I have for several weeks contemplated the nominations of two former Vietnam vets to Obama’s administration and the position of one veteran in the political arena.
The three are Colin Powell, John Kerry and Chuck Hagel. It can be said of Powell and Hagel that their combat service was honorable, Kerry’s is subject to scrutiny at best. My problem is wondering what happen to these guys’ value system after they entered politics. Allow me to analyze each.
I recently watched Colin Powell on Fox News, the O’Reilly factor. He was asked about his sudden turn around from Republican values to a seemingly Democratic position on everything from the economy to Obama’s handling of the Nation’s affairs.
I must say I was greatly disappointed by his answers and concluded he is a Republican in name only and I suspect he will soon switch parties.
What is so disturbing is that Powell started at the bottom and worked his way up the ladder of success to become a four-star general, no easy task to say the least, however it appears he has bought into Obama’s socialist agenda of spreading the wealth around in other words a left-leaning liberal.
As of this writing Kerry has been confirmed as secretary of state, but as a veteran of Vietnam (1967-68), 23rd Infantry Division, I still have some issues with Kerry.
As I stated earlier his combat record is subject to scrutiny but what bothers me more was his conduct after returning to the states.
He has admitted to throwing his medals over the fence at the White House and at a Congressional hearing stated (while troops were still in the field) that they conducted themselves like animals akin to Genghis Khan, raping and killing Vietnam civilians.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. The troops I served with served with honor and nothing less. His anti-war position will be interesting to watch as he conducts the State Department’s business. Will there be another Libya controversy, only time will tell.
And finally, Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense. It appears that Hagel’s past remarks have come back to bite him, especially his position on Israel. According to him, Israel is using its power to manipulate our politicians to support their positions.
And his Iran views are off the chart. He apparently thinks negotiations will cause Iran to stop building atomic weapons. Fat chance.
And then we have North Korea, China, Syria, the Middle East. It is my personal view the Obama administration could do much better at picking a Secretary of Defense. We don’t need someone who is nothing more than a stamp for Obama’s positions.
In closing allow me to state for the record, I am extremely proud of my Vietnam service, and I still hold to the conservative viewpoint that states this is still the country of opportunities if you are willing to work hard to achieve your goals. God Bless America!!
Terry Copeland
Cumberland
Opinion
These three Vietnam veterans could stand some scrutiny
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