THE BOSTON MANIFESTO

Here is the link to a remarkable document: The Boston Manifesto.

What follows is the Manifesto’s explanatory note. I encourage you to read the Manifesto’s Executive Summary (via the link above) and consult the supportive documentation. -JW

For four days beginning on July 26, 2004, a group of Vietnam veterans, scholars, and experts—including recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, several former Special Forces officers and enlisted men, and veterans who have taught about the war at the high school, college, and graduate school levels —gathered at a small college in Boston to examine the “Myths of the Vietnam War.”

Their hope was to take advantage of the renewed interest in the war resulting from the expected nomination of Senator John F. Kerry as the Democratic Party candidate for President of the United States to promote a national dialogue about Vietnam, its myths, and legitimate lessons. After the conference formally adjourned, several of the participants expressed a strong sense of betrayal over the conduct of John Kerry after his return to the United States following brief service in Vietnam and voiced outrage over his nomination.

Soon others joined the conversation, and a consensus was reached to set forth some of the reasons for this widespread outrage. The statement that follows is the result of that effort. It is a consensus effort, and not every veteran who was in the room necessarily agrees with every point made.

We do agree that the election of John Forbes Kerry as President of the United States would be yet another betrayal of those who served honorably in Vietnam and remain proud of that service, which public opinion polls tell us includes more than 90 percent of all Vietnam veterans.

For the purpose of preparing and releasing this document we have informally organized ourselves as the “Vietnam Veterans to Correct the Myths” (VVCM), an unincorporated voluntary association. No funds have been raised or expended in the name of VVCM, which does not endorse any specific candidate for public office All views expressed are those of the individuals involved. We release this Manifesto on the Internet to be considered on its own merits. Others may distribute it, endorse it, ignore it, or attempt to refute it at their pleasure. Should Mr. Kerry wish to debate our facts or conclusions, we will be most happy to accommodate him.