Union Vets - Opinions

Vietnam Veterans Agains John Kerry and Vietnamese-American Organizations Coalition Announce Plans For A Portest Demonstration Against John Kerry

Where: New York City, 373 Park Avenue South (between 26th and 27ths Streets) across from Kerry's campaign headquarters.
When: February 28, 2004
Time: 12:00 noon
Coalition spokesman: Jerry Kiley, New York spokesman and demonstration coordinator Mike Benge, a US POW in Vietnam for 5 years is available for interviews, Peter Nguyen, General Council of the Vietnamese Community of NY, will be available for interviews.

Vietnam Veterans Against John Kerry (V.V.A.J.K.) has formed a national coalition with Vietnamese Americans for Human Rights in Vietnam. "We represent hundreds of thousands of American veterans who do not want to see John Kerry any where near the Oval Office", said Ted Sampley, founder of V.V.A.J.K., and a U.S. Army Green Beret and veteran of two combat tours in Vietnam.

Said Sampley, "I have personally dealt with John Kerry on the issue of US POWs left behind in Vietnam. Kerry is not truthful and is not worthy of the support of the US Veterans. Many Vietnam Vets have been duped into thinking Kerry is their friend. He is not. to us, he is 'Hanoi John'".

Dan Tran, a NASA engineer and president of the Vietnam Human Rights project, said, "John Kerry aided and abetted the communist government in Hanoi and has hindered any human rights progress in Vietnam."

Mike Benge, former civilian Vietnam POW says, "John Kerry has fought harder for the Vietnamese communists than he fought against them in Vietnam. In the Senate, Kerry almost single handedly prevented a Vietnam Human Rights (and religious freedom) Bill from coming to a vote. Meanwhile the Vietnamese communists continue to wage a ware of repression against our former South Vietnamese allies and war of genocide against the Montagnard ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands of Vietnam."

Chau Nguyen, President of the Vietnamese Community in NY said, "Pastors, Priests, and Buddhist Monks are being held against their will and many are beaten close to death on a regular basis."

When Kerry returned from military service in Vietnam he became a national leader and spokesperson of Vietnam Veterans Against the War. In his role, Hanoi John campaigned against the efforts of the United States to contain the spread of communism throughout Southeast Asia. Under Kerry's leadership, VVAW members marched in demonstrations under the flags of the Viet Cong enemy and displayed pictures of Ho Chi Minh. They mocked the uniform of the United States soldiers by wearing tattered fatigues, many marked with pro-communist graffiti.

In congressional testimony Hanoi John called the US involvement in Vietnam "a genocide against the Vietnamese people" and referred to his former comrades as "war criminals." the false image and social stigma portraying Vietnam Vets as "drug-addicted baby killers and mindless drones" can be traced directly to John Kerry and his VVAW.

Dan Tran, speaking as a member of Vietnamese Americans Against John Kerry said, "on behalf of tens of thousands of Vietnamese-Americans, we are determined to demonstrate against Senator Kerry all across this nation."

The Coalition plans nationwide demonstrations against Kerry beginning with the New York primary.

"My resolve is the same as it was on the day when I walked in the rubble of the twin towers," Bush said, his voice breaking. "I will not relent until this threat to America is removed."
President G.W. Bush
17 Feb 04