A Letter from soldier to John Kerry
> >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