John Kerry Testimony: "The Last Man to Die for a Mistake" - Vietnam War Hearing Part 2 (1971)

April 22, 1971 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000646MMA?ie=UTF8&tag=doc06-20&link... Watch the full testimony: http://thefilmarchived.blogspot.com/2010/09/john-kerry-testimony-at-vietnam-w...

After returning to the United States, Kerry joined the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW). Then numbering about 20,000, VVAW was considered by some (including the administration of President Richard Nixon) to be an effective, if controversial, component of the antiwar movement.

On April 22, 1971, Kerry became the first Vietnam veteran to testify before Congress about the war, when he appeared before a Senate committee hearing on proposals relating to ending the war. He was still a member of the United States Navy Reserve, holding the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. Wearing green fatigues and service ribbons, he spoke for nearly two hours with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in what has been named the Fulbright Hearing, after the Chairman of the proceedings, Senator J.W. Fulbright. Kerry began with a prepared speech, in which he presented the conclusions of the Winter Soldier Investigation, and then went on to address larger policy issues.

The day after this testimony, Kerry participated in a demonstration with thousands of other veterans in which he and other veterans threw their medals and ribbons over a fence erected at the front steps of the United States Capitol building to dramatize their opposition to the war. Jack Smith, a Marine, read a statement explaining why the veterans were returning their military awards to the government. For more than two hours, almost 1000 angry veterans tossed their medals, ribbons, hats, jackets, and military papers over the fence. Each veteran gave his or her name, hometown, branch of service and a statement. As Kerry threw his decorations over the fence, his statement was: "I'm not doing this for any violent reasons, but for peace and justice, and to try and make this country wake up once and for all." The documentary film Sir! No Sir! includes archival footage of Kerry at the demonstration: he is one of several young men seen throwing things over the fence.

The My Lai Massacre was the mass murder conducted by a unit of the U.S. Army on March 16, 1968 of 347 to 504 unarmed citizens in South Vietnam, all of whom were civilians and a majority of whom were women, children (including babies) and elderly people.

Many of the victims were sexually abused, beaten, tortured, and some of the bodies were found mutilated. The massacre took place in the hamlets of My Lai and My Khe of Son My village during the Vietnam War. While 26 U.S. soldiers were initially charged with criminal offenses for their actions at My Lai, only William Calley was convicted. He served only three years of an original life sentence, while on house arrest.

When the incident became public knowledge in 1969, it prompted widespread outrage around the world. The massacre also increased domestic opposition to the US involvement in the Vietnam War. Three U.S. servicemen who made an effort to halt the massacre and protect the wounded were denounced by U.S. Congressmen, received hate mail and death threats and found mutilated animals on their doorsteps. Only 30 years after the event were their efforts honored.

The massacre is also known as the Son My Massacre or sometimes as the Song My Massacre. The U.S. military codeword for the hamlet was Pinkville.

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[TheIraqveteran]

39 yrs later shit still the same these politicians haven't learned a damn thing giving history repeat itself it true meaning.

[lethrneck4]

Only in american politics can a true war hero like kerry be demonized by a draft dodger like bush over his war record, then again bush took shots at mccains military record too, amaizingly it won bush 2 elections, way to be played america..twice...by a buffoon

[juansihi]

Oh! what a useful idiot johnny Kerry was. he' a clear example of what a leftwing liberal mental illness not to know or to see how the communist enemy was in north vietnam attacking & conquering the south as it happened in Korean war 'cause the treason of H Truman not authorizing Douglas McCarthur. Learn the US History of Wars or we'll still be Conndemed.

[cindiburkey]

@acdc30450 Who are you to say what went on in another person's head. I mean, really.

[cindiburkey]

@lethrneck4 Bush didn't win either election. King Lincoln Bronzeville vs. Kenneth Blackwell: he didn't win Ohio in 2004, Kerry did.

[pnoozi]

this man should have been president in 2004

[kyletango]

@WARXDEVILXALAN They say that he is of french decent. I could have told them that. He was ready to surrender before he got to Vietnam.

[strungoutonthewire]

@eeelz1 Bruce Springsteen is. Check out his "Last to Die" on Magic album.

[WARXDEVILXALAN]

Fuck this bitche he lied about being a hero and about saving people n getting a purpleheart this bitch is gay

[DougWardBlammo]

John. It's just business.

[acdc30450]

@mannyftw Granted, the majority of vets DON'T have PTSD or "can deal with it". But what Kerry is describing is the absolute WORST of what can happen in war. If any human really witnessed all of what Kerry is saying first hand, they would have some kind of psycological scar, no matter how small. But Kerry looks like he has never had a hard day in his entire life.