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Right-Wing Vets For Freedom Attacks Hagel?s Military Service: ?Show Me What Battle He Fought In Iraq?

August 21, 2008 on 12:11 am |

Today on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, a caller questioned Vets for Freedom (VFF) founder David Bellavia about the group’s attacks on Vietnam veteran Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE). Bellavia quickly praised Hagel, saying he was a “patriot.” “You don’t question another man’s service,” said Bellavia.” “I will never attack a Vietnam veteran, like some of these other individuals have during this political season.”

Content he paid enough lip-service to Hagel, he then began attacking the senator, an outspoken critic of the Bush administration. Bellavia’s dismissed the Hagel’s service in Vietnam — for which he earned a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge — as irrelevant to the current conflict:

BELLAVIA: Sen. Hagel has never been shot at in Iraq, he’s never seen what an IED looks like or been detonated on. This is an individual that could embed himself instead of doing a two-day congressional delegation. Go out there, walk with the troops, see what’s going on on the ground. […]

Now, again, with Sen. Hagel — my problem with Sen. Hagel is, again, his experienced is based on what? The Mekong Delta. It’s based to Vietnam, a totally different fight, a totally different enemy, and by the way, it was 30 years ago.

Watch it:

It’s doubtful there any military experts who would agree with Bellavia that there’s nothing to learn from past U.S. conflicts. In 2000, President Bush even said, “A generation shaped by Vietnam must remember the lessons of Vietnam.” Bellavia and VFF also have no problem with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), even though he also fought in a war “30 years ago.”

VFF is largely a front group for the Bush administration, with their supposedly “objective” work being pushed by former White House officials. The organization has gone after lawmakers, such as Hagel and Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA), who have dared to oppose the Bush administration’s policies in Iraq.

Additionally, just because Bellavia and other VFF members have served in Iraq doesn’t mean that they speak for all U.S. troops. Other soldiers and veterans — including groups like VoteVets — are increasingly rejecting the Bush administration’s policies.

Transcript: (more…)