[Jack Moroney (RIP)]

Kerry's actions also had an impact on a lot of folks. While no one may be able to hold him accountable for his actions, he did have an impact on me to a very minor degree. At the time of his testimony I was in graduate school in Maine with all the liberal tree hugging, tie dye wearing, unbathed, shoeless, bearded, beaded, ponytail sporting slugs that infested the college campuses of the day. These fine folk did not realize that I had any affiliation with the military. I can remember going into my first class and sitting behind one of these "patriots" who had a US Flag sewn on his butt and shortly thereafter the bantering started about the Winter Soldier testimony and how all VN soldiers were baby killers, etc,, etc. I sat quietly, said nothing until the clown with the flag asked me why I had nothing to contribute to which I replied that I was one of the folks that he was running down, that I killed no more women and children than I could eat, and that if he showed up tomorrow with that flag sewn on his ass I would personally feed it to him. What really was happening here was that those of us that were going to stay in the military were less affected by these times than those that had just left the military but were proud of their service. They were no longer part of the military and were essentially social outcasts from the public who would always looks at them with the same broad brush that Kerry had painted all VN vets. It was going to taint everything that they tried to do in public life from this point on. Those of us in the military community were part of the military "family" but those that were no longer in the military were essentially lepers. We just had no forum to state our piece until the Swift Boats folks started bringing this all up again. This has probably been the first time that I can remember where folks are actually beginning to listen to the truth about what went on and a lot of the myths are being blown apart. Kerry has now, through his own self-serving efforts, brought this thing back into the light and I am even getting questions from my kids (who were born in the 60s) about things they were afraid to ask. So while Kerry made us all outcasts in the 70s he has now inadvertantly allowed some open and honest discussion for those of us who up to this day were all considered war criminals. Just my .00000002 cents.

Jack Moroney