Vietnam vets vouch for Kerry’s war record
By Matt Ollwerther
A group of veterans, some who served with Sen. John Kerry, met Thursday afternoon to defend the Democratic presidential nominee’s war record and urge supporters to get out the vote.
A group of veterans, some who served with Sen. John Kerry, met Thursday afternoon to defend the Democratic presidential nominee’s war record and urge supporters to get out the vote.The group, coined the Dog Hunters, was on a statewide tour and addressed about two dozen veterans at the Marshfield Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall. They also stopped in Wisconsin Rapids as part of their tour. Three veterans – two who knew or served next to Kerry and a National Guard member recently returned from Iraq who opted not to re-enlist – and the wife of an active soldier in Iraq took the floor and lobbied for a change in the White House.
The group’s name apparently arises from a story from early in Kerry’s drive for the nomination. When word that his war record would be challenged, Kerry reportedly said “that dog won’t bark,” hence the group’s “Dog Hunter” moniker.
“The John Kerry I knew was a brave, honorable, determined man,” said Rich McCann, who said he served with Kerry in Vietnam.
President Bush, McCann said, has been “sadly lacking” in how he served as commander in chief. He added that the only way to win the presidency is for Democrats to get out and vote.
Another speaker, Foster Wright, who said he knows Kerry personally, said TV ads against the Democratic nominee were blatant political attacks of the very worst kind.
“For people to come out and say John (Kerry) didn’t serve commendably is outrageous,” Wright said.
“This country is at a pivotal (point) in history.”
Chad Vance, a 14-year member of the National Guard in Oklahoma who returned from Iraq this year, said conditions for U.S. troops in Iraq haven’t been portrayed accurately.
Pointing to a shortage in critical combat equipment, Vance said few parents of his generation will encourage their children to enlist. Many of his friends have chosen to leave the military after their tour was up.
“People vote with their feet,” he said. In his case, his feet are voting for Kerry. Thursday was only his second day on the Dog Hunter tour.
ATTENTION READERS
We See The World From All Sides and Want YOU To Be Fully InformedIn fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion.
About VT - Policies & Disclosures - Comment Policy
Due to the nature of uncensored content posted by VT's fully independent international writers, VT cannot guarantee absolute validity. All content is owned by the author exclusively. Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners, or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. All images are the full responsibility of the article author and NOT VT.
