On Friday, two letter writers criticized Sen. John Kerry’s Vietnam record and stated that he would make a poor president because of what they wrote with similar letters in Monday’s paper. I find it amazing how many people have criticized Kerry while blithely ignoring President Bush’s military record.

The indisputable evidence shows that Kerry volunteered to go to Vietnam, was shot at, and certainly could have been killed while serving. Bush, with help from powerful individuals, got into the National Guard and spent some time doing what he was supposed to do. He did not volunteer to go to Vietnam, was not shot at, and didn’t save anyone’s life. There are a number of people who served with Kerry who say he was a hero, was wounded and saved the life of at least one person. Almost no one recalls Bush in the service, records on his service are missing, and there is a distinct possibility that he was AWOL (absent without official leave) during his service.

Maybe Kerry has exaggerated about his service, although there are official military records about his awards and a number of personal testimonials about his service. Similarly, Bush might be exaggerating about his record, and there is little paper work to show what he did and there is almost no one to comment on whatever he did.

I think the swift boat critics are lying about what Kerry did in Vietnam because they are angry at him for his attacks on the U.S. government and its soldiers after he returned from Vietnam. One of the captains admits that he never met Kerry in Vietnam. One who now criticizes him had praised his performance before.

If the swift boat critics didn’t follow similar groups that assaulted Sen. John McCain (who spent six years in North Vietnamese prisons) and ex-Sen. Max Cleland (who lost two legs and an arm in Vietnam), I might give them more credence, but there is a clear history of attacking Bush opponents based on their “real” military experience, which is such a cruel joke given Bush’s service record. But if the ends justify the means, dishonoring veterans is a small price to pay, at least to Bush supporters.

Kerry probably is guilty of exaggerating about his record. But he had the gonads to stand up and say that a terrible war was a terrible war. What was Bush doing at this time? I don’t know, but I have heard stories about booze and cocaine and being well taken care of as the son of a rich man, but nothing of him criticizing the war.

Carl Mize

Associate Professor

Natural Resource Ecology and Management