) will gather in Washington, DC to "testify" against the US military at a protest event called Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan. The name "Winter Soldier" is taken from the infamous 1971 event at which members of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) related gruesome stories of crimes they claimed to have participated in or witnessed. The VVAW insisted that rape, torture and murder were standard practices for the US military in Vietnam. Organizers of the new IVAW tribunal, which is supported by several former VVAW leaders, say the 1971 conference was where "a courageous group of veterans exposed the criminal nature of the Vietnam War." In reality, it was part of a sophisticated, vicious propaganda effort designed to poison public opinion against the US military. Newly discovered records now reveal what happened when Army investigators asked VVAW activists for evidence of the hundreds of crimes they claimed to have seen.

In our book, To Set The Record Straight: How Swift Boat Veterans, POWs and the New Media Defeated John Kerry, Tim Ziegler and I trace the course of the anti-US war crimes propaganda campaign, which began in Europe with KGB-sponsored events that were organized before the first US ground troops ever arrived in Vietnam. In 1969, leaders of those conferences helped American radicals form the "Citizens Commission of Inquiry into US War Crimes in Indochina" (CCI), which set up a series of so-called investigations where US military actions in Vietnam were compared to those of Nazi Germany during World War II. The CCI soon joined forces with the VVAW, another leftist group created with financing and assistance from members of the Communist Party, USA, the Socialist Workers Party and the communist front Veterans for Peace.

The VVAW's Winter Soldier Investigation (WSI) took place in Detroit from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2, 1971. Financed primarily by pro-Hanoi actress Jane Fonda, the event's honorary national coordinator, WSI was the largest war crimes tribunal held in the US during the Vietnam War. Several of the discussion panel moderators were radical leaders who had previously met with top North Vietnamese and Vietcong representatives in Hanoi and Paris. Also present were leftist psychiatrists, psychoanalysts and clinicians, who pressured the witnesses to help end the war by publicly confessing their "crimes." Former VVAW member Steve Pitkin later recalled how the civilians went from man to man, "bombarding them; laying on the guilt." Pitkin signed an affidavit in 2004 charging that John Kerry and other VVAW leaders had coerced him into making a false statement.

WSI was the source of the allegations John Kerry presented to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in April 1971, at a hearing set up by antiwar Senators to showcase the VVAW's atrocity tales. The highly publicized appearance launched Kerry's political career and helped to create a lasting image of Vietnam veterans as drugged-out murderers too damaged to function in normal society. Justice was served in 2004 when a political movement led by some of the veterans John Kerry had defamed sank his presidential bid.

Investigating the winter soldiers

In 2005, I visited the National Archives at College Park, Maryland with Vietnam veteran and researcher John Boyle. Sifting through the limited material available, we found summary data for the WSI allegations the Army had investigated. The Army's Criminal Investigative Division (CID) had opened cases for 43 WSI "witnesses" whose claims, if true, would qualify as crimes. An additional 25 Army WSI participants had criticized the military in general terms, without sufficient substance to warrant any investigation.

The 43 WSI CID cases were eventually resolved as follows: 25 WSI participants refused to cooperate, 13 provided information but failed to support the allegations, and five could not be located. No criminal charges were filed as a result of any of the investigations. The individual CID case files, which had been available to the public beginning in 1994, were withdrawn from public access around 2003, when the National Archives realized that the documents should have been embargoed until the personal information they contained could be removed, or "redacted," as required by the Privacy Act of 1974.

Early in 2007, Boyle learned that a historian had copied the entire collection of CID war crime investigation summaries at the National Archives, including those involving the VVAW, while they were still publicly available. The historian permitted Boyle to photocopy these documents, which we have now posted at WinterSoldier.com:

Army CID Investigations of VVAW War Crimes Allegations

​

Some of you may object by saying that the military would whitewash any wrongdoing.

Not so.

The military had a very good reason to be thorough: Public relations. They would not want to give the impression that atrocities were officially sanctioned.

The Communist stooges on the left, however, had national attention, and used it. Of course, they had to resort to lies, but they have no compunction against lying.

The Winter Soldiers lied. Kerry lied.

This is undeniable.

 

[Lakhota]

Senator John Kerry is a great American patriot who had the balls to criticize U.S. atrocities in Vietnam.

 

[JoeB131]

Are there really that many Vietnam Vets left on active duty to care at this point?

I think Kerry wouldn't be a good choice, necessarily.

There is some antagonism between him and the armed forces.

But anyone who doesn't like it is more than welcome to resign their commissions.

Elections have consequences, and the GOP fucked up by not listening to sensible people that told them Romney was a horrible pick.

 

[jillian]

sweet, the swiftboat liars are still out there.

 

[daveman]

More troubling to me than Kerry's deliberate lies about his fellow servicemen was his treason.

In 1971, per his own testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kerry met with representatives from Hanoi and rubber-stamped their terms for a US surrender in Vietnam.

I have talked with both delegations at the peace talks, that is to say the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government and of all eight of Madam Binh's points it has been stated time and time again, and was stated by Senator Vance Hartke when he returned from Paris, and it has been stated by many other officials of this Government, if the United States were to set a date for withdrawal the prisoners of war would be returned.

I think this negates very clearly the argument of the President that we have to maintain a presence in Vietnam, to use as a negotiating block for the return of those prisoners. The setting of a date will accomplish that.

As to the argument concerning the danger to our troops were we to withdraw or state that we would, they have also said many times in conjunction with that statement that all of our troops, the moment we set a date, will be given safe conduct out of Vietnam. The only other important point is that we allow the South Vietnamese people to determine their own figure and that ostensibly is what we have been fighting for anyway.

I would, therefore, submit that the most expedient means of getting out of South Vietnam would be for the President of the United States to declare a cease-fire, to stop this blind commitment to a dictatorial regime, the Thieu-Ky-Khiem regime, accept a coalition regime which would represent all the political forces of the country which is in fact what a representative government is supposed to do and which is in fact what this Government here in this country purports to do, and pull the troops out without losing one more American, and still further without losing the South Vietnamese.​

At the time of the first and all subsequent meetings with representatives from Communist North Vietnam, John Kerry was a US Naval Reservist:

Early in the 2004 campaign, Kerry presented his Navy service record with a convenient gap. The year 1971 was presented as if John Kerry had no military obligation at this time. The year was important because 1971 was the time of many important VVAW protest activities. Early in 2004, the following language describing Kerry's military service appeared on Kerry's campaign website, John Kerry. By June 2004, this paragraph had been removed:

John Kerry is a Decorated Combat Veteran of the Vietnam War: Kerry volunteered for the United States Navy after college and served from 1966 through 1970 rising to the rank of Lieutenant, Jr Grade. Afterwards, Kerry continued his military service e United States Naval Reserves from 1972 though 1978.​

The year 1971 is left out of the description. This omission was desceptive.

In response to a request by Senator Kerry, the Department of the leased a letter detailing the missing period. In a letter dated , 1986, the Navy listed the following:

• 18 Feb 1966: Enlisted as an OCSA (E—2), USNR (inactive)
• 19 Aug 1966: Commenced Active Duty as an OCIU2 (E—5)
• 15 Dec 1966: Honorably Discharged as an OCIU2 to accept commission in United States Naval Reserve
• 16 Dec 1966: Accepted Commission, Ensign, United States 1 Reserve, continued active duty
• 16 Jun 1968: Date of Rank as Lieutenant (Junior Grade) (0—2), States Naval Reserve
• 1 Jan 1970: Date of Rank as Lieutenant (0—3), United States 1 Reserve
• 3 Jan 1970: Released from Active Duty, transferred to the Naval ve (inactive)
• 1 July 1972: Transferred to the Standby Reserve (inactive)
• 16 Feb 1978: Honorably Discharged from the United States I Reserve as a Lieutenant (0.3)

This record makes it clear that John Kerry was always in the Naval Reserves while he served in the military. He enlisted in the Naval Reserves and was initially inactive. He commenced his active duty in August 1966 and was commissioned as an ensign, again in the U.S. Naval Reserves, in December 1966. John Kerry enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserves, and he never left the U.S. Naval Reserves.

The letter dated January 2, 1970, releasing John Kerry from active duty and transferring him to inactive duty in the Naval Reserve stated in paragraph six:
You are advised that your release from active duty does not terminate your status as a member of the U.S. Naval Reserve. On the day following the effective date of your release from active duty as specified in paragraph 3 of this endorsement, you will assume the status of a member of the Naval Reserve on inactive duty. While on inactive duty you are subject to involuntary recall to active duty to the extent authorized by federal statute.

--

To put Kerry's antiwar activities in context, we must remember that he was a member of the Naval Reserves until July 1972, when he was placed on Standby Naval Reserve. Kerry's antiwar activities included:

Meeting with the enemy in Paris and coordinating ongoing meet*ings with various members of the VVAW, both in Paris and Hanoi, to arrange the release of American POWs to the VVAW. These meetings also provided aid and support to the North Vietnamese Communists in the form of radio broadcasts and other indoctrina*tion methods aimed at encouraging U.S. soldiers in the field to lay down their arms and desert the military.

--

Giving a press conference in Washington, D.C., in which he advo*cated a Vietnamese Communist peace proposal that would have called for a complete withdrawal of the United States military and an abandonment of the government of South Vietnam, in other words, a surrender on enemy terms, followed by the payment of war damage reparations by the United States to the Vietnamese Communists.

--

Allowing his speeches and testimony to be used by the enemy in their propaganda efforts, including but not limited to the replaying of these speeches and testimony to the American POWs being held in captivity by our enemies.
What is clear from the record is that Kerry lied or otherwise misrepresented his continued service in the Naval Reserves so as to give the impression that he was not affiliated in any way with the U.S. military when he engaged in his radical protest activities. The truth is that Kerry was still in the military when he protested against his own brothers in arms. This raises the additional concern that Kerry's antiwar activities may well have been in direct violation of the obligations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which prohibit him from making adverse charges against his chain of command or statements against his country, especially in time of war.​

So, Kerry was a Naval Reservist while he was advocating a US surrender to our nation's enemy.

What does the UCMJ have to say about that?

Uniform Code of Military Justice. ART. 104. AIDING THE ENEMY

904. ART. 104. AIDING THE ENEMY

Any person who--

(1) aids, or attempts to aid, the enemy with arms, ammunition, supplies, money, or other things; or

(2) without proper authority, knowingly harbors or [protects or gives intelligence to or communicates or corresponds with or holds any intercourse with the enemy, either directly or indirectly;

shall suffer death or such other punishment as a court-martial or military commission may direct.​

Explanations:

(1) Scope of Article 104. This article denounces offenses by all persons whether or not otherwise subject to military law. Offenders may be tried by court-martial or by military commission.​

By dealing with the enemy, even civilians not subject to military law may be tried by court-martial or military commission.

However, since Kerry was a Reservist, he was already subject to the UCMJ.

(6) Communicating with the enemy.

(a) Nature of the offense. No unauthorized communication, correspondence, or intercourse with the enemy is permissible. The intent, content, and method of the communication, correspondence, or intercourse are immaterial. No response or receipt by the enemy is required. The offense is complete the moment the communication, correspondence, or intercourse issues from the accused. The communication, correspondence, or intercourse may be conveyed directly or indirectly. A prisoner of war may violate this Article by engaging in unauthorized communications with the enemy. See also - paragraph 29c(3).

(b) Knowledge. Actual knowledge is required but may be proved by circumstantial evidence.​

Kerry knew. He testified to the Senate that he had unauthorized communication with the enemy.

No rational person, now knowing the truth, can claim that Kerry would make a good Secretary of Defense.

 

[Trajan]

Didn't Kerry claim to have been on some secret mission in Cambodia before nixon was elected to send him there?

 

[daveman]

Senator John Kerry is a great American patriot who had the balls to criticize U.S. atrocities in Vietnam.

He had the balls to lie to Congress.

He made it all up. Seriously. You CAN'T be this retarded.

 

[daveman]

Are there really that many Vietnam Vets left on active duty to care at this point?

I think Kerry wouldn't be a good choice, necessarily.

There is some antagonism between him and the armed forces.

But anyone who doesn't like it is more than welcome to resign their commissions.

Elections have consequences, and the GOP fucked up by not listening to sensible people that told them Romney was a horrible pick.

Shitting on your own military when you're CiC has consequences, too.

Obama is insanely out of touch with the military he purports to command.

 

[daveman]

sweet, the swiftboat liars are still out there.

No, Jillian, you don't get to come in here and claim these are all lies.

Prove it.

 

[Trajan]

More troubling to me than Kerry's deliberate lies about his fellow servicemen was his treason.

In 1971, per his own testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kerry met with representatives from Hanoi and rubber-stamped their terms for a US surrender in Vietnam.

I have talked with both delegations at the peace talks, that is to say the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government and of all eight of Madam Binh's points it has been stated time and time again, and was stated by Senator Vance Hartke when he returned from Paris, and it has been stated by many other officials of this Government, if the United States were to set a date for withdrawal the prisoners of war would be returned.

I think this negates very clearly the argument of the President that we have to maintain a presence in Vietnam, to use as a negotiating block for the return of those prisoners. The setting of a date will accomplish that.

As to the argument concerning the danger to our troops were we to withdraw or state that we would, they have also said many times in conjunction with that statement that all of our troops, the moment we set a date, will be given safe conduct out of Vietnam. The only other important point is that we allow the South Vietnamese people to determine their own figure and that ostensibly is what we have been fighting for anyway.

I would, therefore, submit that the most expedient means of getting out of South Vietnam would be for the President of the United States to declare a cease-fire, to stop this blind commitment to a dictatorial regime, the Thieu-Ky-Khiem regime, accept a coalition regime which would represent all the political forces of the country which is in fact what a representative government is supposed to do and which is in fact what this Government here in this country purports to do, and pull the troops out without losing one more American, and still further without losing the South Vietnamese.​

At the time of the first and all subsequent meetings with representatives from Communist North Vietnam, John Kerry was a US Naval Reservist:

Early in the 2004 campaign, Kerry presented his Navy service record with a convenient gap. The year 1971 was presented as if John Kerry had no military obligation at this time. The year was important because 1971 was the time of many important VVAW protest activities. Early in 2004, the following language describing Kerry's military service appeared on Kerry's campaign website, John Kerry. By June 2004, this paragraph had been removed:

John Kerry is a Decorated Combat Veteran of the Vietnam War: Kerry volunteered for the United States Navy after college and served from 1966 through 1970 rising to the rank of Lieutenant, Jr Grade. Afterwards, Kerry continued his military service e United States Naval Reserves from 1972 though 1978.​

The year 1971 is left out of the description. This omission was desceptive.

In response to a request by Senator Kerry, the Department of the leased a letter detailing the missing period. In a letter dated , 1986, the Navy listed the following:

• 18 Feb 1966: Enlisted as an OCSA (E—2), USNR (inactive)
• 19 Aug 1966: Commenced Active Duty as an OCIU2 (E—5)
• 15 Dec 1966: Honorably Discharged as an OCIU2 to accept commission in United States Naval Reserve
• 16 Dec 1966: Accepted Commission, Ensign, United States 1 Reserve, continued active duty
• 16 Jun 1968: Date of Rank as Lieutenant (Junior Grade) (0—2), States Naval Reserve
• 1 Jan 1970: Date of Rank as Lieutenant (0—3), United States 1 Reserve
• 3 Jan 1970: Released from Active Duty, transferred to the Naval ve (inactive)
• 1 July 1972: Transferred to the Standby Reserve (inactive)
• 16 Feb 1978: Honorably Discharged from the United States I Reserve as a Lieutenant (0.3)

This record makes it clear that John Kerry was always in the Naval Reserves while he served in the military. He enlisted in the Naval Reserves and was initially inactive. He commenced his active duty in August 1966 and was commissioned as an ensign, again in the U.S. Naval Reserves, in December 1966. John Kerry enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserves, and he never left the U.S. Naval Reserves.

The letter dated January 2, 1970, releasing John Kerry from active duty and transferring him to inactive duty in the Naval Reserve stated in paragraph six:
You are advised that your release from active duty does not terminate your status as a member of the U.S. Naval Reserve. On the day following the effective date of your release from active duty as specified in paragraph 3 of this endorsement, you will assume the status of a member of the Naval Reserve on inactive duty. While on inactive duty you are subject to involuntary recall to active duty to the extent authorized by federal statute.

--

To put Kerry's antiwar activities in context, we must remember that he was a member of the Naval Reserves until July 1972, when he was placed on Standby Naval Reserve. Kerry's antiwar activities included:

Meeting with the enemy in Paris and coordinating ongoing meet*ings with various members of the VVAW, both in Paris and Hanoi, to arrange the release of American POWs to the VVAW. These meetings also provided aid and support to the North Vietnamese Communists in the form of radio broadcasts and other indoctrina*tion methods aimed at encouraging U.S. soldiers in the field to lay down their arms and desert the military.

--

Giving a press conference in Washington, D.C., in which he advo*cated a Vietnamese Communist peace proposal that would have called for a complete withdrawal of the United States military and an abandonment of the government of South Vietnam, in other words, a surrender on enemy terms, followed by the payment of war damage reparations by the United States to the Vietnamese Communists.

--

Allowing his speeches and testimony to be used by the enemy in their propaganda efforts, including but not limited to the replaying of these speeches and testimony to the American POWs being held in captivity by our enemies.
What is clear from the record is that Kerry lied or otherwise misrepresented his continued service in the Naval Reserves so as to give the impression that he was not affiliated in any way with the U.S. military when he engaged in his radical protest activities. The truth is that Kerry was still in the military when he protested against his own brothers in arms. This raises the additional concern that Kerry's antiwar activities may well have been in direct violation of the obligations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which prohibit him from making adverse charges against his chain of command or statements against his country, especially in time of war.​

So, Kerry was a Naval Reservist while he was advocating a US surrender to our nation's enemy.

What does the UCMJ have to say about that?

Uniform Code of Military Justice. ART. 104. AIDING THE ENEMY

904. ART. 104. AIDING THE ENEMY

Any person who--

(1) aids, or attempts to aid, the enemy with arms, ammunition, supplies, money, or other things; or

(2) without proper authority, knowingly harbors or [protects or gives intelligence to or communicates or corresponds with or holds any intercourse with the enemy, either directly or indirectly;

shall suffer death or such other punishment as a court-martial or military commission may direct.​

Explanations:

(1) Scope of Article 104. This article denounces offenses by all persons whether or not otherwise subject to military law. Offenders may be tried by court-martial or by military commission.​

By dealing with the enemy, even civilians not subject to military law may be tried by court-martial or military commission.

However, since Kerry was a Reservist, he was already subject to the UCMJ.

(6) Communicating with the enemy.

(a) Nature of the offense. No unauthorized communication, correspondence, or intercourse with the enemy is permissible. The intent, content, and method of the communication, correspondence, or intercourse are immaterial. No response or receipt by the enemy is required. The offense is complete the moment the communication, correspondence, or intercourse issues from the accused. The communication, correspondence, or intercourse may be conveyed directly or indirectly. A prisoner of war may violate this Article by engaging in unauthorized communications with the enemy. See also - paragraph 29c(3).

(b) Knowledge. Actual knowledge is required but may be proved by circumstantial evidence.​

Kerry knew. He testified to the Senate that he had unauthorized communication with the enemy.

No rational person, now knowing the truth, can claim that Kerry would make a good Secretary of Defense.

But did he do it in Facebook?

 

[JoeB131]

[
Shitting on your own military when you're CiC has consequences, too.

Obama is insanely out of touch with the military he purports to command.

Really? How?

Frankly, you are less likely to be killed unnecesarily in the Obama Military than the Bush military... there's that going for you.

But it's the military's job to say, "Yes, Sir!", not to care about how they are being mistreated.

 

[Salt Jones]

Are there really that many Vietnam Vets left on active duty to care at this point?

I think Kerry wouldn't be a good choice, necessarily.

There is some antagonism between him and the armed forces.

But anyone who doesn't like it is more than welcome to resign their commissions.

Elections have consequences, and the GOP fucked up by not listening to sensible people that told them Romney was a horrible pick.

Shitting on your own military when you're CiC has consequences, too.

Obama is insanely out of touch with the military he purports to command.

If they don't like it they can get out of the military. They will be replaced with ease.

 

[Salt Jones]

[
Shitting on your own military when you're CiC has consequences, too.

Obama is insanely out of touch with the military he purports to command.

Really? How?

Frankly, you are less likely to be killed unnecesarily in the Obama Military than the Bush military... there's that going for you.

But it's the military's job to say, "Yes, Sir!", not to care about how they are being mistreated.

Kerry will be confirmed with ease, unanimously.

 

[jillian]

sweet, the swiftboat liars are still out there.

No, Jillian, you don't get to come in here and claim these are all lies.

Prove it.

you know the swiftboaters were liars. i'm not going to relitigate that.

it won't matter anyway... even if i documented all of it, you'd say the sources were no good...

 

[daveman]

Didn't Kerry claim to have been on some secret mission in Cambodia before nixon was elected to send him there?

Byron York on Cambodia & John Kerry on National Review Online

A former member of John Kerry's swift-boat crew says the Democratic presidential candidate's account of spending Christmas 1968 in Cambodia is not true. Steve Gardner, who served on board PCF-44 under Kerry's command in December 1968, as well as part of January 1969, says that at the time, in the area in which Kerry and his crew were operating, it was not possible to take a swift boat to Cambodia.

"It was physically, totally, categorically, across-the-board impossible to get into the canal that went to Cambodia with a swift boat," says Gardner. "There were concrete pilings that were put in the water...plus, the Navy kept patrol boats there to make sure nobody went in. When I was on the 44 boat, it was a physical impossibility to take a swift boat into Cambodian waters."​

 

[Trajan]

sweet, the swiftboat liars are still out there.

No, Jillian, you don't get to come in here and claim these are all lies.

Prove it.

you know the swiftboaters were liars. i'm not going to relitigate that.

it won't matter anyway... even if i documented all of it, you'd say the sources were no good...

And Kerry? Is he a lair?

 

[Lakhota]

Anyone can Google "u.s. atrocities in vietnam"...

 

[daveman]

[
Shitting on your own military when you're CiC has consequences, too.

Obama is insanely out of touch with the military he purports to command.

Really? How?

Would troops in WWII have supported Tokyo Rose being appointed Secretary of War?

Frankly, you are less likely to be killed unnecesarily in the Obama Military than the Bush military... there's that going for you.

As usual, reality says you're wrong.

U.S. Deaths in Afghanistan: Obama vs Bush

But it's the military's job to say, "Yes, Sir!", not to care about how they are being mistreated.

If you want people to do what you say, you don't kick them in the face.

 

[daveman]

Are there really that many Vietnam Vets left on active duty to care at this point?

I think Kerry wouldn't be a good choice, necessarily.

There is some antagonism between him and the armed forces.

But anyone who doesn't like it is more than welcome to resign their commissions.

Elections have consequences, and the GOP fucked up by not listening to sensible people that told them Romney was a horrible pick.

Shitting on your own military when you're CiC has consequences, too.

Obama is insanely out of touch with the military he purports to command.

If they don't like it they can get out of the military. They will be replaced with ease.

Yes, they can get out.

And Obama will forever be known as the man who took down the world's last superpower -- his own nation.

The white Sailors you led hated you. They knew you were a racist. They knew you hated them. You don't think they knew, but they did. You can't hide it.

That's not leadership. You weren't a leader.

Obama is not a leader.

 

[daveman]

sweet, the swiftboat liars are still out there.

No, Jillian, you don't get to come in here and claim these are all lies.

Prove it.

you know the swiftboaters were liars. i'm not going to relitigate that.

it won't matter anyway... even if i documented all of it, you'd say the sources were no good...

No, you stupid woman. The swiftboaters focused on Kerry's second (abbreviated) tour in Vietnam.

I'm talking about his actions afterward. And one thing you absolutely can't deny:

Kerry's own testimony to the Senate proves he committed treason.