Former POW Colonel Bud Day on Kerry

Col. George E. “Bud” Day is the most decorated officer since Gen.
Douglas MacArthur, and was
Senator John McCain’s cellmate in the Hanoi Hilton.

The following is a letter to Joe Scarborough and John O’Neil from
Medal of Honor Recipient
and former POW Colonel Bud Day.

Dear Joe: The major issue in the Swiftboat stories is, and always
has been, what John Kerry
did in 1971 after he returned from Vietnam.

Kerry cast a long dark shadow over all Vietnam Veterans with his
outright perjury before the
Senate concerning atrocities in Vietnam. His stories to the Senate
committee were absolute lies..
fabrications.. perjury.. fantasies, with NO substance. That dark shadow
has defamed the entire
Vietnam War veteran population, and gave “Aid and Comfort” to our
enemies..the Vietnamese
Communists. Kerry’s stories were outright fabrications, and were
intended for political gain with
the radical left..McGovern, Teddy and Bobby Kennedy followers, Jane
Fonda, Tom Hayden, and
the radical left who fantasized that George McGovern was going to be
elected in 1972. Little
wonder that returning soldiers from Vietnam were spit upon and
castigated as “baby killers”. A
returned war “hero” said so.

Kerry cut a dashing figure as a war hero, lots of medals, and
returned home because of
multiple war wounds..even a silver star. His Senate testimony confirmed
what every hippie had
been chanting on the streets..”Hey hey LBJ..How many kids did you kill
today”????? He
obviously was running for political office in 1971.

Until Lt. John O’ Neil, himself a Swifboat commander, spoke out
before the 1972 elections
against Kerry’s outright deceptions, there was no one from the Swiftboat
scene that could
contradict Kerry’s self serving lies.

I was a POW of the Vietnamese in Hanoi in 1971, and I am aware that
the testimony of John
Kerry, the actions of Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden, and the radical left;
all caused the commies
to conclude that if they hung on..they would win. North Vietnamese
General Bui Tin commented
that every day the Communist leadership listened to world news over the
radio to follow the
growth of the anti-war movement. Visits to Hanoi by Jane Fonda and
Ramsey Clark gave them
confidence to hold in the face of battlefield reverses. The guts of it
was that propaganda from the
anti-war group was part of their combat strategy.

While the Commies were hanging on, innumerable U.S. Soldiers,
Sailors, Marines and Air
Force members were being killed in combat. Every battle wound to
Americans after Kerry’s
misdirected testimony is related to Kerry’s untruthfulness. John Kerry
contributed to every one of
these deaths with his lies about U.S. atrocities in Vietnam. He likewise
defamed the U.S. with
our allies and supporters.

His conduct also extended the imprisonment of the Vietnam Prisoners
of War, of which I was
one. I am certain of at least one POW death after his testimony, which
might have been
prevented with an earlier release of the POWs.

My friend and room mate Senator John S. McCain denounced the
Swiftboat video by John
O’Neil. I have a different take on the Swiftboat tape and disagree with
my good friend John.

John Kerry opened up his character as a war hero reporting for duty
to the country with a hand
salute…and his band of brothers..of which he was the chief hero. Most
of his convention speech
was about John Kerry..Vietnam hero, and his band of brothers. John
Kerry’s character is not only
fair game, it is the primary issue. He wants to use Bill Clinton’s “is”,
as an answer to his lack of
character.

The issue is trust. Can anyone trust John Kerry?? “Never lie, cheat
or steal” is the West Point
motto. When a witness perjures himself at trial, the judge notes that
his testimony lacks
crediblity. Should we elect a known proven liar to lead us in wartime??

I draw a direct comparison of General Benedict Arnold of the
Revolutionary War, to
Lieutenant John Kerry. Both went off to war, fought, and then turned
against their country.
General Arnold crossed over to the British for money and position. John
Kerry crossed over to
the Vietnamese with his assistance to the anti-war movement, and his
direct liason with the
Vietnamese diplomats in Paris. His reward. Political gain.
Senator..United States.

His record as a Senator for twenty years has been pitiful. Conjure
up, if you will, one major
bill that he has sponsored.

John Kerry for President? Ridiculous. Unthinkable. Unbelievable.
Outrageous.

Col. Geo. “Bud” Day Medal of Honor Vietnam POW 1967-1973 MC