To my recollection John Kerry was one of a number of ex service men who gave evidence of different incidents which occurred.
He witnessed one incident in a free fire zone when his own boat fired on civilians. Otherwise he could not testify to witnessing any of these events as he was not in S. Vietnam, he was on a boat. He testified to secondhand reports from other soldiers to the Senate and he was the only one representing his group that did that. He wrote a book accusing the soldiers of atrocious acts that he himself did not witness.
No matter what his supporters want to believe, it was testimony such as his that made it popular to hate the troops and was the reason they were spat upon, kicked and beaten by "peaceful Hippies" upon their return. He can, in his guilt, contribute to funds for psychological help for Vietnam Vets, but he cannot take away the fact that he helped to build the hatred that contributed to their need for that psychiatric treatment.
He witnessed one incident in a free fire zone when his own boat fired on civilians. Otherwise he could not testify to witnessing any of these events as he was not in S. Vietnam, he was on a boat. He testified to secondhand reports from other soldiers to the Senate and he was the only one representing his group that did that. He wrote a book accusing the soldiers of atrocious acts that he himself did not witness.
No matter what his supporters want to believe, it was testimony such as his that made it popular to hate the troops and was the reason they were spat upon, kicked and beaten by "peaceful Hippies" upon their return. He can, in his guilt, contribute to funds for psychological help for Vietnam Vets, but he cannot take away the fact that he helped to build the hatred that contributed to their need for that psychiatric treatment.
