Real heroes don't call themselves heroes

[Hangar18]

From the NY Post
http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/29339.htm

HEROES DON'T SHOUT

By RALPH PETERS

August 24, 2004 -- JOHN Kerry went to Vietnam. Voluntarily. Given that President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and every chicken-hawk in the coop did all they could to avoid getting the mud of Indochina on their loafers, his service should make Kerry the election-year choice of those who serve, or once served, in our country's uniform.

Instead, military men and women are overwhelmingly suspicious of Kerry. Many despise him so intensely that their emotions verge on hatred.

What went wrong?

There are three big problems with Kerry from the standpoint of those who are proud of their military service. And one of those reservations has been overlooked entirely by the parade of talking heads, so few of whom have served in uniform themselves.

As far as the swift-boat controversy goes, it's likely to remain a he-said-she-said issue through Election Day. The red flag to military men and women is that so many swift-boat veterans have come out against John Kerry. Not just one. Not 10. Dozens upon dozens.

This is as rare as humility in the Hamptons. Vets stick together. Kerry likes to play up his "band of brothers" image, but if he's got a band, his opponents have a symphony. And even if the first violinist turns out to be a "Republican stooge," it's nonetheless stunning for so many vets to denounce a former comrade publicly. It just doesn't happen unless something's really wrong.

As for Kerry's support from his own crew, that's normal military psychology. You get the most objective view of a junior leader from his peers — the other swift-boat commanders (and their crews) who had to fear a weak link in the chain.

I'm not a Vietnam vet, so I don't have as big an emotional dog in the fight as those who served so bravely and so thanklessly in Indochina. But some values are universal among those who wear or wore our country's uniform.

Yes, Kerry deserves credit for serving, whether he volunteered out of patriotism or because he had cast himself as the "next JFK," with a swift boat subbing for PT-109.

The first show-stopper problem with Kerry began after his return. He had the right to protest against the war — more than most, since he had served himself. But he had not earned the right to lie about the honorable service of millions of others.

Kerry's lies — and they were nothing but lies — about "routine" atrocities committed by average American soldiers and sanctioned by the chain of command were sheer political opportunism. Kerry knew that none of the charges were true.

He'd been there. He may have done some stupid things himself, but atrocities were statistically very rare. Contrary to the myths cherished by film-makers, American troops behaved remarkably well under dreadful conditions.

John Kerry lied. Without remorse. To advance his budding political career. He tarnished the reputation of his comrades when the military was out of vogue.

Now, three decades later, camouflage is back in the fall fashion line-up. Suddenly, Kerry's proud of his service, portraying himself as a war hero.

But it doesn't work that way. You can't trash those who served in front of Congress and the American people, spend your senatorial career voting against our nation's security interests, then expect vets to love you when you abruptly change your tune.

Kerry might have won support had he apologized frankly for what he said in the early 1970s. But he no more disavowed his lies than he disclaimed the lies of Michael Moore.

Which brings us to problems two and three.

John Kerry doesn't show a trace of integrity. Those constant flip-flops to suit the prevailing political winds are more troubling to military folks than many of the issues themselves.

Integrity matters to those in uniform. You have to be able to depend on the guy in the next foxhole — or swift boat. Trust is more important than any technology.

And John Kerry just doesn't seem trustworthy.

Finally — and this is the one the pundits have trouble grasping, given the self-promoting nature of today's culture — real heroes don't call themselves heroes. Honorable soldiers or sailors don't brag. They let their deeds speak for themselves. Some of the most off-putting words any veteran can utter are "I'm a war hero."

Real heroes (and I've been honored to know some) never portray their service in grandiose terms, telling TV cameras that they're reporting for duty. Real heroes may be proud of the sacrifices they offered, but they don't shout for attention.

This is so profoundly a part of the military code of behavior that it cannot be over-emphasized. The rule is that those who brag about being heroes usually aren't heroes at all. Bragging is for drunks at the end of the bar, not for real vets. And certainly not for anyone who wishes to trade on his service to become our commander-in-chief.

I wish Kerry were better. The truth is that I'm appalled by Bush's domestic policies. I believe that the Cheney-Halliburton connection stinks to high heaven. And I'm convinced that Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld & Co. have done colossal damage to our military and to our foreign policy.

But we're at war. And for all his faults, Bush has proven himself as a great wartime leader. Despite painful mistakes, he's served our security needs remarkably well. And security trumps all else in the age of terror.

Kerry says many of the right things. But I can't believe a word of it. I just can't trust John Kerry. I can't trust him to lead, I can't trust him to fight — and I can't trust him to make the right kind of peace.

I have reservations about voting for George W. Bush. But I have no reservations about voting against John Kerry. And I'm not alone.

Ralph Peters is a retired Army officer and a regular Post contributor.

Copyright 2004 NYP Holdings, Inc.

I wonder if this has more to do with how veterans feel about Kerry than the Swift Boat Vets ads.


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[JoseCuervo]

What a bunch of biased garbage.... Look at how he works in the entire Rove agenda into this "honorable veteran's" ramblings....

Even getting to work the "flip-flop" tag into the story.

I like the way the retired "officer" dismisses the word of the other Veterans, as only he would know better...

 

[Calif. Hunter]

I share a lot of the man's feelings and opinions.

 

[Hangar18]

So Gunner,

Are you saying that average American soldiers DID commit sanctioned routine atrocities?

Or are you saying honorable soldiers DO brag about their heroism?

 

[JoseCuervo]

Originally posted by Hangar18:
So Gunner,

Are you saying that average American soldiers DID commit sanctioned routine atrocities?

You mean like the stuff that happend in Abu Gahrab (sp?). The stuff that has been linked all the way to Rumsfield?

 

[ELKCHSR]

And you do any less gunner....
Matter of fact you are the epitome of what you are disparaging....

You can't answer questions on things you have stated, you sit in judgement of any one that doesn't climb into your little box and try to bully any one that doesn't hold your narrow minded beliefs.....

You can't say any thing until you answer the question....

How is it I stabbed Moosie in the back? Hmmmmm

 

[Hangar18]

Originally posted by ElkGunner:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Hangar18:
So Gunner,

Are you saying that average American soldiers DID commit sanctioned routine atrocities?

You mean like the stuff that happend in Abu Gahrab (sp?). The stuff that has been linked all the way to Rumsfield? </font>[/QUOTE]What you call atrocity I call humiliation. That's not what was said in the op-ed above. Here is the passage from it again:

Kerry's lies — and they were nothing but lies — about "routine" atrocities committed by average American soldiers and sanctioned by the chain of command were sheer political opportunism. Kerry knew that none of the charges were true.

Here is what was said by Kerry, and what the author of the op-ed is refering to:

I would like to talk, representing all those veterans, and say that several months ago in Detroit, we had an investigation at which over 150 honorably discharged and many very highly decorated veterans testified to war crimes committed in Southeast Asia, not isolated incidents but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command....

They told the stories at times they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam in addition to the normal ravage of war, and the normal and very particular ravaging which is done by the applied bombing power of this country.

We call this investigation the "Winter Soldier Investigation." The term "Winter Soldier" is a play on words of Thomas Paine in 1776 when he spoke of the Sunshine Patriot and summertime soldiers who deserted at Valley Forge because the going was rough.

http://www.c-span.org/vote2004/jkerrytestimony.asp


Please tell us Gunner which of those atrocities, spoken of by Kerry and highlighted in bold, have anything to do with the pictures of naked men in that prison.

 

[Hangar18]

Delete please

 

[ELKCHSR]

Oh... SHITE!!!!
Another question!!!!!
So many questions and he can't even answer the easy ones....
LMAO!!!!

Good points Hanger....