(Above: the fast, quiet, shallow-draft boats used by Mike Thornton's SEAL team and other special operators in Vietnam. They would rather swim than take a Swift boat like John Kerry's anywhere. Courtesy- LtCmdr. Michael Thornton/Medal of Honor-Republic of Vietnam)
Now the Swift Boat Vets for the Truth are kicking John Kerry’s ass on a regular basis, forcing him to admit that he was not in Cambodia on Christmas in 1968 when Lyndon Johnson, not Dick Nixon, was president.
So it wasn’t Christmas, it wasn’t Cambodia and it wasn’t Tricky Dick…. other than that, the Dems’ Liar-in-Chief nailed it.
So much for "… that memory, which is seared -- seared -- in me."
Now the spin is that Kerry was not in Cambodia 12/25/68… no, not then…BUT several other times… to drop off SEALs and spooks and spies and Martin Sheen into the searing Cambodian jungle.
"The horror… the horror." Yeah, that’s the ticket.
Here's some truth:
Spec Ops folk like SEALs don’t trust anyone outside their circle. A SEAL or a Special Forces operator on a mission needs a goofy, Ivy Leaguer FNG squid like a horse needs a bicycle.
In Nam operators had their own assets and transportation, when conditions dictated, they wore enemy uniforms or dressed like farmers, ate rice and nuoc mam; they worked with locals, "the little people"… Nungs, Montagnards, Hmongs and ethnic Chinese, they carried exotic (to the average grunt) weapons like Stoners and Swedish Ks.
The last thing pros like these needed was John Kerry and his "Little Boat That Could."
"But, but… GA, what about John Boy’s magic hat the CIA agent gave him when he was taking him up river?"
First, if Kerry ever met someone from The Company in theater, he wouldn’t know it. And if he was smart enough to suspect it, an agent would never admit…. See, kids, that’s why they call them "secret" agents.
If an agent needed to go somewhere there was a little civilian air ops company in ‘Nam called "Air America" he could call on… for chopper insertion or at least a HALO. I think the pilots were a bunch of former Air Force pilots just trying to make a living.
Basta… enough. Most Vietnam veterans have heard this "secret operation" horseshit from Kerry types for the last 35 years. Usually it comes from some civilian slug in a bar trying to impress women named "Tiffany" or "Britany." Once I had a guy actually tell me his "first of four combat tours in ‘Nam was around Hanoi."
Dime a dozen wanna-be. These people are not worth the time it would take to embarrass them in front of the girls and then choke ‘em out.
But Kerry’s a different kind of liar. Every trime he repeats his claim to have been some kind of hero it turns our collective stomachs… Kerry is an embarrassment to us all and he's gotten away with it for 35 years.... "peter principled" his way to the top of the heap.
Bringing him down is not about politics or Bush or conservatives and liberals. He’s nobody's business but ours.
Unfortunately, he’s one of us... we're dealing with him accordingly.
I don't say people "won" the MOH, but I understand why others would say it. Observe Merriam-Webster:
won:
1 a : to get possession of by effort or fortune b : to obtain by work : EARN
2 a : to gain in or as if in battle or contest b : to be the victor in
I don't get into battles over semantics like that...or at least, I like to say I don't...
Posted by: Ghostrider | August 20, 2004 at 10:40 PM
Jen-- exactly.
My buddy, the late, great "Johnny Mac" MacDonald said as much...
"Why is it that everyone I meet is a SEAL...? Who in hell was drivin' all the boats?"
RIP...
Cpl. J.P. MacDonald, USMC-Ret
1950-1996
Posted by: Gary Alexander | August 18, 2004 at 05:41 PM
Oh yes, I hate it when people and the media say he "won" the Medal of Honor, or refer to recipients as "winners." It wasn't a contest!!!
As for phonies, I've come across my share. Have you ever noticed how everyone is either a SEAL or a "Green Beret?"
Jennifer sends
Posted by: Jennifer Martinez | August 18, 2004 at 05:18 PM
Yes, Jennifer, as LeatherneckM31 can tell you far better than I, no one "wins" a MOH. That implies an award/commendation that is actively sought. I'm quite confident that the surviving RECIPIENTS (to a man) will emphatically tell anyone who will listen that they did not seek out the circumstances that led to the action(s) for which Congress awarded the Medal. No man in his right mind would. Bar room warriors usually reveal their folly in a hurry. You happened to meet one of many that are out there. Shame on every last one of them.
Posted by: Hap Arnold | August 17, 2004 at 10:48 PM
A combat tour in Hanoi, LOL...
I once met a fool who told me, "I was a green beret in the 1st Cav and won four Medals of Honor."
Jennifer sends
Posted by: Jennifer Martinez | August 17, 2004 at 07:32 AM