Ron Kovic writes: "As this, the 43rd anniversary of my wounding in Vietnam approaches, and I once again try to find meaning in that day and the days which were to follow, my thoughts return to the northern bank of the Cua Viet River on January 20, 1968. It is a day that will change my life forever."
A South Vietnamese Marine, severely wounded in a Viet Cong ambush, is comforted by a comrade in a sugarcane field at Duc Hoa, about 12 miles from Saigon, 08/05/63. (photo: Horst Faas/AP)
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And their families and loved ones. How my heart breaks for the wastedness of it all. What will it take to quell the greed and lust for power that is instilled in those who cannot or will not feel the connection this brave man discovered as he lay wounded? If this planet is to survive, we MUST STOP TAKING and begin giving back.
Thank you, Ron Kovic, for sharing your story and for your acceptance of love and forgiveness.
Oh what treason in the eyes of the trainers and politicans,
Oh what pain they inflict on the common man.
Would that the politicos had empathy.
Thank you Ron
We went to Vietnam to stop the spread of Communism which was on a rampage conquering Southeast Asia with Thailand and India next in line.
Many of the 60’s generation gleefully celebrated America’s defeat in Vietnam. They achieved their goal of “giving peace a chance”.
We now know “peace” did not get its chance. After America left Vietnam the communists slaughter 4 million innocent people in the Re-Education Camps of Vietnam, the Killing Fields of Cambodia, the genocide of the Montenard tribes of Laos (ongoing).
We now know that Mao slaughtered 50+ million in the Cultural Revolution; that Stalin slaughtered 30+ million; that Che and Castro slaughtered even more proportionally.
The 60’s peace activists called anyone who warned of communism’s evils that they were baby killers. Alas, the blood of millions of dead babies is on the hands of those who condemned the true defenders of peace, the American soldier.
Mr. Kovic, thank you for your service to our country in Vietnam. I truly hope some day you will realize you were fighting for a just cause and were one of the good guys.
What makes you think I've forgotten our own misdeeds. That's not the issue.
The issue is that Liberals refuse to acknowledge evil done by anyone other than the USA.
Are you even aware of the evil done by the Communists throughout the world?
What is your point? That because America has not and never will be perfect that mass murder by Communists is morally acceptable?
Did you serve in combat ('Nam or elsewhere)?
Where is all your anger coming from? What do you want -- for everyone to be as angry as you?
My point is basically your point, that evil is evil regardless of who does it. HOWEVER; most Libs don't get that. They wilfully turn a blind eye to the evil done by Communists. The evidence is right here on this blog site. Just look at all the "thumbs down" I get simply for pointing out the evil done by Communists.
In fact, BishopAndrew, notice that you did not get a single "thumbs up" for you above post. How come no one here applauds your call for "no hesitancy whatsever in condemning anyone who kills or injures in the name of any ideology".
Most Liberal posts on RSN get 5, 10, 20, 30 or more "thumbps up". You got ZERO! Why?
ANSWER: Libs talk righteously about caring for humanity, except refuse to acknowledge it when done by Communists.
BishopAndrew, I am with you. I believe that all evil done by whomever should be condemned. Apparently you and I are alone here at RSN in this belief.
Perhaps after my comment, BishopAndrew will suddenly get a bunch of "thumbs ups". As on Monday 9:15 AM EST, Jan. 24th, he had none, zippo, nada.
Shame on Liberal hypocrits.
I suppose you know the Vietnamese are using bomb craters as fish ponds now.
There are no heroes in any sort of war, and in spite of all other killing leaders, the U.S. cannot be held above them. Vietnam was just one example of the killing made possible by the U.S. I won't list other because you are no doubt aware of them, including Iraq and Afghanistan.
Did you know that north and south Vietnam were working toward recombining just as North and South Korea was. The U.S. put a stop to all that.
Nope, don't blame the soldiers - blame the lying government.
My point is that Communism time and again turns on its own people. This is the evil we fought in Vietnam, and rightly so.
I'll take the "charade" of the Gulf of Tonkin over the reality of the slaughter and genocide by the Communists.
What will it take for Liberals, who claim to care so much about humanity, to recognize the evil of Communism. Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Vietnamese Communists post 1975, Che and Castro ... when will some brave Liberal speak out against this horrible evil?
Is there not a single Liberal that will even say a simple word about the genocide committed by Communists?
Answer to first sentence: No.
Answer to third sentence: Its not an either/or situation. The lies of our government killed hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese, and many thousands of our soldiers. You'll take that?
Last sentence: Any sane person is horrified and repulsed by genocide, no matter who commits it. Do the words "Native Americans" ring a bell? We need to clean up our own act, before we condemn others.
I respectfully disagree. Communism inherently defaults to evil dictatorship. Communism places all power in the state. There’s no division of power and no real checks and balances.
A key difference between Libs and Cons is that Libs believe in the "new man" who will always be honest and free of greed. Libs believe there are no truly evil people; only misunderstood "victims" of an unjust society.
The “honest leaders” to run your all powerful state don’t exist. Never have and never will. Yes, you can get a few descent leaders, but when they die, sooner or later the next leader will abuse the vast powers you’ve given him.
You like Obama and wish to give him great powers; but what happens when a Cheney or a Palin gets elected and has all that power. Too late! You’ve already given it to them.
Capitalism starts with the presumption that man is imperfect and needs checks and balances. The free market constrains dishonest people simply because no one would choose to buy their products or hire them. Does this work perfectly, no. Does it work well, yes. It works far, far better than power concentrated solely in the government.
Communism saps the human spirit, since it does not allow people the freedom to create their own businesses, to work where they wish and follow their dreams.
Anyone who tries to tell you that people can be divided into two camps, "libs" and "cons," is lying to you. Everyone has different beliefs about a whole bunch of different issues. It's not a black and white issue and most self-professed libs I know personally are against genocide in any form, anywhere, at any time. But I don't think you got those thumbs down for saying genocide is wrong. You got the thumbs down because you can't stop talking about "libs" and how delusional they are and how they're responsible for this country's problems. It must be the highly-paid radio talkers who rant and rave about how everything's government's fault that have got you so worried about communism.
Anyway I do believe in evil, personally, and what I think is evil is that someone has convinced you that there are two teams or two mindsets and one is good and one is evil. Real life is much more complicated than that and so are real people. As long as you think a large number of people are delusional and bring that to the conversation, there will be bad feelings. These talkers have discouraged respect because disrespect makes for better entertainment. But it is only entertainment, a kind that is harming the country right now.
You say any sane person is "horrified and repulsed by genocide, no matter who commits it", but is that really true?
For decades and still today Libs ignore genocide by Communists. Worse, they attack those who speak out against such atrocities. Just look above at my 10:54 post and the 37 "thumbs down" to my mention of these Communist genocides.
The words "Native Americans" [genocide] do ring in my ears and sickens my soul. I believe all Americans should confront these horrible misdeeds.
In the same spirit of humanity, I believe all people on earth, including Americans, should confront the sad reality that utopian Communism leads again and again to tyranny and mass murder.
As for waiting to "clean up our own act, before condemning others", this restriction should be rejected by all who care about humanity. Though I am not perfect, I will not stand mute while others are slaughtered.
Have Germans forfeited their right, their duty to stand against genocide? Must Japanese never condemn evil? How about the Brits, French, Spaniards, Africans? Since no nation is perfect, then can no one condemn evil?
Genierae, when will genocide by others repulse you enough for you to stand against it even though your own country is not perfect?
In spite of the fact that folks do condemn violence on the part of any government, you continue to blame all sins and allowances of same, on liberals. Why is that?
This is a continuing dichotomy that is nothing more than scapegoating. Remember, it was George W., a so called conservative (read neo-con) that attacked both Afghanistan and Iraq.
Read a genuine history of the U.S., not what is put forth by television and school textbooks, and you will see that there is no difference between the two parties. Both have participated in crimes against humanity.
Thinking folks do not support any of it anywhere on the planet.
Thank you for your condemnation of all evil. I feel compelled, however, to reject your “Tea Party White Supremacists”.
I have been active in NYC’s Tea Party (www.TeaParty365.org) and attended numerous TP events. I’ve never seen an overtly racist at any of these events and would immediately condemn such a person if I did. I’ve seen plenty of signs mocking Obama, but mocking American presidents is fair game; not prima facie evidence of racism. I am not saying that among the millions of TP activists you can't find a racist. You can. But, I can tell you that my ex-girlfriend, an "ultra Liberal" (her words) from a large, Irish Catholic family in Philadelphia (all Dem's, all Libs); told to me they have a code word for Blacks, "Canadians", so that they can talk about them (always negatively) in public. All these ultra Libs were racists. Does that make all Libs racists, no. Nor does a racist among millions of TP activist make them all White Supremacists.
NYC TP's Exec Dir, David Webb, is African American. In 2010, the TP supported 14 African-Americans for Congress (Dems opposed them all). TP’ers love African-American writers such Thomas Sowell (I really love that guy), Star Parker, Michelle Malkin (Asian), Larry Elder, Walter E Williams, etc.
Please reflect upon your prejudice in this matter.
I didn't go to Vietnam but I have remembered it and studied it well, especially recently because of its similarity to our situation in Afghanistan.
You refer to the Killing Fields of Cambodia but you apparently don't know that the U.S. supported Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.
I doubt if you have any idea how or why we got into Vietnam or any of the conditions that made it predictably unwinnable. Do you know how many Vietnamese were killed in what the Vietnamese call "The American War?" Best estimates are around 5 million civilian and military.
Regarding the people who were sent to re-education camps or killed after we left-we involved them in the war, even after we knew we would withdraw after the first Paris Peace Talks in 1968 until our 1973 Peace Accord all the way until our final withdrawal in 1975. We used the South Vietnamese and Montagnards and abandoned them to their fates. They trusted us. Big mistake........
We took over the colonial position of France after they were defeated at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 because we believed in "the Domino Theory." That was because we didn't understand Vietnamese history and their centuries old antipathy toward China because we had purged our intelligence services of all old China hands during the Mc Carthy era. You can look it up-or just believe we're always right.
"Had he and I but met/
By some old ancient inn/
We should have sat us down to wet/
Right many a nipperkin!/
"But ranged as infantry,/
And staring face to face,/
I shot at him as he at me/
And killed him in his place.
"I shot at him because--/
Because he was my foe,/
Just so: my foe of course he was;/
That's clear enough; although/
"He thought he'd 'list perhaps,/
Offhand-like-- just as I--/
Was out of work-- had sold his traps--/
No other reason why./
"Yes, quaint and curious war is!/
You shoot a fellow down/
You'd treat if met where any bar is/
Or help to half a crown."
Thomas Hardy, 1902
I remember you here in San Francisco when you joined in peaceful protests. Back then, when injustices occurred, or when we found out our government lied, and did not protect us, Bay Area citizens would gather in the streets holding hands and marching. I will never forget your compassion. Please, keep your voice strong and loud...Americans need to see through your eyes. So many Vets, our dear friends, have become silent. We need them to speak up now as you continue to. We are much like a family built on lies. It's painful when the walls of ignorance begin coming down.
With years of affection....
thank you
Last year, 2010, two of my daughters died. It was illness, not war. I think that the deep looks you exchanged with the "enemy" soldier gave him solace as he died. I am deeply touched by your story. May you be blest. With profound gratitude, Ellen
How we use the innocence of youth to "inspire" young people to "help" their nation.
I too had the opportunity to meet Ron on many occasions. I shared an apartment in Hermosa Beach and, as it was on ground level it was easy for Ron to wheel into in order to use our toilet. I can vouch for the fact that he is not an opportunist but a genuine person who learned about war the hard way.
Their main economy now is based on low wage sweat shop production for american multinational corporate high tech production facilities serving U.S. corporate interests. Irony of Ironies. These are the corporations we all now serve. Who won?
God bless the Global Economy and the interests it serves.
war is not the answer.
In the USA, war is promoted by the military industrial complex.
Just because the communists are the bad guys does not make us the good guys.
The way to handle oppressors and tortureres of their people is to advance diplomatic processes and to respond with force only if the people of a given country ask for it. Sometimes people need to solve their own problems. The people of Tunisia are working on this despite the strength of their oppressive dictatorship and the United States support of the oppressor. The people of Iran are working on this.
China began to improve conditions for its people only after the United States wised up and recognized its legitimacy and brought it into the fold of nations.
And...certainly...India was never going to go Communist completely despite the US fighting its failed war of atrocities in Vietnam. In any case, you don't save a people by killing them.
For Ron, you are one of the inspirations that keep some of us anti-war activists going year after year. Thank goodness you are still with us.
Though I never served in the military, I have seen for myself the brutality of US policies in Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador.
We forget the brutality of American slavery and its brutal conquest of the Phillipines. We do not even mention the horror of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I fear for this country and its culture of endless war embraced by so many. The US has lost its soul
The Japanese in WWII were racist imperialists who treated those they conquered as subhuman; who forced thousands of Korean women to serve as "comfort women" for their soldiers, who slaughtered a hundred thousand Chinese in Nanking usually by using them for bayonet "practice"; who brutalized the Philippines, etc. Human decency demanded they be stopped.
The Japanese soldier fought to the death. They told their civilians to commit suicide rather then be helped by Americans. If forced to invade mainland Japan, millions on both sides would have been slaughtered in the resulting carnage. The use of atomic bombs ended the war before that was necessary and saved millions including my father and uncle.
More importantly, the Japanese had just successfully test detonated their own atomic bomb and were feverishly preparing to use special submarines to carry the bomb and seaplanes so that San Francisco and L.A. could be nuked. Had we waited, or had we not dropped the second bomb, then Japan might have destroyed two American cities, the war would have continued with atomic bombs being dropped by both sides.
Thank God the war ended as quickly as it did and thus saved millions.
Compare American treatment of conquered Japan with Japanese treatment of those they conquered. This should give you great pride as an American.
Rest easy. It is not your fault or your fight.
my father and brother were both in the DDay invasion, my dad on Utah Beach, my brother on Omaha Beach. Both survived.
My younger brother was on the aircraft carrier, The Phillipine Sea about to be deployed to the Pacific when the war ended.
The Japanese were on their knees and about to surrender when the US dropped its weapons of mass destruction on two japanese cities.
There is no doubt the Japanese committed terrible attrocities.
Now, I guess it's the US' turn to continue the same.
Shock and Awe was an attrocity. So are US drones.
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