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By Scott Tibbs, February 20th, 2004

Kerry not a "war hero" to many Vietnam veterans

Terry L. Garlock writes a must-read column in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution regarding Kerry's war record.

Kerry has been trotting out his service in Vietnam throughout the campaign, hoping to compare it favorably with accusations (which have never been proven, by the way) that President Bush went AWOL from his service with the Texas National Guard.

But Kerry's own record leaves a lot to be desired. Yes, he served his country with distinction. But he also was a leader in protests against the Vietnam War, which emboldened the Viet Cong. In fact, NewsMax.com reports that "In his 1985 memoir about the war, Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap wrote that if it weren't for organizations like Kerry's Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Hanoi would have surrendered to the U.S."

It is true that Bill Clinton also protested against the Vietnam War, and still won the 1992 Presidential election. But Clinton only got 42% of the vote then. In 1996 Clinton won re-election with another plurality, with 51% of the American people voting against him!

Furthermore, it is a different world now than it was in 1992. September 11 has forever changed the American political landscape. There is much more animosity in the average voter for people, like Kerry, who disrespected those in the military who were only doing what they were asked to do to fight Communism.

While many still consider Vietnam to be an unnecessary war, this country deeply regrets the way we treated the men who fought, were wounded, and died in Vietnam. The fact that Kerry accused his fellow soldiers of war crimes will not help his case with the American people and especially not with Vietnam veterans, some of whom have formed (appropriately enough) Vietnam Veterans against John Kerry.

Even as Kerry tries to tout his military service, he looks more and more like a Massachusetts Leftist who is out of touch with the American people.