Since 08-22-04
Off The Bean Vine - The Howlings of Old Ghosts
Since 08-22-04
Off The Bean Vine
Greetings
I spoke last week of fighting and confrontation, urging rationale and restraint.
Easy for him to say, so say my responders. Yes, it is, easy to say. Much harder
in practice.
I think it's safe to say that each of us have certain raw places that never seem
to fully heal, Vietnam is one of those for so many.
Now we are come to a place in history where we cannot hide from nor avoid this
particular raw place which Vietnam Veterans share and this is in major part due
to the current election campaign being waged. Senator Kerry jump started this
process by highlighting his military exploits as a central theme of his campaign
but I am not here to take Kerry apart politically, I am pointing out the origin
of "many cases of the raw ass" as we used to put it.
Thirty plus years it took many of us to find and use our voices and once again
raise them in pride of accomplishment and honor of duty performed, thirty years
and now I see vet against vet in vehement argument. I see many turning once
again inward and drifting away from his brothers in anger and frustration. It's
not that we have always agreed on any issue, God knows if you drop three vets in
a room, within twenty minutes there will be some kind of debate going on, and
that is good. But I see more polarity and anger in this fight than any other we
have seen as a group since the war ended. The possible consequences alarm me as
I fear that what progress we have shared may be in jeopardy of estrangement
between men who fought together and lived to come home.
Recently in Cincinnati we hosted the National VFW convention. Both President
Bush and candidate Kerry addressed the convention to very markedly different
receptions. With the gracious permission of the author I have reprinted here the
article written by Peter Bronson of the Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper (thank you
Mister Bronson):
Thursday, August 19, 2004
Many in VFW have no desire to
salute Kerry
VFW members were a lot nicer to John Kerry than he was to them in 1971, when he
accused Vietnam veterans of war crimes "on a day-to-day basis with the full
awareness of officers at all levels of command.'' But when he said, "For 35
years I have fought and kept the faith with our veterans,'' it was more than
some could take.
About 50 to 100 veterans walked out before Kerry spoke, said Vietnam veteran and Bush supporter Gene Watts of Columbus, a former Ohio state senator. And in the Massachusetts delegation - Kerry's home state - two Vietnam vets stood and turned their backs on Kerry for his entire speech.
Before Kerry showed up a half-hour late, some in the Massachusetts delegation planned to walk out. "I told our group to show respect, we want to hear what he has to say,'' said Massachusetts state Commander Robert VanKirk. So some vets just stayed away.
Twelve minutes before Kerry was supposed to speak, it was announced: "There are still many seats up front.'' "I've already heard him, and I am not impressed,'' said one boycotter, Anthony Albano of New Jersey. "To me, he's an 'I' and 'me' man.''
In the Texas group, where Bush's home state sat next door to Kerry's, Vietnam vet Glen Gardner of Austin said, "There was lots of talk about walking out,'' but most showed respect. Several vets said they didn't believe media reports that the VFW convention was evenly divided. My own "Hoo-Ah Poll'' results show Kerry was drubbed by Bush. Monday, Bush had three Hoo-Ahs and four strong standing ovations.
Kerry got zero Hoo-Ahs, two polite bookend standing ovations, one loud boo and scattered heckling. Maybe it was his droning monotone that could put a double espresso to sleep. Or maybe it was just hard to tell which Kerry showed up. Was it the leader of the anti-war party, or was it a new Kerry auditioning to play George C. Scott doing Patton?
"Since (9/11), we have become a country divided over Iraq - and it didn't have to be that way,'' said the nominee of the party that gives French kisses to Michael Moore. Then he pledged: "Any imminent threat to our security will be dealt with swiftly and severely. I will never give any nation or international institution a veto over our national security.''
So how does that differ from Bush, who didn't wait for permission from France and Germany to snuff an imminent threat from Saddam? Beats me. Kerry said, "I know what to do in Iraq,'' but didn't offer many details except to say he wants Germany and France "on the team'' - which is like asking Whoopi Goldberg to join the Navy Seals.
Kerry said he had a plan for a "smarter, more efficient war on terrorism,'' but again it was Kleenex-thin on specifics. And Kerry couldn't resist boasting about his increasingly suspect record in Vietnam.
It was not a wise move. Many VFW members have not forgotten Kerry's reckless slander of Vietnam vets as baby-killers in 1971. "I'm here because I have to be, to take pictures,'' said William Juteau, a Vietnam vet from New York. "I don't care for him, his actions overseas or his associations with Jane Fonda.''
Korean vet Theodore Eaton said he understood why guys in his Massachusetts group turned their backs on Kerry. When Kerry talked about "keeping faith'' with vets, "It was like rubbing salt in the wounds,'' he said.
The Massachusetts commander was more diplomatic: "The war in Vietnam is over,'' he said. Someone should tell Kerry.
E-mail pbronson@enquirer.com or call 768-8301.
Passions
are running high in both camps but maybe more so among veterans than any other
group just because we understand the hell of war and the vital drive to survive
by winning: that is, to defeat your enemy. No one that ever put on the uniform
and took up a weapon fought to discourage or inconvenience the enemy, we fought
to win and that meant leaving the field after all opposition is crushed. Now
sadly I see this turned veteran against veteran and fought as if the contestants
own survival is at stake.
Are the issues just that important to require a "take no prisoners - leave no
survivors" kind of campaign? Yes, I think they are from both perspectives. We
who support President Bush are passionately against Kerry and feel his presence
in the White House would be an affront to every veteran who ever fought there in
the long years we were there. We fear the damage that a man that many consider a
traitor would destroy us as a nation and lead to disaster here and abroad. Those
who support Kerry are equally convinced that without his leadership we are
spiraling into another Vietnam complete with kickback dollars and enough
corruption to run six or seven mini-series events.
Of more importance perhaps in the narrower focus is that soon we will have a
decision rendered by the voters and the election as we know it will be over,
assuming Florida of course works out the hanging chad thing. When the dust and
smoke settles in Washington there will be winner and a loser, and many
casualties as well. Many embittered, wounded, and angry veterans who have been
pressed into this fight as if we had all been drafted, each bringing his own
thoughts and reasons to the table, each leaving feeling satisfied or betrayed by
the outcome, yet we are all veterans still. We will always be that, won't we?
How many will shut up? How many will harbor anger towards his brothers? How many
will wake in the night visited by old dreams and the howlings of old ghosts and
curse this damned election for letting this back in after working so hard to put
them to peace? That will be answered by each man himself and I can only hope
that the brotherhood which we share will not bend or fall to pieces in the
afterlight of this vicious battle in which we now find ourselves engaged.
Stand for what you believe in, brothers, let your voice tell your story and what
you believe but there will come a closure after which we must go on and not
allow the old feelings and isolation to take precedence over the long way we
have come since 1973. We share that which none who were not there can know and
this alone should be where we start when the ballots are counted and the next
administration begins whether a continuation of George Bush or Kerry. I urge all
vets to vote their hearts but don't give away that part of your soul that was
tempered in the fires of Vietnam. Know that your brothers brought you home as
surely as did the freedom bird you rode. Don't lose sight of them no matter
which party or position they support. Like the sarges used to tell us "someday
this will all be over and when you go back to the world you're going to have to
learn how to live there all over again.."
Ain't it the truth?
and above all....
think for yourself...
beansimple said it