Winter Soldier
Reported by Deborah - September 15, 2004 -
Steven Pitkin, a Vietnam Veteran who testified at the Winter Soldiers Investigation in Detroit in 1971, appeared on Hannity& Colmes to recant his testimony. Pitkin claimed that John Kerry pressured him into lying. However, the transcripts from the Winter Soldiers Investigation tell a different story.
9/15/04 9:47PM
Alan Colmes asked Pitkin why he was just now coming forward and then read a testimony from Kerry's brother in law stating that Kerry never pressured anyone to testify.
Pitkin claimed that he came forward after Kerry's nomination talking to anyone who would listen like Rush Limbaugh.
"Everybody has a skeleton in their closet. I had moved on and gone back into Special Forces. None of those things happened because of American Policy. I'm a Christian...."
Hannity said to Pitkin, "Look, Kerry sat you down and said "say this".
At an earlier point Hannity said," Kerry fed you lines about atrocities"
Pitkin said "Yes" to Hannity's questions.
There was a headline under a photo stating,"It was implied that if I didn't comply, I wouldn't get a ride home."
comment:The transcripts of the Winter Soldiers Investigation is quite fascinating.
There were 150 detailed testimonies from Vietnam Vets and it was a well organized and rather complex event. I think everyone should read them before making judgments about Kerry's anti-war activities. If you google it, there several excellent versions but the one from the U.of Virginia is the best.
Steven Pitkins did not testify to comitting atrocities according to these transcripts. The bulk of his testimony was anti-war, and anti-establishment, generally. It was a rather disorganized and rambling statement which is not inconsistant with any very young man returning from Vietnam. Some of it was quite moving. For example:
"When I got to Nam, it was like black had turned to white because I was totally unprepared. I was put into a recon unit operating in the Mekong Delta. I hadn't been taught anything about the weather. It was just a hit or miss thing. You're so scared that you'll shoot at anything. You'll look at your enemy and they're people that you're sort of a visitor to. You look at them as animals and at the same time turn yourself into an animal too."
Now are we supposed to believe that John Kerry sat and fed him those words.
Here's another excerpt.
" Most of you people know that atrocities have been committed. But one of the most atrocious things was how Vietnam was covered by the press. I guess it's sort of like you shouldn't have news reporters over there. You oughta have sports writers; box scores and everything."
Wow! John Kerry was really busy whispering in his ear. Unless there is another testimony from Steven Pitkin somewhere, Hannity has some explaining to do.
It's seems obvious to me that Pitkin does not want to be connected with the anti war activity. He has made a career in the military and referred to "skeletons in the closet." There were many soldiers at the Winter Soldier conference anxious to share their experiences. There was no need for Pitkin's testimony and no reason for Kerry to coerce him.
I find it very interesting that Hannity would pull a stunt like this while he is raving about Dan Rather and CBS. I really don't think he should be discussing anyone's journalistic integrity.
