Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold
By Barbara Stock
September 1, 2004
Over 30 years ago they put away their medals and their uniforms.
They buried their anger and bitterness and moved on with their
lives--and
they waited.
Revisionists are trying to change history, claiming the returning
Viet Nam
veterans didn't suffer all that much when they returned home.
All that talk of being labeled animals has been exaggerated over the
years.
But the veterans know better.
They were there.
On the radio last week, one man related that he had unpacked the
uniform that he wore home from Viet Nam all those years ago.
It had not seen the light of day for over 30 years.
He showed it to his children and grandchildren and, for the first
time, spoke of the day that he returned home from war and was spat on,
cursed at, and literally had to run a gauntlet of protesters who
threw human waste and rotten fruit on him and his fellow vets.
With the words "baby killers" ringing in his ears he was
warned by
laughing policemen not to retaliate or he would be arrested.
So he ran.
The able-bodied helped the wounded as they do on any battlefield
because those on crutches or in wheelchairs were not spared the
profanity and bags full of feces that were thrown at them by the
raging
anti-war protesters.
This now middle-aged vet went on to tell his family that he had hid in
the bathroom at the airport for over two hours, bewildered and afraid.
He wondered if he had landed in some foreign land where Americans were
hated.
Finally, he cleaned up the uniform he was still proud to wear as best
he
could and made his way to his plane, where he suffered more
insults from the passengers.
When he got home, he packed up his medals and his dirty uniform,
just as it was, and he knew that one day, he would take it out again
and he would have his say.
That day has come.
One POW stated that he had never put a face to the name until he
heard the words "Genghis Khan" pronounced only as John
Kerry does and
suffered his first flashback to the time he was being tormented by
Kerry's words in a North Vietnamese prison camp.
They buried their anger and the bitterness --and they waited.
Most of them didn't know who or what would be the signal to make their
move, but they knew they would recognize it when it happened.
On July 29, 2004, it happened.
John Forbes Kerry came to the podium at the Democratic Convention
and uttered three words that made many Viet Nam vets skin crawl:
"Reporting for Duty!"
At last the time had come for these long-suffering veterans.
The past was staring back at these wrongly disgraced vets from
their television sets.
The face it bore was that of John Kerry, the man who had shredded
their honor without a thought and climbed over the bodies
of their fallen friends to launch a political career.
Kerry had stripped them of their dignity the day he sat before
Congress in
his
fatigues and portrayed them as "baby killers" and
"murderers."
Kerry did the unspeakable.
He had publicly turned on his fellow vets while they were still in
harm's
way
and American prisoners were still in the hands of the enemy.
Kerry accused them all of being out-of-control animals,killing,
raping,
and pillaging Viet Nam at will.
The anti-war movement--the protesters--had their hero and he was a
Viet Nam
War veteran, an officer, a medal winner, a wounded warrior:
John Forbes Kerry.
Many Viet Nam vets buried the memories of their less-than-welcome
homecoming, and John Kerry moved off the national scene.
The feelings of betrayal had faded, but they were never resolved.
The unprecedented injustice inflicted on the Viet Nam vets has always
lain
just
under the surface, waiting for a chance to be uncovered.
The war had stolen their youth and innocence and John Kerry stole
their
dignity and
rightful place of honor in history.
Like an unlanced boil, the anger festered but there was nothing
that could ease the pain.
These vets didn't ask for "forgiveness" because they had
done nothing
wrong in serving their country.
They never asked to be treated as heroes, just good soldiers.
All they have ever wanted was the respect due all the men and women
who have worn the uniform of this country.
Being allowed to march in a few parades wasn't enough.
A long over-due memorial was not enough.
The Viet Nam Veterans moveable wall only brought back the suffering as
they searched for the names of their fallen friends whose memory
had been defiled and disgraced by people who considered them
rampaging killers instead of men who died with honor for their
country.
Now before them stands this man who would be president--this man
who holds his service in Viet Nam up as a badge of honor now that it
suits his purposes.
This man Kerry brags about his medals and his tiny wounds
and demands the respect they were denied, yet he offers no
apologies for what he did to them.
"I will be a great leader!" Kerry proclaims,because of his
brief and
self-proclaimed valiant service while wearing a uniform--the very
same uniform that they wore and were spat upon because of it.
All across America, soiled uniforms and memories of being shamed
and humiliated have resurfaced and Vietnam vets demand their
rightful place in history.
John Kerry seems bewildered by the reaction of his "fellow
vets."
He has become defensive and angry because now his service and
honor are being questioned.
Kerry seems oblivious to the pain he caused three decades ago
when he stole all honor and dignity from those same "fellow
vets"
for personal gain.
Now he wants to use them again, for the same reason.
All across America, Viet Nam vets are smiling.
At last, perhaps they can bury their demons.
These angry vets are demanding that this man who sentenced them
to being shunned as criminals, tell the world that he was wrong and
that he is sorry for what he did to them.
Kerry must admit that he lied about them.
For many, it would still not be enough.
Satisfaction and hopefully peace will come when Viet Nam vets see
and hear John F. Kerry give his concession speech the night of
November 2, 2004 with the knowledge that it was their votes
that helped defeat him.
There are approximately 2.5 million Viet Nam veterans in America
and they have not forgotten.
Kerry denied them their rightful place as heroes and they will
deny him his dream of the presidency.
Angry Viet Nam veterans, silent for so long, will finally have their
say.
Payment in full will be delivered to John Kerry on November 2, 2004.
Revenge is indeed a dish best served cold.
By Barbara Stock
September 1, 2004
Over 30 years ago they put away their medals and their uniforms.
They buried their anger and bitterness and moved on with their
lives--and
they waited.
Revisionists are trying to change history, claiming the returning
Viet Nam
veterans didn't suffer all that much when they returned home.
All that talk of being labeled animals has been exaggerated over the
years.
But the veterans know better.
They were there.
On the radio last week, one man related that he had unpacked the
uniform that he wore home from Viet Nam all those years ago.
It had not seen the light of day for over 30 years.
He showed it to his children and grandchildren and, for the first
time, spoke of the day that he returned home from war and was spat on,
cursed at, and literally had to run a gauntlet of protesters who
threw human waste and rotten fruit on him and his fellow vets.
With the words "baby killers" ringing in his ears he was
warned by
laughing policemen not to retaliate or he would be arrested.
So he ran.
The able-bodied helped the wounded as they do on any battlefield
because those on crutches or in wheelchairs were not spared the
profanity and bags full of feces that were thrown at them by the
raging
anti-war protesters.
This now middle-aged vet went on to tell his family that he had hid in
the bathroom at the airport for over two hours, bewildered and afraid.
He wondered if he had landed in some foreign land where Americans were
hated.
Finally, he cleaned up the uniform he was still proud to wear as best
he
could and made his way to his plane, where he suffered more
insults from the passengers.
When he got home, he packed up his medals and his dirty uniform,
just as it was, and he knew that one day, he would take it out again
and he would have his say.
That day has come.
One POW stated that he had never put a face to the name until he
heard the words "Genghis Khan" pronounced only as John
Kerry does and
suffered his first flashback to the time he was being tormented by
Kerry's words in a North Vietnamese prison camp.
They buried their anger and the bitterness --and they waited.
Most of them didn't know who or what would be the signal to make their
move, but they knew they would recognize it when it happened.
On July 29, 2004, it happened.
John Forbes Kerry came to the podium at the Democratic Convention
and uttered three words that made many Viet Nam vets skin crawl:
"Reporting for Duty!"
At last the time had come for these long-suffering veterans.
The past was staring back at these wrongly disgraced vets from
their television sets.
The face it bore was that of John Kerry, the man who had shredded
their honor without a thought and climbed over the bodies
of their fallen friends to launch a political career.
Kerry had stripped them of their dignity the day he sat before
Congress in
his
fatigues and portrayed them as "baby killers" and
"murderers."
Kerry did the unspeakable.
He had publicly turned on his fellow vets while they were still in
harm's
way
and American prisoners were still in the hands of the enemy.
Kerry accused them all of being out-of-control animals,killing,
raping,
and pillaging Viet Nam at will.
The anti-war movement--the protesters--had their hero and he was a
Viet Nam
War veteran, an officer, a medal winner, a wounded warrior:
John Forbes Kerry.
Many Viet Nam vets buried the memories of their less-than-welcome
homecoming, and John Kerry moved off the national scene.
The feelings of betrayal had faded, but they were never resolved.
The unprecedented injustice inflicted on the Viet Nam vets has always
lain
just
under the surface, waiting for a chance to be uncovered.
The war had stolen their youth and innocence and John Kerry stole
their
dignity and
rightful place of honor in history.
Like an unlanced boil, the anger festered but there was nothing
that could ease the pain.
These vets didn't ask for "forgiveness" because they had
done nothing
wrong in serving their country.
They never asked to be treated as heroes, just good soldiers.
All they have ever wanted was the respect due all the men and women
who have worn the uniform of this country.
Being allowed to march in a few parades wasn't enough.
A long over-due memorial was not enough.
The Viet Nam Veterans moveable wall only brought back the suffering as
they searched for the names of their fallen friends whose memory
had been defiled and disgraced by people who considered them
rampaging killers instead of men who died with honor for their
country.
Now before them stands this man who would be president--this man
who holds his service in Viet Nam up as a badge of honor now that it
suits his purposes.
This man Kerry brags about his medals and his tiny wounds
and demands the respect they were denied, yet he offers no
apologies for what he did to them.
"I will be a great leader!" Kerry proclaims,because of his
brief and
self-proclaimed valiant service while wearing a uniform--the very
same uniform that they wore and were spat upon because of it.
All across America, soiled uniforms and memories of being shamed
and humiliated have resurfaced and Vietnam vets demand their
rightful place in history.
John Kerry seems bewildered by the reaction of his "fellow
vets."
He has become defensive and angry because now his service and
honor are being questioned.
Kerry seems oblivious to the pain he caused three decades ago
when he stole all honor and dignity from those same "fellow
vets"
for personal gain.
Now he wants to use them again, for the same reason.
All across America, Viet Nam vets are smiling.
At last, perhaps they can bury their demons.
These angry vets are demanding that this man who sentenced them
to being shunned as criminals, tell the world that he was wrong and
that he is sorry for what he did to them.
Kerry must admit that he lied about them.
For many, it would still not be enough.
Satisfaction and hopefully peace will come when Viet Nam vets see
and hear John F. Kerry give his concession speech the night of
November 2, 2004 with the knowledge that it was their votes
that helped defeat him.
There are approximately 2.5 million Viet Nam veterans in America
and they have not forgotten.
Kerry denied them their rightful place as heroes and they will
deny him his dream of the presidency.
Angry Viet Nam veterans, silent for so long, will finally have their
say.
Payment in full will be delivered to John Kerry on November 2, 2004.
Revenge is indeed a dish best served cold.
