Conduct Unbecoming
Kerry doesn't deserve Vietnam vets' support.

BY STEPHEN SHERMAN Guest to the Wall Street Journal
Monday, January 26, 2004

A turning point may have been reached in the Iowa caucuses when Special
Forces Lt. James Rassmann came forward to thank John Kerry for saving his life
in Vietnam. Although Mr. Rassmann, like most of my veteran friends, is a
Republican, he said that he'd vote for Mr. Kerry. I don't know if the incident
influenced the caucus results. But I took special interest in the story
because Jim served in my unit.

Service in Vietnam is an important credential to me. Many felt that such
service was beneath them, and removed themselves from the manpower pool. That
Mr. Kerry served at all is a reason for a bond with fellow veterans; that his
service earned him a Bronze Star for Valor ("for personal bravery") and a
Silver Star ("for gallantry") is even more compelling. Unfortunately, Mr.
Kerry came home to Massachusetts, the one state George McGovern carried in
1972. He joined the Vietnam Veterans Against the War and emceed the Winter
Soldier Investigation (both financed by Jane Fonda). Many veterans believe
these protests led to more American deaths, and to the enslavement of the
people on whose behalf the protests were ostensibly being undertaken. But
being a take-charge kind of guy, Mr. Kerry became a leader in the VVAW and
even testified before Congress on the findings of the Investigation, which he
accepted at face value.

In his book "Stolen Valor," B.G. Burkett points out that Mr. Kerry liberally
used phony veterans to testify to atrocities they could not possibly have
committed. Mr. Kerry later threw what he represented as his awards at the
Capitol in protest. But as the war diminished as a political issue, he left
the VVAW, which was a bit too radical for his political future, and was
ultimately elected to the Senate. After his awards were seen framed on his
office wall, he claimed to have thrown away someone else's medals--so now he
can reclaim his gallantry in Vietnam.

Mr. Kerry hasn't given me any reason to trust his judgment. As co-chairman
of the Senate investigating committee, he quashed a revealing inquiry into the
POW/MIA issue, and he supports trade initiatives with the Socialist Republic
of Vietnam while blocking any legislation requiring Hanoi to adhere to basic
human rights. I'm not surprised that there are veterans who support a VVAW
activist, if only because there are so few fellow veterans in politics.
Ideally, there'd be many more. If you are going to vote on military
appropriations, it would be nice if you didn't disrespect the soldiers.
Congress hasn't had the courage to declare war in more than 60 years, despite
numerous instances in which we have sent our military in harm's way. Of all
the "lessons of Vietnam," surely one is that America needs a leader capable of
demonstrating in himself, and encouraging in others, the resolve to finish
what they have collectively started.

But the bond between veterans has to be tempered in light of the
individual's record. Just as Mr. Kerry threw away medals only to claim them
back again, Sen. Kerry voted to take action against Iraq, but claims to take
that vote back by voting against funding the result. So I can understand my
former comrade-in-arms hugging the man who saved his life, but not the act of
choosing him for president out of gratitude. And I would hate to see anyone
giving Mr. Kerry a sympathy vote for president just because being a Vietnam
veteran is "back in style."
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Mr. Sherman was a first lieutenant with the U.S. Army Fifth Special Forces
Group (Airborne) in Vietnam, 1967-68.