Bush Says Kerry 'More Heroic' for Going to Vietnam

[DeltAlum]

Nobody knows how Gore, Clinton, G. H. W. Bush, Reagan or any other President would have reacted, because they weren't in that office when it happened. That's also true with Kerry.

As for shooting a "few missles," that's what the military (and politicians) call a "measured" response. We have never had a situation like 9/11 before, so there is nothing to "measure" it against. The Cole incident and embassy bombings were nowhere close to the same scope.

In terms of "heros" of 9/11, they were the people of New York, including the members of FDNY, NYPD, the Mayor and even the Governor.

To me, President Bush did his job which was to support local efforts and get things moving in terms of Federal assistance and aid -- and also to add moral support to the people of The City and others. I think he did it very well.

I'm not sure that makes him a "hero." Those of you who know me will also know that I would feel the same way about anyone who was President on that day.

Regarding Senator Kerry's four month term in Vietnam, I doubt that he "abandoned" the war effort. When you're in the military, you pretty much go where the service sends you. You may request certain assignments, but you have little or no influence on whether you get them or not. (Unless you're an Annapolis graduate with an admiral for a father.) It would not, however, surprize me if the Navy hierarchy took a close look at his record, and given his family background, decided to get him out of the line of fire. Had President Bush been in the same situation, he would probably have gotten the same treatment -- if, in fact that happened. That's just the way it is. Some pigs are more equal than others.

I have a very good friend who is the head of a major bankers organization. He had the opportunity to go to Vietnam as a member of Combat Camera, Pacific (the folks who go ashore first and take pictures of the Marines head on as they storm the beach -- expected combat lifetime slightly better than a Medic, which wasn't good) OR become an aide to an Admiral. Guess which one he took. The same one I would have given the opportunity. Let me get that door for you, Admiral.

After being wounded in action three times, I probably would have figured that sooner or later my luck was going to run out. If Senator Kerry won two rather prestegious medals in only four months, he was doing something right. To echo comments I've made before, the Navy doesn't just hand out Bronze and Silver Stars. The argument(s) that Kerry didn't or dosen't deserve the decorations -- and lied to get them doesn't hold water. Again, you don't put yourself in for medals -- someone else does. That means that you are not calling Kerry a liar, but rather the men who served with and under him -- as well as those who commanded him.