I began building this website: VIETNAM VETS ... WELCOME HOME seven years ago.   I had ONE goal in mind and that was just as the title says ... I wanted to WELCOME HOME ALL Vietnam Veterans.   I never wanted this site to be one that supported the war in Vietnam anymore than I wanted it to be one that condemned what we did while in Vietnam.   I just wanted to WELCOME HOME MY BROTHERS!

I was never interested in politics until I got a job with CNN in 1998.   My basic job was to ensure that other people using the CNN network abided by certain rules which included NO PROFANITY or PERSONAL ATTACKS on another person on that network.   During the 2000 election, I witnessed the partisan comments and the growing polarity in both political parties.   Negative attacks and comments on each candidate were common place which was not particularly surprising to me.    What did bother me though was the absolute hatred that existed between both parties..

It's four years later and again the country is divided as many voters continue to HATE anybody who doesn't agree with them or the way their candidate feels.   If this is what "politics" is about ... it's a shame but so be it.   I can live with the lies and the dirty politics employed by BOTH parties with ONE EXCEPTION.    What I simply cannot be silent about is the attack on a fellow Vietnam Veteran.   I have become nauseated with the endless politically motivated emails I receive from others who choose to attack Kerry for reasons that this namvet cannot understand.   It's possible by that last sentence that some readers are saying, "Damn just another Liberal.   I am an INDEPENDANT voter and I don't say this with any pride, but I have NEVER voted in my life.    WHY?   Politics have simply not interested me enough to care.

Kerry returned from Vietnam and spoke out against the war.   I am aware that this angers and hurts many Vietnam Veterans who honorably served in Vietnam; I happen to be one of those Vietnam Vets who honorably served.   I also believe with all my heart that if Kerry feels the way he does about Vietnam, then who are we to question that?   Is he not still a fellow Vietnam Veteran Brother?   Senator John McCain certainly feels that he is his BROHTER.   This latest advertisement regarding Kerry's Vietnam experrience is being funded by other Swift Boat Vietnam Veterans who say they "served" with him.   That does NOT mean that they knew him.   It's no different than me saying that I "served" with the 1st Marine Division. I hardly knew all of those Marines, however. "technically" I did "serve" with them.   Claiming that Kerry is unpatriotic, un-American and is a dishonorable man is absolutely DESPICABLE.   Since I "praised" President Bush in 2000 when he spoke of being a compassionate conservative and promised to bring both parties together, I can't help but to question why our Commander In Chief allows this TV commercial to continue.   He could very easily condemn it and request that it be taken off the air.   Why hasn't he done that?   I've tried to remain as apolitical as I could regarding these words, however, PLEASE send your HATE mail to Roy Stanford, fellow Vietnam Veteran as I have to assume from other contacts that if I don't completly support President Bush I, too am unpatriotic, etc.