The Annenberg Public Policy Center’s FactCheck.org report, published by the Sun Journal Aug. 29, tells only part of the story. I watched the whole 1971 tape of the Vietnam Senate hearings on C-Span last week.

In the hearings, Kerry clearly stated that the American troop atrocities of which he spoke were not his firsthand knowledge. They were the reports of some of the 1,000 Vietnam veterans who had met in Chicago, and that he was only the selected spokesman for the whole 1,000.

His reasoned talk was well-received with many affirming responses by the senators.

One Vietnam vet in opposition to the view of the 1,000 Kerry represented called in after the C-span repeat. He said he was proud of his service that saved Vietnam from Communism. He didn’t seem to remember that America lost the war and withdrew from Vietnam.

Looking now at the American-Vietnam relations makes one wonder: Did Kerry’s Senate testimony help save America from the quagmire? If the United States had remained to remake Vietnam in America’s image would we still be there with snipers and suicide bombers picking off American young men to be sent home weekly in plane loads of body bags?

Bill Ellis, Rangeley

Copy the Story Link