HunterByrd

Let's sum up the gist of Kerry's '71 Senate Testamony- and put it to bed.

Mackubin Thomas Owens. He's written many words about his service in Vietnam, and about John Kerry's activities post Vietnam. The gist of his writing is not about what JF'nK may have done in the few days he was there, but about what Kerry did after he was back safe in the USA with Jane Fonda, John Lennon, and Edward Kennedy. Kerry's activities consisted of political opportunism, prep-school speak, and political opportunism (read: VANITY).

Let's put things in perspective. Some three million men served in Vietnam. Since the logistics tail of U.S. forces is fairly large, only about 25 percent, or 750,000, served in combat units. If we add up all of the atrocities, both proven and alleged, and multiply them by two as a hedge against under-reporting, the percentage of American combat soldiers who might have committed atrocities is still less than 1 percent of the total. I doubt that many armies in history could match that record.

We can not deny American's committed war-time atrocities - crimes - against innocent people. Anymore than we can deny that crimes are committed against an innocent population here at home today. It just happens. Try as we might, we cannot get past the fact that human beings are capable of doing mean things -- in the midst of the most civil society recorded by man in history.

I have tried on many occasions to get to the heart of why some Americans committed atrocities in Vietnam and others didn't. The fact is that anyone who has been in combat understands the thin line between permissible acts and atrocity. The first and potentially most powerful emotion in combat is fear arising from the instinct of self-preservation. But in soldiers, fear is overcome by what the Greeks called thumos, spiritedness or righteous indignation.

It is thumos, awakened by the death of his comrade Patroclus, that causes Achilles to quit sulking in his tent and wade into the Trojans, slaughtering them in great numbers. But unchecked, thumos can engender rage and frenzy. It is the role of leadership, which provides strategic context for killing and enforces discipline, to prevent this outcome. Such leadership was not in evidence at My Lai, or most of the other cases of atrocities.

Our Vietnam veterans were no different from you or me. We have our good days; we have our bad. On the whole, we stick to our principles, and do not fall into the dark abyss of crime and dark acts. We stick to the high road and do the right thing, regardless of what some people say.

Let me recount a personal anecdote that makes me question the idea that a story heard many times validates it. I didn't commit or witness atrocities during my tour as a Marine infantry platoon leader. As far as I know, neither did the other officers in my regiment and battalion. But I heard of an atrocity just after I joined the unit. A Marine who was scheduled to rotate soon recounted an incident that he claimed had occurred shortly after he had arrived in the unit about a year earlier.

According to the story, members of a sister company had killed some North Vietnamese soldiers after they had surrendered. Some months later, I heard another Marine who had joined my platoon after I took it over relate exactly the same story to some newly arrived men, only now it involved me and my platoon. I had a little chat with him and he cleared things up with the new men. But that episode has always made me wonder how many of the stories have been recycled and how many accounts of atrocities are based on what veterans heard as opposed to committed or witnessed. Of course, an account based on hearsay may be true. After all, the soldier who broke the My Lai story was not present during the massacre.

Unfortunately for the body politic, this issue is not going to go away. Too many veterans have long memories and they believe that Kerry sacrificed their honor on the altar of his political ambitions.

JF'nK is an opportunist. He showed that in his Senate testimony. The only thing changed is his age. Read this man's final summary.