Nightline: The day Kerry killed a man (Vietnam)

[gauguin57]

Tonight's Nightline focuses on the day John Kerry had to kill a man in Vietnam.

Here's the daily email.

NIGHTLINE: One Day 35 Years Ago

Nightline Daily E-Mail
June 22, 2004

TONIGHT'S FOCUS: It happened about 35 years ago in Vietnam. He doesn't like to talk about it much, but John Kerry killed a man. Up close. That happens in war, but it's also something that soldiers carry with them the rest of their lives. What happened that day?


We are all the products of our experiences, and our memories, like it or not. The events of our lives shape us in ways we understand, and in some ways that remain mysterious. We carry with us, the older we get, a huge suitcase full of triumphs, failures, loves found and lost, and apparently meaningless events that somehow stay fresh in our minds. That's true for everyone. But men and women who go through war carry with them things that most people can never understand. The stress, the humor found where no humor should exist, the sheer terror followed by the exhilaration of survival, the crushing loss of friends, and for some, the memory of taking another life. Many veterans won't talk about their experiences, certainly not to anyone who wasn't there.

Much has been made of John Kerry's service in Vietnam. It has become part of the campaign, cited by both friends and opponents. But one day back in February of 1969, John Kerry had to kill a man at close quarters. He received the Silver Star for his actions that day. And surely that experience, as well as his total experience in Vietnam, has shaped him into the man that he has become. And the candidate. And he doesn't like to talk about it. So correspondent Jake Tapper sat down with some of Kerry's crewmates, who were with him that day, to hear their account of what happened, and to look at how that experience might have affected him.

Does that experience mean that he would be a good President or a poor one? There's no way to know, but it clearly was one of the pivotal events in his life, and for that reason we think it's worth looking at. Ted will anchor tonight, and I hope you'll join us.

Leroy Sievers and the Nightline Staff
Nightline Offices
ABC News Washington Bureau

[in_cog_ni_to]

1. That will be very painful for John Kerry.

Why is Nightline doing this? What does killing a man in war have to do with whether Kerry will be a good or bad President? That's ridiculous. IMCPO

[Shakespeare]

2. I don't think it's ridiculous-but it IS very powerful....

....and not necessarily in a way detrimental to Kerry. Recall Donna Brazile and Mario Cuomo both saying in recent weeks that Kerry should stand up and say "I killed for my country." Put that next to that lightweight in the flight suit.

[gauguin57]

3. He killed a man in war ...

... so he knows, so much better than Daddy-got-me-in-the-Guard Chimpy, what death in war in like. AND what it does to a military person to have to kill for his or her country. Is that not the kind of guy you'd rather have as Commander-in-Chief?

[in_cog_ni_to]

5. OK, I was looking at it from a different angle.

From Kerry's "personal" view of it. I know my husband STILL is emotional over having killed people in WWII. He hates to talk about it. I knew a guy who served in Vietnam and was an emotional mess when he came home. I see and understand your view of this and yes, this could be a good thing for Kerry if it's compared to the chimps non-service.

[army12]

4. this is a riot

I sure hope the guy was armed!

talk about sinking low

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ShaneGR]

7. Eh?

Of course he was armed. It has been well documented. By he and the people on the boat he was commanding.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

19. I'm sure 'army12' is not overly concerned over the facts of JK's service.

Welcome to DU by the way, army12! Enjoy your stay!

[Octafish]

10. Nothing funny about it. Could your conscience handle it?

Lt. Kerry earned a Silver Star in that battle. On a night patrol, his boat was attacked from shore. Rather than turning and running, he wheeled the boat directly toward the line of fire. Kerry reasoned that heading toward the fire minimized his boat as a target. They beached and engaged the enemy. One guy popped up and pointed an RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) at his wheelhouse. The weapon did not fire and the soldier turned to run. Kerry jumped ashore and chased the man down and shot him dead.

Kerry later earned a Bronze Star while rescuing a Green Beret officer who had been aboard a boat that hit a mine. Kerry held on to the wounded man, who was weighed down by equipment, while under fire. Kerry also was wounded in the arm.

I'd like to learn more about this stuff. I just wished it had never happened. But the nightmare that was Vietnam did.

BTW: What the fuck did George Bush ever do for his country?

Lastly: A hearty welcome to DU army12! Hope you enjoy your stay.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

14. He was the enemy at that time, and yes, the man was armed....

Based on your post, I find it ironic that you would make a statement about "sinking low".

[JI7]

8. they should report on what Bush did in his past also

[gauguin57]

9. just bumping this

for the night shift.

[Doctor_J]

11. what * was doing that day

while JFK was forced to take a life to defend the country, * was passed out face down in his own vomit from having misjudged his tolerance for beer & cocaine.

[merh]

12. Did you see that the AP has filed suit to try to get GWB's guard

records that are being hidden at the bush library. I didn't think they had it in them, but they filed suit. There was a thread on it earliery today.

Maybe if AP is successful, we will see what weed boy didn't do during the vietnam war.

Edited to include link: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1837829

[gauguin57]

13. they're saying the killing

was a "defining moment" for Kerry "as a soldier and as a man," but they haven't explained why or how they know that. They're making a big deal about Kerry not wanting to talk about the actual killing. That's understandable to me ...

Jake Tapper keeps talking about how Kerry is hesitant to talk about the killing -- "... so we're going to ask his swift-boat crew how they felt after they killed people."

CRIMONY ... they keep saying "it left a mark on the Senator that we may never understand." What a whole lot of nothin'!!! What is the point of this broadcast -- to tell the country Kerry is a killer and refuses to talk about it? This is pissing me off. It just seems they're making no point -- just trying to stir up a hornet's nest (one that many, many veterans INCLUDING MY FATHER, who had to kill a German soldier in WWII, have had to live with all their lives).

[Yavin4]

15. Give Bush Some Credit

Let's see you snort a kilo of coke and drink a bottle of Jack all in one night, and then live to tell about it.

[gauguin57]

16. Ted Koppel just said ..

that the Republicans in the Senate intentionally delayed today's vote on veterans benefits so that Kerry would not be able to make it to a scheduled fundraiser in California. BASTARDS!

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

22. "I've fought in wars, and I've had meanass hangovers after a hard night of

beer bonging! And I'll take war fighting anyday!"

[daleo]

17. What about Pickles?

I thought she killed a man too.

[JI7]

18. and it wasn't in self defense either

as was the case with kerry.

[ironflange]

20. Hell, Chimpy killed plenty of guys, mean dangerous ones

Simply by not picking up the phone.

[elf]

21. My head is spinning

does this mean, somebody is qualified for the highest office, when he killed a person, or what?

I think I'm living in the wrong country,
I realy should leave..........

or did I missunderstood?x(

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

23. No I think the idea behind the show was to show that ACTUALLY FIGHTING

in a war, and killing others, has a profound impact on people's lives (kind of obvious I know but still sometimes there is value in actually showing this). I don't think the thrust was that you need to be a killer to be pres. But I only caught the last min or so and didn't really see it or what was said.