Soldier's letter to John Kerry. (1072 hits)
Category: PoliticsRating: -0.33 on 51 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Toby <sterling96.at.hotmail.com> (View user info) at 2004-08-19 23:05:14 EDT
I came across this and was moved by it. The man has some pretty good points.
Dear Senator Kerry:
Since it has become clear that you will probably be the Democratic Nominee for President, I have spent a great deal of time researching your war record and your record as a professional politician. The reason is simple, you aspire to be the Commander in Chief who would lead my sons and their fellow soldiers in time of war. I simply wanted to know if you possess the necessary qualifications to be trusted in that respect.
You see, I belong to a family of proud U.S. veterans. I was a Captain in the Army Reserve, my father was a decorated Lieutenant in World War II; and I have four sons who have either served, or are currently serving in the military. The oldest is an Army Lieutenant still on active duty in Afghanistan after already being honored for his service in Iraq. The youngest is an E-4 with the military police. His National Guard unit just finished their second tour of active duty, including six months in Guantanamo Bay. My two other sons have served in the national guard and the navy.
In looking at your record I found myself comparing it not only to that of my father and my sons, but to the people they served with. My father served with the 87th Chemical Mortar Battalion in Europe. They landed on Utah Beach and fought for 317 straight days including the Cherbourg Peninsula, Aachen, the Hurtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge.
You earned a Silver Star in Vietnam for chasing down and finishing off a wounded and retreating enemy soldier. My father won a Bronze Star for single handedly charging and knocking out a German machine gun nest that had his men pinned down. You received three purple hearts for what appears to be three minor scratches. In fact you only missed a combined total of two days of duty for these wounds. The men of my father's unit, the 87th,had to be admonished by their commanding officer because: "It has been brought to our attention that some men are covering up wounds and refusing medical attention for fear of being evacuated and permanently separated from this organization..." It was also a common problem for seriously wounded soldiers to go AWOL from hospitals in order to rejoin their units. You used your three purple hearts to leave Vietnam early. My oldest boy came home from Iraq with numerous commendations and then proceeded to volunteer to go to Afghanistan and from there back to Iraq again.
My sons and father have never had anything but the highest regard and respect for their fellow soldiers. Yet, you came home to publicly charge your fellow fighting men with being war criminals and to urge their defeat by the enemy. You even wrote a book that had a cover which mocked the heroism of the U.S. Marines who raised the flag on Iwo Jima. Our current crop of soldiers has a philosophy that no one gets left behind; and they have practiced that from Somalia to the battlefields of the Middle East. Yet as chairman of a Senate committee looking into allegations that many of your fellow servicemen had been left behind as prisoners in Vietnam, you chose to defend the brutal Vietnamese regime. You even went so far as to refer to the families of the POWs and MIAs as Professional malcontents, conspiracy mongers, con artists, and dime-store Rambos.
As a Senator you voted against the 1991 Gulf War, and have repeatedly voted against funds to supply our troops with the best equipment, and against money to improve our intelligence capability. I find this particularly ironic since as a Presidential candidate you are highly critical of our pre-war intelligence in Iraq. However, you did vote to authorize the President to go to war, but have since proceeded to do everything you can to undermine the efforts of our government and our troops to win. Is this what our fighting men and women can expect of you if you are their Commander in Chief? Will you gladly send them to war, only to then aid the enemy by undermining the morale of our troops and cutting off the weapons they need to win?
Our country is at war Senator, and as has been the case in every war since the American Revolution, a member of my family is serving their Country during the war. Now you want me to trust you to lead my sons in this fight. Sorry Senator, but when I compare your record to those who have fought and died for this nation, and are currently fighting and dying, the answer is not just no, but Hell No!
Sincerely, Michael Connelly
February 14, 2004
Dallas, Texas
User Reviews
Submitted by aballama (user info) at 2004-11-03 20:21:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I am a firm believer that anyone that has never been in combat should never look down upon someone who has. The man who wrote this letter has done more for you than you have ever done even for yourself. That letter could have said anything, and I would still consider it a privelige to shake that man's hand. Without people like him and his family we would be no where right now. He has laid his life down for your service, how dare you cut that down. The only thing I have to say to him and the mentioned members of his family is THANK YOU.
Submitted by Supreme_Overlord (user info) at 2004-10-01 18:20:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Oh you are so right! I mean those peasant Iraqi's have such advanced technology compared to the humble US.
Nevermind, you make me sick, I HOPE YOU DIE!
-2 EAT SHIT AND DIE
Submitted by QueenAshlee (user info) at 2004-10-01 18:06:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Submitted by gibberish (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:57:31 (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:39:16 (#)
Ranking: -2
You, sir, are a fucking MORON! Why don't you compare Bush's record? For that matter, why don't you just run for President and SHUT UP! Just becuase someone sees something wrong with the world and tries to protest it does not mean they are trying to "publicly charge [their] fellow fighting men with being war criminals and to urge their defeat by the enemy."
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Actually, Kerry did kind of... ya know... go in front of the Senate and accuse his fellow soldiers of war crimes
________________
Golly gee. He went in front of the Senate to give a report he was required to give and told the truth about what he saw. What a terrible, dishonerable man.
Submitted by icarus9mm (user info) at 2004-10-01 18:05:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
*cough cough* bullshit *cough*
Submitted by QueenAshlee (user info) at 2004-10-01 18:04:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Shit like this pisses me off. Why bring Kerry's military record into quesiton? Bush is the one who TOOK us to war, let's see his fucking record. Oh, wait.
Submitted by XXmunkyNUTZxxx (user info) at 2004-10-01 17:56:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Sketch9 is the reason that the draft was ever invented; to help the country weed out all the fat weak and ignorant people and get them all killed off in a foriegn war.
Submitted by XXmunkyNUTZxxx (user info) at 2004-10-01 17:54:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Hey sketch9, do you have to go through some type of burger flipping basic training? or do all morons know how to do it from birth?
Submitted by sketch9 (user info) at 2004-09-30 23:41:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
i doubt his actions as a soldier properly define his actions as a politician.
that and posts like this piss me off... great. be a soldier. be proud of it. dont fucking shove it in my face.
I dont go around screaming that i work at McDonalds, constantly getting into fights about the Chicken Selects. It's just your job. Sure, you could die at it. But everyone could die at work. Shut up.
Submitted by XXmunkyNUTZxxx (user info) at 2004-09-30 23:23:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
First let me start by stating that i am a 17 year old seinor at Sarasota Military Academy i am currently a MSG in headquarters company (staff), as soon as i graduate i plan to enlist in the United States Marine Corps fallowing 5 of my close friends who enlisted this past year...Kerry is disrespected by all of the soldiers and veterans, how can you have a comander in chief who isnt respected by his own soldiers due to his dishonor in the service, no honorable soldier would have excepted 3 purple hearts for scratches during combat...Only a pussy whould do such a thing which is exactly why the democratic symbol for his is an ASS!
Submitted by X-File (user info) at 2004-08-20 15:50:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
This rant actually reminds me of a song...
Glory! Glory! Glory, what a hell of a way to die!
But seriously. Does any of your kids ever had the chance of plotting their own course through life or were they too indoctrinated by the great war stories grandpa and dad used to tell around the campfire?
Submitted by freebie (user info) at 2004-08-20 12:04:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Michael Moore plans to sit on this mans entire family at once. Effectively silencing them forever.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2004-08-20 11:45:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Submitted by gibberish (user info) at 2004-08-20 00:34:12 (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2004-08-20 00:13:43 (#)
Ranking: -2
"THEY DID commit war crimes! Why do you think someone would say something like that?"
Really? Some of the soldiers commited war crimes? NO WAY!!! You made it sound like you were denying that he said it. If I didn't read it right, I apologize. But aside from that, Kerry himself admitted to committing "crimes against humanity". Why would we be electing a president who commited war crimes anyway? This whole election is going to shit if you ask me...
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and I suppose Bush is NOT a war criminal because all he does is starts the conflict and doesn't actually participate?
Submitted by X-File (user info) at 2004-08-20 11:32:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
You sir, are my hero. You and the rest of your family know how it is to serve the greatest nation in the world without even thinking of the consequences. One day I hope to meet you, and your sons and all drink large amounts of beer while exchanging war stories!
Submitted by PersonMan (user info) at 2004-08-20 10:51:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
"You, sir, are a fucking MORON! Why don't you compare Bush's record?"
Because Bush isn't basing his campaign on his military service.
Submitted by rurumon (user info) at 2004-08-20 09:27:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
Connelly was from Texas? What a shock!
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2004-08-20 08:49:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Cymak (user info) at 2004-08-20 05:35:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
"B-b-b-bullshit!" - Lewis Black
"By the way, since someone mentioned Bush's service, Bush received:
The Distinguished Flying Cross
Three Air Medals
The Presidential Unit Citation" - Some Guy
He doesn't TALK about those because if he did, then people would be researching Bush's military records same as Kerry, and a group of anti-Bush veterans would spring up (a la Swiftboat Veterans for Smear/Truth/Whatever). Everyone, including the GOP knows that Bush's guard service was questionable at best, and the best way to softpedal it is to not bring up any of that stuff.
"So on election day, I'll be doing the same thing as the rest of you. Except that when I'm finished masturbating, I'm gonna have a little something to show for it." - George Carlin
Submitted by Nator (user info) at 2004-08-20 05:19:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
"By the way, since someone mentioned Bush's service, Bush received:
The Distinguished Flying Cross
Three Air Medals
The Presidential Unit Citation
Nobody here knows that. Know why? Because Bush hasn't been running his mouth about it like Kerry has."
No, that's because he got them with his Happy Meal.
Submitted by ConservativeBabe <ConservativeBabe@businessrocks> at 2004-08-20 05:02:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Anyone against Kerry, is a friend of the nation! Right on!!!
Submitted by yourmomma <tellmemore4.at.aol.com> at 2004-08-20 05:01:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Someone needs to praise Michael Connelly for standing up to that shithead Kerry!!!!!!!11111
Submitted by dickhead (user info) at 2004-08-20 02:51:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Kerry is a pile of shit as far as Presidential candidates go but at least he was in a war and not hiding out from one.
But what is the real issue here. For me it's you Mr Connelly. You seem more interested in blowing your own trumpet about your family's achievements in killing and displaying a penchant for blind faith in fighting wars waged for erroneous reasons rather than discrediting Mr Kerry.
Well let me be the first to congratulate you and your brood on all their medals, I sincerely hope that any relations still on active duty can bag some more, hopefully by making the world a better place by killing other idiots on the other side who are also "just following orders" given by a higher authority. That's the spirit of free speech, never ask questions!
Oh and by the way, you're right, three Purple Hearts for some scratches. Jeez that sure makes a mockery of the military's medal award system. I'm sure you're family's medals were properly awarded however, despite the fact that you expose its failings so brilliantly.
Submitted by IhateKerry <IhateKerry.at.turner.net> at 2004-08-20 02:27:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Fan-Fucking-Tastic! Death to all liberals!
Submitted by Stabkill (user info) at 2004-08-20 01:54:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Freakin' Comment
Submitted by Pooz (user info) at 2004-08-20 01:44:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
One hundred bucks says this wasn't even written by a soldier.
Submitted by Nobb (user info) at 2004-08-20 01:43:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
So Bush has a better record?
Submitted by CornerNoob <Rochus.at.peoplepc.com> at 2004-08-20 01:09:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Hello fellow American. I know some of us like to flaunt our medals (which represent how much we respect human life)and getting praised for it. What happens when the war is over? Who pays for the medical cost of suvivors? Who is willing to cut back on spending tax monies on Weapons of Mass Distructions so we can have the health care we deserve? I think we have demonstrated that we are the most powerful nation already, we don't have to prove it again by attacking 3rd world nations that throw rocks. For fucks sake, stop the press, the real news is not coming to our HDTVs. Our cadillacs with built in television screens do not intercept the real issues here in America. Everyone that I talk to at school always says, "Have you see the latest movie blah blah blah..."
I want to stop all that noise from LA that drowns out the real shit. Entertainment has really taken a hold of us as a nation, we don't care.
Submitted by Vermin (user info) at 2004-08-20 00:52:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Well this piece of shit has changed my vote.
Submitted by gibberish (user info) at 2004-08-20 00:37:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Caulaincourt (user info) at 2004-08-20 00:34:52 (#)
Ranking: 0
wow...americans are pretty split on politics. It's either +2 or -2 with somewhat emotive comments.
Kinda like a verbal civil war.
I'm not judging or anything, just pointing out the huge gap between the two parties.
As a canadian, I'm used to boring predictable politics.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yeah... no kidding... I'm starting to hate politics.
Submitted by Caulaincourt (user info) at 2004-08-20 00:34:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
wow...americans are pretty split on politics. It's either +2 or -2 with somewhat emotive comments.
Kinda like a verbal civil war.
I'm not judging or anything, just pointing out the huge gap between the two parties.
As a canadian, I'm used to boring predictable politics.
Submitted by gibberish (user info) at 2004-08-20 00:34:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2004-08-20 00:13:43 (#)
Ranking: -2
"THEY DID commit war crimes! Why do you think someone would say something like that?"
Really? Some of the soldiers commited war crimes? NO WAY!!! You made it sound like you were denying that he said it. If I didn't read it right, I apologize. But aside from that, Kerry himself admitted to committing "crimes against humanity". Why would we be electing a president who commited war crimes anyway? This whole election is going to shit if you ask me...
Submitted by domenad (user info) at 2004-08-20 00:22:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
By the way, since someone mentioned Bush's service, Bush received:
The Distinguished Flying Cross
Three Air Medals
The Presidential Unit Citation
Nobody here knows that. Know why? Because Bush hasn't been running his mouth about it like Kerry has.
Incidentally, my father has three bronze stars and three silver stars. He should be president.
Submitted by mjt7420 (user info) at 2004-08-20 00:14:35 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
Check your FACTS!!!!
Submitted by dickhead (user info) at 2004-08-20 00:13:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Kerry is a pile of shit as far as Presidential candidates go but at least he was in a war and not hiding out from one.
But what is the real issue here. For me it's you Mr Connelly. You seem more interested in blowing your own trumpet about your family's achievements in killing and displaying a penchant for blind faith in fighting wars waged for erroneous reasons rather than discrediting Mr Kerry.
Well let me be the first to congratulate you and your brood on all their medals, I sincerely hope that any relations still on active duty can bag some more, hopefully by making the world a better place by killing other idiots on the other side who are also "just following orders" given by a higher authority. That's the spirit of free speech, never ask questions!
Oh and by the way, you're right, three Purple Hearts for some scratches. Jeez that sure makes a mockery of the military's medal award system. I'm sure you're family's medals were properly awarded however, despite the fact that you expose its failings so brilliantly.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2004-08-20 00:13:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
THEY DID commit war crimes! Why do you think someone would say something like that? For fuck's sake, have you not seen the pictures of that soldier blowing that guys head off in the street with his hand bound? That shit happens ALL THE TIME in war...it is HELL! I admit that he shouldn't be touting his fucking war record, becuse frankly, I don't give a fuck about it. Read my link and I think that's apparent.
The point is this: this mother fucker is trying to say that becuase Kerry protests a war and tries to bring to light the hellish reality of it that he is an unpatriotic wimp (which I don't necessarily disagree with, becuase Kerry is a Fake-Ass Pussy in his own right), but it's not because he protested a war.
And let's get something straight, Kerry, as a Senator, was not in the White House getting the same intel Bush was getting when he decided to go to war with Iraq. Bottom line for me is, I already know Bush is a fuck up who only seems to accomplish making America even more hated that it already is, question is can Kerry POSSIBLY fuck things up any worse. I say - it would be VERY difficult!
Kerry and Bush are both greedy, unintelligent fuckers with the same special interest backing that has gotten every president into the white house since the invention of mass media. Bush's backers are the Automobile/Oil/Military industry, Kerry's interests remain to be seen. Overall, as far as the current war is concerned, the ball is rolling and it doesn't matter who the president is because they have no choice in how they handle it at this point.
Submitted by imsupermandamnit (user info) at 2004-08-20 00:08:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Fuck Kerry, and fuck all you who like him. He wouldn't have his female intern come in to suck his dick, he would ask his male Secretary of State to do it. All Democrats have sucked ass, and will suck ass, as long as they're alive.
Submitted by cshape (user info) at 2004-08-20 00:07:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
I've seen better
Submitted by RateBot (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:59:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by gibberish (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:57:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:39:16 (#)
Ranking: -2
You, sir, are a fucking MORON! Why don't you compare Bush's record? For that matter, why don't you just run for President and SHUT UP! Just becuase someone sees something wrong with the world and tries to protest it does not mean they are trying to "publicly charge [their] fellow fighting men with being war criminals and to urge their defeat by the enemy."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Actually, Kerry did kind of... ya know... go in front of the Senate and accuse his fellow soldiers of war crimes.
Submitted by sterling96 (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:52:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Bush never "went to war" then came back, as Kerry did, to protest it. Go in front of the senate and admit to commiting war crimes. Then; all of a sudden when he is going for the Commander in Chief position try to tout his war record.
Submitted by scoobidydoo2003 (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:46:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I think you could have been more neutral-sounding from the start. Nevertheless, decently written.
I also find it funny that everyone is aruging over both candidates' war records when it's widely accepted that our last president was a draft-dodger in Vietnam. I think Clinton proved that even the biggest scumballs can reach the position of President.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:46:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
You can join Mr. Connelly in Hell then, after you've licked my Passive, Apathetic American Ass!
Submitted by domenad (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:42:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
My father served three tours in Vietnam. For two of them, he could have had a cushy job driving a general around, but he stayed in the field as a radio operator. He never received so much as a scratch, even though people all around him were killed. That piece of shit Kerry called him a war criminal. He's filthy, of the highest order.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:39:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
You, sir, are a fucking MORON! Why don't you compare Bush's record? For that matter, why don't you just run for President and SHUT UP! Just becuase someone sees something wrong with the world and tries to protest it does not mean they are trying to "publicly charge [their] fellow fighting men with being war criminals and to urge their defeat by the enemy."
People like you just piss me off. You probably lack the intelligence to understand what I've just said becuase you're blinded by your Pride and Propaganda disguised as Patriotism, so I'll just point you here: http://www.ubersite.com/m/37702.
Suck it! I hope your family is unable to breed any further, because it's people with attitudes like yours that make this country a target.
Submitted by Herpes (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:37:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Now have the same veteran research the current commander-in-chief, and write him a letter.
Submitted by Kellio (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:36:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
"Submitted by RideJohnnyRide (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:28:57 (#)
Ranking: -2
Stupid because Bush's military record is infinately worse"
Sums up my thoughts exactly.
Submitted by Disektor (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:35:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I don't see what Bush's war record has anything to do with this post.
Submitted by gibberish (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:35:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by gascs (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:17:53 (#)
Ranking: 0
See, I think this post is well written and all...
and, I think John Kerry is a mediocre (at best) candidate for US president...
but even if they were for scratches, how many scratches did W get in combat during Vietnam?
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None, but then again, he isn't the one claiming to be some great war hero. And besides, shouldn't all the anti-war hippies out there be happy he didn't go to war?
Submitted by RideJohnnyRide (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:28:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Stupid because Bush's military record is infinately worse
Submitted by gascs (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:17:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
See, I think this post is well written and all...
and, I think John Kerry is a mediocre (at best) candidate for US president...
but even if they were for scratches, how many scratches did W get in combat during Vietnam?
Submitted by sterling96 (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:11:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I'm used to the -2's here. But it's still fun to piss them off! *LOL*
Submitted by cigar (user info) at 2004-08-19 23:09:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Bet this doesn't get in moore's next book. That's a moving letter, but folks here label you as soon as you post fact about the worthless human that is john kerry.