Unfit for Command reviews
I haven’t been able to snag a copy of Unfit for Command yet (local book sellers swore it wasn’t a liberal conspiracy and was just a supply side problem…) but the reviews on Amazon are interesting. Currently the page sports this nice plain-english warning:
Important note from Amazon.com: We’ve decided to suspend our normal customer review policies and rules for this title. For example, we usually prohibit ad hominem attacks. That policy in particular seems to be incompatible with presidential election year politics. Therefore, short of obscenities, reviews on this book are now a free-for-all. We take no responsibility for the following discussion. Aren’t presidential election years great? Have fun!
Wow! It’s democracy in reviews. The book is rated 4/5 with over 900 reviews. I have a feeling at least 50% of the reviewers haven’t read the book.
I tried to find another example of this and came up empty. President Clinton’s book doesn’t have it, but nobody really cares about that title anymore (it’s longer than the Bible and not nearly as interesting… And the Bible has the Book of Numbers).
I have been a silent Vietnam Vet for over 35 years but after reading Unfit for Command I can no longer be that silent vet. I served in the USMC from 1965 to 1969 and served in Vietnam from March 1966 through April 1967 mainly between Hue and the DMZ. We lost a lot of honorable Marines there and not once did I see any of the war crimes that John Kerry talks about. When we were not fighting the Viet Cong we were protecting villagers at local hospitals so that they could obtain safe medical treatment.
I was very proud of my service and of those I served with, but upon arriving back it the United States it was obvious that, neither I nor my fellow Marines were being considered heroes. I was blinded in my hate for Jane Fonda so I did not realize what John Kerry was doing back in 1970-1971 because I was trying to put Vietnam behind me.
John Kerry may be right that Iraq is becoming like Vietnam because we have prominent US Citizens like him feeding our enemy the encouragement to keep killing Americans because they believe we will quit. If this were to happen where will John Kerry’s photo be hanging next.
My youngest son is a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army and is going to Iraq in January for one year and I pray to God that President George W. Bush will be sworn in for his second term, at the same time.
John Poirier
2168874 USMC 1965-1969