Newsblog: Bob Kerrey’s revelations
Time mag: The Fog of War – 32 years after leaving Vietnam, Bob Kerrey admits a terrible secret — and stands accused of worse. The tangled tale embodies the madness of Vietnam
NY Times Sunday mag: One Awful Night in Thanh Phong
NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr: Thoughts on Kerrey
During the Vietnam war, I had a college/divinity school deferment until the draft and then I lucked out with a relatively high number. By the time I graduated from high school in 1967, I’d chucked my father’s political conservatism in favor of all-things liberal, including being an anti-war protestor. But it was more an act than any deeply held belief. It was cool and I was just pretty much going along with the crowd. It’s hard to imagine myself as a soldier in Vietnam, but had it happened, I can sure imagine myself getting caught up in the fear and craziness and going along with whatever crowd I happened to be in. Had I been in Kerrey’s unit, I would’ve done what he and the others did. I just wasn’t emotionally or ethically strong at that stage in my life. I’m not excusing him. But I can remotely identify with him.