(This commentary piece also appears in THE VETERAN, 2001 (Volume 31, Number 1).) VVAW Statement on Robert Kerrey
By Clarence Fitch Chapter of VVAW
[Printer-Friendly Version] Recent news reports and the admissions of former US Senator
and Medal of Honor recipient Robert Kerrey that in 1969, he led
a six man SEAL team that killed 21 women, children and old men
in the village of Thanh Phong has once again focused public attention
on the ugly realities of the US war in Vietnam.
Knowledge of atrocities is not news to many Vietnam veterans.
When returning GIs began telling people what was happening, many
Americans
didnt want to believe it. In January 1971 the Winter Soldier Investigation
was organized by Vietnam Veterans Against the War and held in
Detroit. Over 100 combat vets testified there about atrocities
they had been involved in or witnessed as a direct result of the
US military policy of free fire zones, search and destroy missions
and body count as the measure of success.
The governments response was denial. They tried to discredit
the Winter Soldier hearings, calling the veterans who testified
imposters and
liars. In those cases they couldnt cover up, like the notorious
My Lai massacre, they put the blame on a few "bad apples"
while protecting those higher up the chain of command and in Washington.
The hard truth is that what happened that night in Thanh Phong
was approved in advance by US militarys rules of engagement. Much
of the
Mekong Delta had been designated as a free fire zone. The peasants
who lived there were considered the enemy and dead Vietnamese
became "VC killed" whether they were armed guerillas
or unarmed civilians. Although Kerreys Raiders failed in their
mission to "take out" a village leader, the Pentagon
considered it successful. He was even awarded a Bronze Star and
whatever he may think of that medal, he got it according to standard
operating procedure in Vietnam.
Kerrey?s admissions challenge attempts to rewrite the history
and distort peoples memories of that time. After the war ended,
right wing forces began a long term effort to convince the American
people that despite a few mistakes that were made, they were for
the right reasons. The unjust and criminal nature of the war was
being transformed into what Ronald Reagan called a "noble
cause".
The purpose of this revisionism was to confuse people and weaken
opposition to new military interventions. Strategies were developed
to manipulate public opinion, duck accountability and minimize
US casualties while waging war in Latin America and the Middle
East.
Now a small portion of the brutal facts are again before the
American public. Some have responded to Kerreys revelations by
painting him as the victim, ignoring the Vietnamese dead. Others
have pointed fingers at him, a bad soldier in a good war. In some
quarters, the differing versions of events have even been used
to justify the killings.
There can be no justification for what happened but the culpability
lies primarily with the politicians and generals who initiated,
planned and ran the war, not those who were sent to fight it.
Until we honestly face up to what happened in Vietnam and those
who are responsible, especially Johnson, Nixon, McNamara, Laird,
Rusk, Kissinger, Westmoreland and Abrams, are held accountable,
the past will continue to haunt us.
Commentary on VVAW.org:
- Stand Up, Vote, Fight Back by Bill Branson
- Media Advisory: On Memorial Day, Veterans, Peace Activist and Friends Will Honor Long-Time Vietnam Veterans Against War Leader Barry Romo by Uplifting the Past and Future of the Anti-war Veterans Movement by VVAW
- Vietnam Veterans Against the War Mourns the Passing of Long-Time Member and National Leader Barry Romo by VVAW
- On the Necessity of Struggle by Bill Branson
- Serving the Children of Vietnam by Bill Branson
- While Comrades Fade, Hard Lessons Remain by Bill Branson
- Stand Up For Your Rights by Bill Branson
- Putin's War on Ukraine Must Stop by Bill Branson and Joe Miller
- Putin's War on Ukraine Must Stop by Vietnam Veterans Against the War
- VVAW Statement on the Ukraine by Vietnam Veterans Against the War
- Afghanistan: Another Rich Man's War Ends by Bill Branson and Joe Miller
- We Have To Be Winter Soldiers by Bill Branson
- Fascism is Not an Option by Vietnam Veterans Against the War National Office
- Is This Who We Are? by W. D. Ehrhart
- Why We Struggle by Bill Branson
- We Must Continue the Fight for a Better World! by Bill Branson
- Into Another Rich Man's War (VVAW Statement on Potential War with Iran) by VVAW
- Forever Wars Demand Forever Opposition by Bill Branson
- From the National Office by Joe Miller
- The River Keeps Flowing by VVAW
- The Struggle Continues by Joe Miller
- VVAW Still Teaching the American War in Vietnam: On Burns/Novick "The Vietnam War" by Joe Miller
- 50 Years of VVAW by Joe Miller
- For Peace, Justice, and Veterans Rights by Bill Branson
- The Importance of Vietnam and VVAW: Then and Now by Bill Branson
- Veterans Fight Back by Bill Branson
- From the National Office by Bill Branson
- No New War in the Middle East by Bill Branson
- From the National Office by Bill Branson
- Our War, Our Legacy by Bill Branson
- From the National Office by Bill Branson
- Get Out and Vote: Demonstrate Our People Power by Bill Branson
- What We Know and When We Know It by Meg Miner
- From The National Office by Bill Branson
- Blood on the Tracks - A Review by Horace Coleman (reviewer)
- From The National Office by Joe Miller
- Ken and Bill's Excellent Adventure by W. D. Ehrhart
- From the National Office by Barry Romo
- From the National Office by Barry Romo
- Soldier Jailed For Rap Lyrics Is Discharged by Dahr Jamail, truthout.org Reporter
- US Military Plans To Extradite Stop-Lossed Iraq War Vet to Iraq For Court Martial Over Protest Rap Song by Iraq Veterans Against The War
- A Letter to America: No Medal Jacket by Marc Levy
- The Worst Question You Can Ask a Combat Vet: Talking Dirty to the Kids by Marc Levy
- From Vietnam to Afghanistan: The Bling They Curse and Carry by Marc Levy
- The "Obama Drama" by Horace Coleman
- Matthew Hoh Resignation Letter by Matthew Hoh
- Just Like Hanoi Jane by Marc Levy
- Winter Soldier Iraq and Afghanistan (the book) by Horace Coleman
- How What Happened in the Bush Administration Shaped What Happened in Iraq by Horace Coleman
- A Father traumatized by a son's wounds goes into action by Horace Coleman
- All Bets Are Off For Today's Vets by Horace Coleman
- Election Night Musing by Horace Coleman
- War Jokes Wanted: No Laughing Matter by Marc Levy and Susan Erony
- The Leftie Nation Throws a Rightie by Jerry Lembcke
- Thuy's Dream of Peace: Winter in America by Marc Levy
- Retraction of Article in the Veteran, Volume 38, Number 1, Spring 2008 by VVAW National Office
- Support PFC James Burmeister by Carol Rawert Trainer
- Support IVAW's Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan
- Fake Vets Chasing Fame by Marc Levy
- William Hugh Davis: 1948 - 2007 - Anti-war, union activist by Patricia Trebe
- President of Vietnam Vets Against the War - Year-long tour convinced him it was wrong by Larry Finley
- You Tube videos of Bill Davis
- Iraq Dead Ahead: A Brief Military History and Civilian Guide to Arlington National Cemetery Iraq Dead Ahead by Marc Levy
- The Horror of War Can be Catnip for Young Men by Jerry Lembcke
- Iraq War Resister Kyle Snyder Arrested in Canada, then Released: U.S. Army Requested the Illegal Apprehension by Gerry Condon
- Vietnam Veterans Against The War Endorses HR 508:Bring the Troops Home and Iraq Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2007 by VVAW National Office
- VVAW Supports All the Troops
- A Primer on the Whys and Wherefores of PTSD: Whatever You Did in War Will Always Be With You by Marc Levy
- What the Fuss Is All About by W. D. Ehrhart
- Winter Soldier DVD Now Available at VVAW Store
- From Vietnam to Iraq: Ignoring the Veteran Healthcare Crisis by VVAW & IVAW
- Vietnam Veterans and Iraq Veterans Release Memorial Day Report on Veterans' Healthcare Crisis by VVAW National Office
- VVAW Statement to the People of Vietnam by VVAW National Office
- Vietnam Veterans Against the War Denounce Bush Proposal to Cut Vets' Benefits by VVAW National Office
- The Struggle Continues by VVAW
- Stolen Honor - A Dishonor: Vietnam Veterans oppose Sinclair Broadcast smear even in reduced format by VVAW National Office
- A Troubling Tribute by Jan Barry
- Defending VVAW Against Swift Boat Vets Lies by Keith Nolan
- 40th Anniversary of Gulf of Tonkin shows history repeating itself with Iraqi War by VVAW National Office
- Anybody But Bush by VVAW National Staff and Coordinators
- Vietnam Veterans Say Torture Policy Not an Aberration - Dates Back To Vietnam War by VVAW National Office
- Chicago Vietnam Veterans Against the War and supporters honor fallen servicemen on Memorial Day by Chicago VVAW
- Vietnam Veterans Against the War Statement on John Kerry
- John Kerry and War Crimes in Vietnam by Jan Barry
- Living with Lies by Dave Curry, Joe Miller and Barry Romo
- On the Oil-Slicked Road to Empire: Are We Really Safer Now? by Barry Romo, Dave Curry & Joe Miller
- No War with Iraq No Blood for Oil or Ego by Barry Romo, Dave Curry & Joe Miller
- Vietnam Veterans Against the War Statement on the "War Against Terrorism" by VVAW National Office
- Vietnam Veterans Against the War Statement on September 11 Attacks by VVAW
- VETERANOS DE VIETNAM CONTRA LA GUERRA DECLARACION SOBRE LOS ATAQUES DEL 11 DE SEPTIEMBRE
- VVAW Statement on Robert Kerrey by Clarence Fitch Chapter of VVAW
- Remembering the Tonkin Gulf and After by Joe Miller
- Indian Wars & the Vietnam Experience by Ben Chitty
- Recollections:Brainwashing Busts Out at Cecil Field by Mike Woloshin
- "Peace with Honor" by Ben Chitty
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