I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for everything you did to try to end the war in
Viet Nam.
I was an anti-war GI who served as an Army medic in the Americal Division in 1969-70. We were very much aware of the peace movement back home, and some of my fellow GIs had bought into the idea that this was somehow un-American and that it was directed against us, the individual soldiers. My response was always, “Hey, these people are trying to get our asses out of here. You think Nixon cares about you?”
To whatever extent that the FTA shows, the visit to Hanoi, and the demonstrations in the streets helped to shorten the war, I thank you and all the other public figures (like Muhammed Ali) who had something to lose by opposing the government. As a member of VVAW and VFP I have continued to defend your actions. I truly admire your passion and courage.
Let’s hope that some of the Jane-hating vets will actually read Mr. Lembcke’s book.
Wishing you continued success and much happiness,

Frank Bessinger

I was a vietnam soldier also, a lot of us, even though we were not gung ho, were taught and respected the UCMJ and particularly the Code of Conduct. He violated that Code seriously by giving info to the “enemy” as he admits.

Now take into consideraation that his father an Admiral was the ranking officer in charge of Vietnam and his son a POW was spilling his guts to the world and admitting he bombed women and children in city bombings, then you will realize why his father hardly spoke to him when he returned home. All of this is according to his own autobiography “Faith of our Fathers”

So Jane Fonda who was a peace activist and in fact helped the troops morale in the FTA shows was an easy target and very handy in excusing our imperialism and loss to the North Vietnamese and misdirecting the attention of the right wingers who would have strung McCain up if they had known the truth.

So everybody was directed to you and the left as the reasons we lost that war. It was so vicious it was suspicious (sorry for the unintentional rhyme) and helped cover-up the real traitor, McCain. He certainly was responsible for great damage to our image by his TV and radio broadcasts to the whole world, except the USA.

I think they were laying cover because of your trip to North Vietnam, the possibility that you knew of his actual situation and that you spoke French which I assume means you could communicate with most Vietnamese. And now we find McCain had his interrogation records sealed.

Imagine the Commanding General of Armed Forces in Iraq, and lets say his son an officer, was a POW, and was telling the rest of the world we were killing Iraqi women and children etc. Big Story? Unimaginably big.

One little item shows how McCain was part of this was his lack of class when he had to take a cheap shot at Tom Hayden (and Jane) as he remarked in his book that Tom Hayden “reluctantly” delivered a letter from his mother, what a petty and cheap shot, and offensive.

When I see McCain he disgusts me deeply, he is such a phony, and when I returned from Vietnam and heard what you had actually done, I had no problem defending you when they seemed to amp up the hatred of you.

I don’t mind if you delete my post, I just wanted you to know there are other theories out here, because something was driving this hatred and you didn’t deserve it, the nation owes you an apology and we deserve the truth.