Wounded Vet Buys Full Page Ad-Army Times

Army Times - Full Page Advertisement: September 6th Edition

In 1971, I awakened after three days of unconsciousness aboard a hospital ship off the coast of Vietnam. I could not see, my jaws were wired shut, and my left cheekbone was missing, a gaping hole in its place.  

Later, while still in that condition at St Albans Naval Hospital, one of my earliest recollections was hearing of John Kerry's testimony before Congress.  

I remember lying there, in disbelief, as I learned how Kerry told the world that I served in an Army reminiscent of Genghis Khan's; that officers like me routinely let their men plunder villages and rape villagers at will; that "war crimes" committed in Vietnam by my fellow soldiers "were not isolated incidents but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command."  

Then Kerry went to Paris, meeting with the North Vietnamese enemy officials, all while our soldiers still fought in the field. The pain and disbelief I felt listening to his words went deeper than the pain I felt from the enemy fire which seriously wounded my face.  

Eighteen months later I was discharged from the hospital, the wounds inflicted by the enemy fully healed. But more than 30 years later, the wounds inflicted by John Kerry continue to bring pain to scores of Vietnam veterans. Those wounds--the bearing of false witness against me and a generation of courageous young Americans who fought and died in Vietnam--are much more serious than any wound warranting a Purple Heart. Those wounds go to the heart and soul. Those wounds never go away.  

Today, my son is a Marine Corps weapons officer, flying the F/A 18 Hornet. He belongs to the same Marine Corps Kerry ridiculed with his 1971 book cover showing protestors simulating the Iwo Jima Memorial, raising an upside-down American flag. He flies the same F/A 18 fighter jet that Kerry voted against in the U.S. Senate. And today, Kerry's picture hangs in an honored place in Saigon's war museum, as a hero to the Vietnamese Communists.  

Yet, John Kerry shamelessly drapes himself in the imagery of Vietnam, military service and the support of veteran's devoid of any media scrutiny. Meanwhile, the criticism and disapproval of Kerry by scores of veterans continues to fall on deaf ears. Worse yet, any legitimate criticism of Kerry's post-war record is discredited as a "personal" attack or an attack against his service.  

John Kerry is quick to surround himself with a handful of veterans and claims overwhelming support from the veteran community. He ignores, however, the wounds he inflicted on millions of veterans, and he refuses to sign a waiver to release his military personal records and medical records. This is the portrait of a man who has failed to comes to terms with his treacherous past.  

I, Dexter Lehtinen, paid for this ad personally, without any connection to other individuals or groups, because I want the public to know what John Kerry did to our Vietnam veterans.  

Dexter Lehtinen 7700 S.W. 88th St., Ste. 303 Miami, FL 33156  

This fine American will be brushed off as another right wing wacko.  If he was supporting skerry he would be hailed as a hero.
Only those who support skerry are allowed to speak of military service.
I'll bet you won't see this on any of the media outlets.

Quoted: This fine American will be brushed off as another right wing wacko.  If he was supporting skerry he would be hailed as a hero. Only those who support skerry are allowed to speak of military service. I'll bet you won't see this on any of the media outlets.

I'm not so sure, dude.

The Swifties really opened up Pandora's Box on Kerry, and now all similar ads are going to get some exposure.

Also, the media isn't dominated by left-wing outlets anymore. Talk radio, the internet, and Fox News are now more potent than the big three.

Keep your head down. It's going to get uglier and uglier for Kerry. Hell, his own biographer is calling on him to release his FULL service record or face the consequences of being seen as a liar.

I suspect that this ad will continue the accelerating pace of Kerry's campaign over the edge of reason.

Quoted: Quoted: This fine American will be brushed off as another right wing wacko.  If he was supporting skerry he would be hailed as a hero. Only those who support skerry are allowed to speak of military service. I'll bet you won't see this on any of the media outlets. I'm not so sure, dude. The Swifties really opened up Pandora's Box on Kerry, and now all similar ads are going to get some exposure. Also, the media isn't dominated by left-wing outlets anymore. Talk radio, the internet, and Fox News are now more potent than the big three. Keep your head down. It's going to get uglier and uglier for Kerry. Hell, his own biographer is calling on him to release his FULL service record or face the consequences of being seen as a liar. I suspect that this ad will continue the accelerating pace of Kerry's campaign over the edge of reason.

The swifties did well because the one representative, O'neil, has taken the slings and arrows and gone on any show that would have him.
That is good.
But other than here or other internet news sites, I didn't see any major coverage of the CMH winners against skerry.
I know things are better than I may have portrayed, but with all the idiot liberals I run into who parrot the party line even when confronted with facts, it just wears on you.
I keep the faith though, I reserve the word "hate" for very few people, but I truly HATE skerry.

Good post, KA3B.

Quoted: I know things are better than I may have portrayed, but with all the idiot liberals I run into who parrot the party line even when confronted with facts, it just wears on you.

No doubt. However, you may be bumping up against that 30% of the people who would vote for a Hitler/Stalin ticket rather than Bush. It's those undecideds in the middle that these ads are working on (as well as causing otherwise complascent Republicans to get to the polls).

I keep the faith though, I reserve the word "hate" for very few people, but I truly HATE skerry.

Amen, brother. Scumbag is a disgrace to my beloved Navy!

Quoted: I'm not so sure, dude. The Swifties really opened up Pandora's Box on Kerry, and now all similar ads are going to get some exposure.

This is the truth.

One of my military history prof's who is well connected with Vietnam vet groups (for her research), back in like March or April said "Kerry seems to think he's got the Vet vote wrapped up. I guess he hasn't seen the emails I get."

The Swiftvets have shown other vets that they can, in fact, come forward with their views. It's going from chatter between vets to everybody's TV set.

Quoted: No doubt. However, you may be bumping up against that 30% of the people who would vote for a Hitler/Stalin ticket rather than Bush.

You got that right.  I was down in TN visiting in-laws recently.  My wife's mother would willingly vote for the devil himself with Osama Bin Laden as Veep so long as they were running as democrats.  She's convinced that Republicans are all just looking for an excuse to steal her social security payments and simply doesn't give a rat's ass about anything else.

People like her are not going to be swayed by all the vets in the world.

Sounds like what I here back here...

I only know of one vet voting for Kerry, and I know a few...

They all cite his past deeds as making him intolerable...

My dad's a Vietnam Vet. He hates him.

Great post KA3B.

Nice read. But I wish this could get printed in something besides a military publication. As it is, it's just preaching to the choir. Very few in the military support Kerry.

Therefore, we should take it upon ourselves to email this guy's thoughts to everyone we know and convince them to pass it on to others. Post it on every message board you are on. And if possible, email it to every local radio talk show host you know. There are a couple of fellas in my market that do local shows that I'm sure would be proud to read that statement on air.

That folks is how you bypass the scumsucking liberals and get exposure.