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Why Did John Kerry Go To Vietnam?
By Matt Margolis | August 9, 2004
John Kerry never ceases to remind us of his service in Vietnam… he even likes to highlight that he “volunteered” to go, as we can see on his website:
As he was about to graduate from Yale, John Kerry volunteered to serve in Vietnam - because, as he later said, “it was the right thing to do.” He believed that because he had had a lot of privileges in life - for example, attending a great university like Yale - he had a responsibility to give something back to his country.
Fellow RNC credentialed blogger, Scott of Slant Point has brought my attention to a Kerry quote from 1986 in the Boston Globe, discussing his “volunteering” to serve:
“I didn’t really want to get involved in the war,” Kerry said in a little-noticed contribution to a book of Vietnam reminiscences published in 1986. “When I signed up for the swift boats, they had very little to do with the war. They were engaged in coastal patrolling and that’s what I thought I was going to be doing.”
So here we have presidential candidate Kerry saying “he had a responsibility to give something back to his country,” and freshmen senator Kerry saying “I didn’t really want to get involved in the war.” Interesting contrast isn’t it?
So which do you think is the more genuine sentiment?
Topics: John Kerry Watch |
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August 9th, 2004 at 2:56 pm
does giving back the country necessarily mean have to get involved in the actual fighting? perhaps, kerry, like most people, had reservations about the fighting…yet, he wanted to be involved…i don’t see the contradiction.
August 9th, 2004 at 3:53 pm
QT, I have to disagree…as a former soldier, no matter what your job in the armed forces, you can be called on to pick up arms at any moment. Whether you are shooting the gun or handing the bullets to someone else who shoots the gun, you are still morally culpable. That really does not wash. Volunteering for the military but not wanting to get involved if a war happens is disingenuous at best and down right deceitful at worst. You always have the option if you are already in the military and disagree with a certain war or action to file as a conscientious objector to that particular action (for instance a formar Iraqi national may understandable not want to be pout in the situation of having to fire on a relative or former neighbor, etc). But in this case he volunteered for what he thought was a softball assignment so he couls list it on his resume without having to actual come under fire….That is deceitful.
August 9th, 2004 at 3:56 pm
and he did do that. he’s just saying that it was not his original intention…
August 9th, 2004 at 4:23 pm
Yeah I hear ya….just makes me nevous about him.
August 9th, 2004 at 4:24 pm
Damn…NERVOUS…I have severe typing issues today!
August 9th, 2004 at 5:35 pm
the point here is that Kerry is giving a completely different impression about his “desire” to serve… today he makes it out like he felt like it was his duty, as if he was running to the head of the line to sign up.. but he is on the record as saying that he essentially knew he HAD to go, so he signed up in order to get assigned somewhere where he thought he’d not have to be too involved… it’s a CLEAR difference.
August 9th, 2004 at 5:37 pm
i think i missed the part where he HAD to go. can you let me know where that is? it sounds to me like he volunteered.
August 9th, 2004 at 5:42 pm
he is quoted in a harvard crimson article where he says he tried to get a draft deferrment but failed, so he enlisted to try and get as “good” assignment he could get.
August 10th, 2004 at 8:38 am
A better question is why didn’t Bush go to Vietnam.
August 10th, 2004 at 11:31 am
Jack O, the answer is he joined the National Guard and flew jets. His unit was not deployed to Vietnam, so he didn’t go. You don’t just go where you want in the military…you get deployed.
August 10th, 2004 at 11:35 am
Ed, the answer is that Bush sought and received preferential treatment and got into a unit where there was no chance of him seeing combat. If the Shrubber really wanted to fight, as he claimed, he could have simply joined the army and volunteered, but he didn’t do that now, did he? Oh, he did claim in his book that he volunteered to Vietnam but his papers clearly show that he checked the box “do not volunteer.” So Bush was and remains a coward.
August 10th, 2004 at 1:01 pm
Can anyone confirm or deny Kerry only signed up after learning his draft board was not going to allow him to skip out on a year of the war so he could study in Paris?
I’d appreciate an email on it.
August 10th, 2004 at 1:13 pm
Can anyone confirm of deny if Bush used cocaine and thereby damaged more brain cells?
August 11th, 2004 at 9:01 am
Well, I guess I should have expected such childish idiotic remarks. JackO, Bush is not running on his service record. He has never made it a campaign issue nor has he said he is qualified to be Commander in Chief only because of being in the military. Bush has made statements about his service time only after Kerry’s campaign backed by George Souros went after him and started making fraudulant claims that he was AWOL, yadda, yadda. EVERY ONE of those claims were proved false. That is why you don’t see them talking about it anymore. So get off it.
Kerry has made his military service the center piece of his campaign, he even opend the DNC speech with “Reporting for duty!” He has HAD to do this because his anti-military record since Vietnam is legendary. He is the one who has opened this can of worms and now gets offended that anyone would dare question him about it.
Nigel - if you can’t contribute anything…STFU. Bush admitted his cocaine use in the 70’s it was all hashed and rehashed in the 2000 election. If that is the best you’ve got, don’t bother.
August 11th, 2004 at 1:53 pm
Ed, You need to take your head out of your ass, man. Bush has never come clean on drugs. All he has done is given evasive answers. If you are the best the Bush side has, you are going to lose this election big time. So Go F..yourself, in the words of our illustrious.
By the way, it is Soros, not Souros, you really do need to read more.
August 11th, 2004 at 10:52 pm
Look - a persons ENTIRE history is important. I knew some guys in the Marine Corps who I would not trust with a dollar. BUT, I also knew that I wanted them next to me when the bullets went flying by (ever heard a bullet go right by your head?).
So, for example: A great patriot and military leader who led troops in combat and suffered much - who? Benedict Arnold. Hero? Or traitor? Did Kerry’s trips to meet the North Vietnamese in Paris help them? They thought so and gave him a medal. Did his persistent lies (not the purple heart crap) about what he did and saw and where he was hurt our troops in the field and undermine (unjustly) their support? ABSOLUTLY - and THAT is the issue. Just like Arnold, he forfeited his hero status with actions he took later. Not a full blown traitor like general Arnold. But damn close.
August 12th, 2004 at 10:42 am
I agree that a person’s entire history is relevant. So why do you guys always squeal when we go after Bush’s drug use, alcohol abuse, Business failures, SEC violations, criminal arrest record, cowardice in the Vietnam era, failure to complete his guard service and his general lack of significant achievents in his life until the age of 40?
August 12th, 2004 at 7:48 pm
Jack Off Lantern -
1. Yale BA
2. Harvard MBA (please don’t say his father bought it - Teddy Kennedys father could not keep HIM in Harvard after he was caught cheating.)
3. Business failures? Like Trummans or Grants? The resiliency to keep trying is important also.
4. Fighter pilot - Not easy. Money COULD get you in the guard back then - but it could NOT land your plane.
5. And getting over his issues with substances - a fight I had to make also is good. Fuck You on this point - OK? Since when do liberals advocate discriminating against recovered alcoholic or drug addict (which I would say he is not anyways) Please - don’t be so full of hypocracy.
And, since you make no counter to my point about Kerry - we’ll just read that as given that you agree with me that he is almost as bad as Benedict Arnold, has consistently lied about his background, and will say anything to gain power. Thing is - you hate Bush so much you are willing to overlook these failings. But thanks for agreeing with me that Kerry is almost a traitor. Also that while Bush’s sins are in his past Kerry lies every day. Thanks.
August 12th, 2004 at 8:06 pm
About the degrees, big deal, he was a Yale Skull and Bones legacy. There was no question of him not getting in and staying there . Business failures, yes indeed. Arbusto–dry hole. Harvard, again, not that hard for the children of wealth and privilege to get into. It might be impressive if it appeared that Bush actually learned something, but he clearly didn’t . Remember, this Harvard MBA didn’t know that Social Security was a government program.
Figther pilot? I am not impressed. It was still a way for him to duck real service in Nam and it is highly questionable as to whether he even served as claimed.
Substance abuse, you can go screw yourself, druggie. Bush may well have conquered his demons, and that’s well and good, but that doesn’t mean it makes him qualified to be president. Put down the crackpipe, Kahnie.
Finally, I vehemently disagree with you about Kerry. He is a real man who has fought for his country, unlike Bush, who remains a coward. Every time this country needed him, Bush ran and hid. First, in the guard, then on 9/11, when he ran around the country like a chicken with his head cut off.
August 12th, 2004 at 8:53 pm
jack off- Maybe you misunderstand - I smoked a lot of pot and drank a lot before I joined the Marine Corps and fought. FUCK YOU. Diversion and Derision is the typical liberal response when a conservative makes a point you can’t deal with. It is a well established tactic. Too bad you are too stupid to think something up yourself - like actually dealing with John Kerry’s faults.
So, Yale and Harvard are easy? Your degrees were when? Teddy Kennedy got kicked out of Harvard - did you register that - asshole? Ever fly a fighter plane? I’ll bet NOT. And, He ended up making millions after all didn’t he? Governor of Texas - only one last century to be re-elected - and with the endorsement of the lead Democrats.
John Kerry Lied about Cambodia. Injured himself for two of his purple hearts. Re-applied for one after it was rejected (waited for a new CO who was not familiar with his record), consistently lied on reports, burned a village by himself for no apparent reason. Lied about Cambodia on the senate floor (said Nixon sent him there? In 1968? Read a history book!) Lied about witnessing attrocities (though he claims HE did them - maybe he did - why is no-one asking). He has consistently voted against the military and intelligence and tried to limit their funds at EVERY turn. So - despite your hatred for Bush. Kerry is an asshole - and so are you. And, by the way - I don’t drink now (been 32 years) run into me sometime and I’ll kick your cocksucking liberal face - OK?
August 13th, 2004 at 12:06 pm
Kahnie, Go shove a 2X4 up your ass!You are typical of the poorly educated, small brained cretins that support Bush on the blogospher. Typical of your kind, when you can’t rebut intelligently, which is always, you resort to childish ad hominem (you can look this up) attacks. A few things:
Ted Kennedy graduated from Harvard. He was suspended but allowed to return. So it supports my contention that sons of privlege have little trouble in the Ivies. Since you have clearly never even graduated from high school, given your atrocious use of the English language, you wouldn’t know about academia. Pehaps if you hadn’t damaged your brain with illegal drugs, you would be able to obtain a G.E.D. and realize the error of your ways.
So Bush flew a fighter plane? Big Deal. It is NOT an intellectual pursuit by any means. Bush scored very low on the aptitude test and didn’t even complete his duty. All it requires is training.
August 13th, 2004 at 12:08 pm
Kahn, If I ever do run into an old, haggard, dry drunk, white trash, uneducated loser scumbag like you and you so much as raise a finger against me, I will smash your fucking head open and piss on your brain.
August 13th, 2004 at 4:36 pm
The attacks on Kerry are part of the same Karl Rove smear tactics used on John McCain and Max Cleland. If you believe the attacks on Kerry you also believe that John McCain is a mentally deranged traitor, that Mrs. McCain is a drug addict, that their adopted daughter from Bangledesh is really a bastard Mulatto from McCain’s adulterous affair with a Black whore, and that Max Cleland is part of an evil terrorist triumverate consisting of Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, and Max Cleland.
As long as Kerry’s patriotism is questioned, he will continue to tout his war record. As long as he is called “Hanoi John” he will bring out the Band of Brothers. As long as Kerry is called a pacifist, Bush will be called out on choosing to go into a Daddy-appointed position of the Champagne Brigade in the Air National Guard, flying planes that were no longer being used in combat.
My question is: If I pretend to live in that same fantasy world that Ed, Kahn, Matt, Cannon, Radical Redneck and just about every other Bush Supporter lives in where Bush has a forty-point lead in the polls; why does the Bush Campaign need to spend tens of millions telling us how horrible Kerry is?
August 13th, 2004 at 5:06 pm
The Swift Boat nonsense is dispelled by the principle known as Occam’s Razor. In other words, the most simple explanation is usually the most correct. In order to believe Kerry’s version, it’s quite simple. It’s backed by military reports, his crew and the entire Navy itself. If you have believe the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, you have to believe in a giant conspiracy. First, there had to have been a conspiracy between Kerry, his crew and the Navy higher ups to concoct heroic stories, process the paper work and load it with glowing recommendations for Kerry for the medals and for the Navy brass to award them and to remain silent for 30 years. You also have to imagine a conspriacy between Kerry and his crew to keep the lie up now, even after the Swifites released their book. Also in the conspiracy is Senator John McCain, who has denounced both the group and the ads and at the same time is actively campaiging for Bush, the man most likely to benefit from the ads. That isn’t a very simple explanation and thus fails under Occam’s Razor.
August 13th, 2004 at 10:22 pm
Matt, I would say that a more important question is why didn’t Bush serve in Vietnam, and why didn’t he even finish the safe stateside duty that obtained through illegal means. Another question is, why aren’t you in Iraq. Don’t you believe in liberating the Iraqi people, or are you just another member of the 101st Keyboard Brigade, 7th Barcalounger Battalion?
August 15th, 2004 at 12:22 am
Jack off - I have a BBA (GPA 3.96 Magna Cum Laude)and run my own business. Got out of the Marine Corps and continue to keep fit and shoot competitvely. Have three great kids - two are Eagle Scouts, the third will get his soon. Have a nice house, great wife. I actually have a pretty good life. I could really kick your ass - and more if necessary so you really don’t want to go there. And if I ever felt you were actually threatening me and my family… well I’ve defended myself before. Oh, and don’t bother to dispute my degree and all - we both know its unproveable in this forum. What is interesting is your assumption that if I’m against your guy John I must be uneducated - what arrogance! Meanwhile, I’m assuming from your inane rants, arrogance, and lack of argument skills that you are currently a university student. let me know if i missed that one OK?
Meanwhile, thanks for falling into the mutual insult routine. I will grant you about Kennedy getting back in. What about letting that poor girl drown while he tried to figure out how to cover his ass (are you going to defend everything every dem leader has ever done)? Just because conservatives dislike Kerry does not mean that we are wrong on some of these points. You cite Navy reports - who wrote them? John Kerry wrote them. His original request for a purple heart was rejected by his commanding officer. He waited a few weeks till he had a new one. Then, he resubmitted his falsified request. His Bonze and Silver Stars - I don’t dispute them. Though others who served with him do. I can’t really say what happened. I do think its interesting that you so blindly support him while ignoring what appears to be real questions.
Oh - and as to flying a fighter. Bush’s unit was transitioning away from the obsolete jet he was trained on. With a few months left, it didn’t make sense to start a school to learn the new ones knowing he would be out of the service before starting. AND, Kerry also got out early (not just from Viet Nam). He got out to run for the House in mass.
August 16th, 2004 at 8:53 am
Kahn, Give it up. You do NOT have a college degree and I doubt you have a high school one, either. The reason that I know you are uneducated is not because you are a Bush suppporter. There are plenty of educated Bush supports. Your language reveals that you are not one of them. First, you can’t even spell simple words and common names (E.G. “Truman” has only one “n” in it), plus when challenged factually, all you do is namecall and use profanity and make crude sexual remarks. These are not hallmarks of an intelligent, well educated person.
August 16th, 2004 at 9:02 am
Kahn, If you want to debate issues, fine, it was YOU who began the namecalling and the treats of violence, not me. It is also you who uses very juvenile lines of argument such as attributing positions to me that I do not take (I.e. implying I support Kennedy’s handling of Chappaquiddick. I don’t).
Here are some FACTS for you that you don’t seem to have answers for.
Yes, I cited Navy reports and NO Kerry did NOT write them. IF you actually served in the military, you would know that the wounded don’t fill out their own Purple Heart recommendations, so Kerry didn’t write them. So one of your basic reasons for doubting Kerry is based on a false premise. Some of the reports are written by some of the Swift Boat Veterans who are now claiming that Kerry is “unfit for command”, even though they wrote glowing recommendations for him at the time. At least Kerry is consistent with his story. The SBVs are not. Also, John McCain, a Republican who is actively campaigning for Bush backs Kerry over the SBVs. You can’t call that partisan politics.
August 16th, 2004 at 9:05 am
Kahn, If you want to debate issues, fine, it was YOU who began the namecalling and the treats of violence, not me. It is also you who uses very juvenile lines of argument such as attributing positions to me that I do not take (I.e. implying I support Kennedy’s handling of Chappaquiddick. I don’t).
Here are some FACTS for you that you don’t seem to have answers for.
Yes, I cited Navy reports and NO Kerry did NOT write them. IF you actually served in the military, you would know that the wounded don’t fill out their own Purple Heart recommendations, so Kerry didn’t write them. So one of your basic reasons for doubting Kerry is based on a false premise. Some of the reports are written by some of the Swift Boat Veterans who are now claiming that Kerry is “unfit for command”, even though they wrote glowing recommendations for him at the time. At least Kerry is consistent with his story. The SBVs are not. Also, John McCain, a Republican who is actively campaigning for Bush backs Kerry over the SBVs. You can’t call that partisan politics. As for blind support of a candidate, I think it is you who are guilty of that. You dismiss totally legitimate PROVEN facts that reflect negatively on Bush (alcohol abuse, business failures, criminal arrests, SEC violations, lies) and attack Kerry insteand with unfounded allegations. You typify what is wrong with today’s conseravtives. They are willing to believe anything negative about their opponents, if if it is unproven and unprovable but overlook negatitve facts about Bush and then childishly attack anyone who dares to mention them.
August 16th, 2004 at 5:13 pm
Does the GOP really want to go there Vietnam? I mean Bush and Cheney didn’t want to go there 35 years ago, yet have no problem exhorting young men and women to untimely deaths. Cheney I find the most repulsive, though Bush is pretty bad on the subject as well. This is fairly typical of the GOP cycle of hypocrisy. When Clinton ran in 92, anything he did from a teenager on was fair game. Then when Bush ran in 2000, what he did as an adult, like his arrest for DUI, was a “low blow”, now they are back to 35 year old issues. Please don’t bother saying Kerry brought this upon himself by campaigning on his record. A candidate certainly invites scrutiny to anything he campaigns on but he doesn’t invite lies, as these Swift Boat Scumbags are clearly lying.
August 18th, 2004 at 11:16 pm
Khan you never explained how John McCain is a mentally deranged traitor, or how Mrs McCain is a drug addict, or that their adopted daughter from Bangledesh is really a bastard Mulatto daughter from an adulterous affair with a Black whore. You never explained why Max Cleland is part of that terrorist triumverate of OBL, Saddam, and Max Cleland. You have nothing to back you up except “Bush said it, so it must be true.” So why should I accept the slander of Kerry by guys who didn’t serve with him?
August 19th, 2004 at 1:57 pm
Jay - thank you for your eloquent post. The Republicans will stoop as low as necessary to distort the truth. Poor John McCain - still stumping for his party even though they smeared him four years ago.
August 21st, 2004 at 3:49 am
Sooo…
Kahn…
Not that I really intend to get into what, to me, seems to be a rather [i]stupid [/i]argument for anyone who actually served any period of time in the military…
Can you tell me what all medals or awards you put yourself in for? Can you tell me about how they let you write your own performance reviews?
My guess is no… Because [i]you know[/i], assuming you were in the military, that does not happen.
Oh, man, I can just imagine myself recommending myself for a medal! Haha! I would have been laughed out of the room and probably ended up with a kick in the ass, if I got anything… And a whack on my Performance Report to boot!
Listen, man. What these folks are saying is that the military just gives medals away. They’re saying that the military lets people just write crap to fill spaces and make everyone look good.
They’re saying that there’s no credible evidence that [i]you[/i] earned jack, bub…
Assuming you really did military time, are you really gonna let those filthy pigs imply that about you???
Think about it…
You know better, don’t you???
August 21st, 2004 at 3:50 am
Interesting that this election has brought out the worst in folks. (Both sides) In my opinion, GW is not the greatest President we’ve seen by a longshot. I also think JFK is no better than a Michael Dukakis or other Massachusetts liberal. (The 2nd worst kind- California being 1st) So there it is, 2 candidates, neither one is impressive. How is it that in a country of 300 million or so, that it comes down to these two? (Y2K was no better) I think what this country needs is a viable third or even fourth party. No, the Green Party doesn’t count. For the record, I served in the US Army from 1990-1996. I am college edumicated (BA- Psychology), and I consider myself an independent, although this election I will probably check the square near Bush’s name. And if it makes anyone feel better I’ve never voted for a winner! : ) Where are you Ross Perot? hahaha… I am doing this because in my opinion GW will take better care of out military and make sure they get what they need. This is assuming we will be in Iraq for many years (and I think we have to be now). I also am concerned with Kerry allowing the UN to dictate our military policies. Something I am strongly against. Just thought I’d jump in and give my .02. I think this will be a close election, the worse the candidates, the closer it is.
September 16th, 2004 at 7:34 pm
One thing I think that noone is looking at. George W. Bush’s draft number if I have read the records correctly was 327 which ment that He would not have been drafted sine they were only taking up to 195. So the question is why would He fight so hard to get into the national guard to avoid the draft if He wasn’t going to get drafted in the first place?
October 2nd, 2004 at 8:00 pm
Presidential canidate John “Flip flop” Kerry is a discrace to this country. HASENT ANYONE ELSE NOTICED THAT HE SHOT HIMSELF!!! Anyways, don’t you liberals notice that President Bush is fighting this war so we don’t have to go through another 9/11? Do you people want another one of those days? Bush is looking out for us. If John Kerry wins this election, he’s going to bring our troops back and we will be in danger of another attack! And also for you left wingers, Kerry voted for the Iragi war in 2003. He also voted against the Gulf War and that was a coalition that he claims were missing now.
October 3rd, 2004 at 11:09 am
People say President Bush looks like a monkey? LOOKIT KERRY!!!! He looks like Lurch! Us Republicans don’t go to violence and all this other nonsence to put you people down! We tell you the truth! JOHN KERRY IS A FREAKIN’ MORON THAT FLIP FLOPS HIS THOUGHTS. HE WAS FOR THE WAR NOT TOO LONG AGO, AND NOW HES AGAINST IT? You Kerry supporters are crazy, why don’t you just look at his background and tell me who he really is? Can American really trust John Kerry?
And also, I went to New York City To rally against those anti-Bush idiots and their freakin crazy! Most of them are still in the sixties and don’t know what the hell is going on. They stoop so low as to cursing and throwing punches. You know what? Their were 200,000 of you. Their were not too many of us. We can still beat the living crap out of you idiots. But we chose not to because we’re smart and don’t go to violence for everything that happens. My 13 year old son was there with me and they are so low that they got up in his face and started cursing at him just because he had a sign that said “KIDS FOR BUSH” You people don’t know whats going on, do you?!
October 3rd, 2004 at 12:01 pm
As usual the left wing media has tried to bamboozle the public into thinking that that say anything to get elected jackass Kerry won the presidential debate. I watched the same debate, yet realized something completely different.
The media sees things through Kerry colored glasses as usual.
The American Public will not get fooled again as they were in the 90’s.
The neglect of the Clinton administration is what got us into this mess that Dubya is digging us out of.
I wouldn’t trust John “Medals-R-Us with the safety of my pet goldfish no less the safety of my country.
October 3rd, 2004 at 2:56 pm
So Bush did drugs in the 70s? Who the fuck cares? Kerry looks like he did alot more than cocaine back then. He looks like he was born in a fucking solar powerplant. He didn’t do shit for the war. He shot his fucking self like a jackass. He also wounded his Swift Boat partners. All he needed was a bandaide for his “wound” and he got a fuckin Purple Heart? What the fuck is that shit? I’m not too crazy about Bush but i think hes done alot better than John “asshole” Kerry.
October 4th, 2004 at 4:20 pm
I think John Kerry went to Vietnam because he planned to be a politician and needed something to back it up. Like “Kerry sucks dick” said, he shot himself…wheres the honesty in that? He recieved a Purple Heart for it? JFK, just admitt you wern’t a true soldier! Be a man about it already.