As a young bride in 1970, I walked through the Denver airport with my injured husband, a veteran of the Vietnamese War as we headed for home after his release from the Marine Corps. Dressed in his uniform, his head bandaged from a severe shrapnel wound, limping from numerous injuries to other parts of his body, various people spat on him, called him names and booed him as we passed through the terminal.
My husband fought in that war, one started under the pretense of an attack that never happened against the US, by Lyndon Johnson. Like our soldiers of today he believed he was fighting for his country, for freedom and was prepared to give his life in that war and very nearly did so. And like our soldiers of today, had to come to the realization that he was simply a pawn for government and corporate interests.
While I vehemently oppose the current wars, I would never under any circumstances oppose, denigrate or diminish those who have and who do serve. I would have enough sense to remember they fought for us.
I also remember Hanoi Jane. I remember the rage at this woman’s betrayal of our soldiers who suffered at the hands of the North Vietnamese because of her betrayal. And Obama wants to honor her? For what? Marti
_______________________________________________________
Barbara Walters & Comments on Jane Fonda
She can lead her present life the way she wants and perhaps SHE can
forget the past, but we DO NOT have to stand by without comment to see
that she is “honored” as a “Woman of the Century”.
Never Forgive A Traitor
Jane Fonda is being honored as one of the ‘100 Women of the Century’.
BARBARA WALTERS WRITES:
Unfortunately, many have forgotten and still countless others have
never known how Ms. Fonda betrayed not only the idea of our country,
but specific men who served and sacrificed during Vietnam .
The first part of this is from an F-4E pilot. The pilot’s name is
Jerry Driscoll, a River Rat.
In 1968, the former Commandant of the USAF Survival School was a POW in
Ho Lo Prison the ‘ Hanoi Hilton’.
Dragged from a stinking cesspit of a cell, cleaned, fed, and dressed in
clean PJ’s, he was ordered to describe for a visiting American ‘Peace
Activist’ the ‘lenient and humane treatment’ he’d received.
He spat at Ms. Fonda, was clubbed, and was dragged away. During the
subsequent beating, he fell forward on to the camp Commandant ‘s feet,
which sent that officer berserk.
In 1978, the Air Force Colonel still suffered from double vision (which
permanently ended his flying career) from the Commandant’s frenzied
application of a wooden baton.
From 1963-65, Col. Larry Carrigan was in the 47FW/DO (F-4E’s). He
spent 6 years in the ‘Hanoi Hilton’, the first three of which his
family only knew he was ‘missing in action’. His wife lived on faith
that he was still alive. His group, too, got the cleaned-up, fed and
clothed routine in preparation for a ‘peace delegation’ visit.
They, however, had time and devised a plan to get word to the world
that they were alive and still survived. Each man secreted a tiny
piece of paper, with his Social Security Number on it, in the palm of
his hand.
When paraded before Ms. Fonda and a cameraman, she walked the line,
shaking each man’s hand and asking little encouraging snippets like:
‘Aren’t you sorry you bombed babies?’ and ‘Are you grateful for the
humane treatment from your benevolent captors?’ Believing this HAD to
be an act, they each palmed her their sliver of paper.
She took them all without missing a beat. At the end of the line and
once the camera stopped rolling, to the shocked disbelief of the POWs,
she turned to the officer in charge and handed him all the little
pieces of paper.
Three men died from the subsequent beatings. Colonel Carrigan was
almost number four, but he survived, which is the only reason we know
of her actions that day.
I was a civilian economic development advisor in Vietnam , and was
captured by the North Vietnamese communists in South Vietnam in 1968,
and held prisoner for over 5 years.
I spent 27 months in solitary confinement; one year in a cage in
Cambodia ; and one year in a ‘black box’ in Hanoi . My North
Vietnamese captors deliberately poisoned and murdered a female
missionary, a nurse in a leprosarium in Banme Thuot , South Vietnam ,
whom I buried in the jungle near the Cambodian border. At one time, I
weighed only about 90 lbs. (My normal weight is 170 lbs.)
We were Jane Fonda’s ‘war criminals’.
When Jane Fonda was in Hanoi , I was asked by the camp communist
political officer if I would be willing to meet with her.
I said yes, for I wanted to tell her about the real treatment we POWs
received and how different it was from the treatment purported by the
North Vietnamese, and parroted by her as ‘humane and lenient’.
Because of this, I spent three days on a rocky floor on my knees, with
my arms outstretched with a large steel weight placed on my hands, and
beaten with a bamboo cane.
I had the opportunity to meet with Jane Fonda soon after I was
released. I asked her if she would be willing to debate me on TV. She
never did answer me.
These first-hand experiences do not exemplify someone who should be
honored as part of ‘100 Years of Great Women’. Lest we forget….’100
Years of Great Women’ should never include a traitor whose hands are
covered with the blood of so many patriots.
There are few things I have strong visceral reactions to, but Hanoi
Jane’s participation in blatant treason, is one of them. Please take the
time to forward to as many people as you possibly can. It will
eventually end up on her computer and she needs to know that we will
never forget.
RONALD D. SAMPSON, CMSgt,
USAF 716 Maintenance Squadron,
Chief of Maintenance DSN: 875-6431 COMM: 883-6343
PLEASE HELP BY SENDING THIS TO EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK.
IF ENOUGH PEOPLE SEE THIS MAYBE HER STATUS WILL CHANGE.
Carol Knox
Oct 09, 2011 @ 14:04:39
I didn’t say I “forgot.” I am a Vietnam veteran (1963-65) and I did not say that Jane Fonda should have been honored. Jane Fonda is a TRAITOR and should have been tried as such. She is dispicable in every way and I have not changed my mind about that.
I said the email was a lie–she is not “being honored” (she was 11 years ago by Barbara Walters and by Ladies Home Journal). She did not take the slips of paper veterans gave her and give them to the enemy. She brought them home with her (and they were shown on TV and parts were published). Those are proven FACTS. The email should not be circulating. No one is trying to honor her now–this happened 11 years ago.
In addition, every one of the military people who were supposedly beaten have said that is not true–that they were not beaten because of something she did.
Again, Jane Fonda is a dispicable human being and a traitor. But, truth is truth and the email about her “being honored” is not true. She WAS honored–in another decade–by the very person the email says “never liked her.”
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ppjg
Oct 09, 2011 @ 13:40:18
I personally don’t give a rat’s patoot if you saw Barbara Walters on her knees kissing Fonda’s behind! I lived thru this along with my husband of the time. This woman should not be honored for anything by anyone. I also remember her on TV with Tom Haydon bragging about what they had done and calling our military murderers and baby killers. SHe also made numerous appearances on college campuses after this incident bragging about what she and Haydon had done. Don’t come here now telling me this didn’t happen and that she should be honored.
Maybe you found it convenient to forget……I have not.
Marti
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Carol Knox
Oct 09, 2011 @ 12:29:38
http://www.factcheck.org/2010/11/blame-jane-falsehoods/
This is a LIE. Jane Fonda was honored 11 years ago by Ladies Home Journal, then by Barbara Walters.
There is no record of veterans being beaten in prison or other claims made in this blog. It’s all a LIE–except the part about Jane Fonda being “recognized as one of the 100 most influential people in the 20th Century.”
You people, PLEASE look for TRUTH. If Barbara Walters was the person who honored her on her show (and I watched it), you know she would not be saying the things attributed to her in his post. Search for truth–please! Let’s not perpetuate falsehoods and outright LIES. That is what this is.
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Tatiana
Oct 03, 2011 @ 08:49:44
I don’t know what to think of Jane Fonda after I have read your message… I think she was not aware of what she was doing in Hanoi at that time. She was young and confused. I have always respected her for speaking her mind about the war. She wrote:
“I went (to Hanoi) because I wanted to expose the lies of the Nixon administration and help stop the killing on both sides. I believe the trip made it harder for Nixon to distract the public’s attention from his escalation of the air war, and perhaps it helped end the bombing of the dikes… I wanted to speak to U. S. pilots as I had done on so many occasions… I did not ask them to desert… Nothing I did caused any POWs to be tortured… I do regret that I allowed myself to get into a situation where I was photographed on an antiaircraft gun…” (source: http://www.famous-women-and-beauty.com)
Is it patriotic to try to stop the war the way she did? I strongly doubt this was right (think Jane Fonda doubts her own actions in Vietnam as well).
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nedlud
Sep 18, 2011 @ 10:24:20
The stories of ordinary people, living their real lives, perhaps unexceptionally (or perhaps not) but for the most part honestly, far outweigh the tales and ‘adventures’, and, causes of celebrities, of politicians and of rich people.
When we die, I hope we go to Heaven.
When they die, I hope they go to Hell.
May it be so.
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Christian
Sep 18, 2011 @ 05:29:41
First of all I served when I was young and dumb and did not know the UNITED STATES in all caps was a corporation. Now I am in my 3rd year of law study and I know better! It was a commercial action with personal agendas just like all the rest! Jane was partially right and congress did not approve it just like some of the current commercial actions! Look up the UNITED STATES in all caps on Cornells law web site and on Dunn and Bradstreet! Do the same for the all caps UNITED STATES MARINES or the others! We were armed corporate slaves! That is all! The only threat is to the business agendas to the upper 1% that owns us as chattel and farm animals! Get the TRUTH in there! http://www.edrivera.com & http://www.constitutionpreservation.org & http://www.barefootsworld .net& http://www.marcstevens.net & http://www.hemphasis.net and study TRUTH! NATO is murdering civilians right now who did nothing! Its all a game with the 99% used as pawns for the lust for power, money, oil, minerals, land! PERIOD! READ your Bibles and WAKE the HELL up SHEEPLE!
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Louie Cocroft
Sep 18, 2011 @ 05:08:52
THE PENTAGON PAPERS
http://tucsoncitizen.com/veteranveritas/2010/05/05/the-most-dangerous-man-in-americadaniel-elsberg/
Veteran Veritas
Advocacy for our Veterans
The Most Dangerous Man In America:Daniel Ellsberg
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Gene
Sep 17, 2011 @ 21:18:09
Dear Sir:
I read a reason why Jane Fonda said she was against the war and an explanation of how shw became to be called a traitor on an internet website whose news I receive. It may have to do with a book she wrote.
I don’t know whether to believe it, but it is easy to pretend things when the only witness to your intentions and behavior is your conscience and Ego and it can;t be otherwise proven..
But we live in an age where there are powers who control this world andcould make the most evil man or women who ever lived a hero if they wanted him or her to be one..
And the Evil people who betray this country and its people every day, every week, every month , every year, every decade, every generation, do make their heros .
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