During his testimony for the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, John Kerry, representing himself and other men who served, wanted to show the horror many soldiers faced after the war and the many problems he as well as other veterans saw within the war. The purpose of his testimony was to stand up for what really went on in Vietnam and the need to resolve it. Kerry’s motive was stated with determination to end the war and heal the veterans who suffered during their time in Vietnam and continue to suffer after returning home.
Kerry blames the administration and leadership. Kerry felt that the administration led American people to believe the war in Vietnam was a different situation than what was actually going on. Kerry made a point that men were going to Vietnam to die for no reason and if they were lucky enough to survive, they came home ashamed and betrayed. Kerry believes that the administration had turned their backs on them and used them to accomplish their goal. Some felt abandoned by our leaders and felt their fight was for nothing. Veterans were returning home to be left alone and developed no sense of purpose for their lives. Some men did not even survive after making it home dying in VA hospitals or contemplating suicide. Due to the lack of support, which they needed most, veterans felt deserted and abandoned by their leaders.
In Kerry’s support of the anti-war movement, he believed there was no reason for the war and that we as Americans were the only thing hurting Vietnam, he wanted the blame to be shared and to stop blaming the Viet Cong for everything that happened. He felt the administration were hypocrites in the way the war was handled and by doing what we were trying to stop Vietnam from doing, we created a horrific war. The responsibility needs to be shared and the leaders need to admit their part and show support to the veterans. He believed that the war was pointless, yet, we still remained in it while men where dying everyday. “Someone has to die so that President Nixon won’t be, and these are his words, “the first President to lose a war".”
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