TresSugar

The Nurse Who Cared For John McCain in Vietnam Speaks Out

CitizenSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:15:04 -0700

In McCain's stump speech, the words "I have the scars to prove it," are literally about his tussles on Capitol Hill, but are clearly meant to evoke his time as a POW. In the campaign spotlight, the history of those five-and-a-half years is revealing itself. We've seen the cell John McCain was kept in, and heard the endorsement from his former captor, now the nurse who risked her safety to care for McCain right after he crashed in Vietnam 41 years ago, speaks out. Here's what she had to say:

Why she decided to care for McCain:
"I didn't know who he was, but he was obviously not Vietnamese. The pilot was not that big and heavy, he was pale and handsome. My responsibility was to care for my own countrymen only. But [North Vietnamese leader] Ho Chi Minh advised people to show compassion and to save the enemies. So I told myself that I had to fulfill my duty."

The consequences she faced:
"That evening, when I left the clinic, an old man came to me and yelled at me for 'caring for an enemy'. I told him I just did what Ho Chi Minh asked all of us to do."

To see if she thinks McCain should be president, read more.

Should McCain be president?
"Will it be good for Vietnam if John McCain becomes president? I don't really know. He is friendly and he has done some good things for the Vietnamese, but it is difficult to predict the future."

How about Obama?
"As for Barack Obama, I don't think he has any ties with Vietnam. People say he doesn't know much about the country, but a clean slate can be a good thing."

Her final piece of advice:
"If American people are wise, they will choose someone who loves peace, who is engaged in war prevention activities."

It's a compelling sentiment from someone all too familiar with the horrors of war.

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Fair? McCain Interview on "Hanoi Hilton" Won't Air Pre-Election

LibertySugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:45:21 -0700

Oliver Stone may not wait for Bush to leave the White House before opening W, but Warner Brothers has decided that it won't release John McCain's interview about his POW experience until after the election.

Prior to Nov. 4, airing promotional clips of the McCain interview featured on Hanoi Hilton, a 1987 film set to be released on DVD Nov. 11, has been blocked by the studio. The DVD will include the McCain interview, recorded in May.

By withholding a piece of McCain's biography in order to not influence the election, is Warner Brothers actually picking a side?

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Front Page: Bailout Goes to House Vote, Abducted Tourists Freed, Floods Kill 41 in Vietnam

CitizenSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 07:00:34 -0700

Bailout Goes to House Vote:
The US House will vote on the Wall Street bailout bill today. President Bush spoke this morning urging the House to pass the measure. He said, "I'm confident that this rescue plan, along with other measures taken by the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve, will begin to restore strength and stability to America's financial system and overall economy." Both candidates cautiously support the measure.

Abducted Tourists Freed:
A group of Italian and German hostages, abducted 10 days ago in Egypt, have been freed and are on their way to a military base in Cairo. No ransom was paid though the German government had been negotiating with them. Few details are known about the conditions of their release, though the Egyptian defense minister said half of the captors had been "eliminated."
Floods Kill 41 in Vietnam:
Typhoon Hagupit has triggered flooding in Vietnam killing 41 and injuring 60 more according to disaster officials. The typhoon made landfall last week and has caused severe landslides in mountainous provinces. The damages so far have been estimated at $60 million. An additional typhoon in Taiwan has killed two and injured 58 as well as forcing the closing of schools and the financial market.

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Front Page: US Clinches Relay, China Leads Medals, Zimbabwe Talks to Resume, Floods in Vietnam Kill 100

CitizenSugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:00:41 -0700

US Clinches Relay, China Leads Medals:
The US swimming relay team broke the world record, took gold, and snatched victory from the favored French team as the oldest member of the US swimming team accomplished one of the biggest comebacks overtaking the French team in the last few meters of the relay. The win keeps Michael Phelps dream of winning eight Olympic golds alive. In the overall medal count, China is in the lead with nine golds and 14 medals, South Korea is second in gold, and the US is third with three golds and but second overall with 12. President Bush attended the Games this weekend and said they exceeded his expectations.

Zimbabwe Talks to Resume:
Talks to arrange a power-sharing between Zimbabwe's governing party and opposition are due to resume in the capital today. According to President Robert Mugabe, 14 hours of talks had ended inconclusively though he remains "confident" a deal could be reached. It's thought that Mugabe may become ceremonial president while opposition leader Tsvangirai becomes executive prime minister.
Floods in Vietnam Kill 100:
At least 100 are dead and 50 missing after floods and landslides from tropical storm Kammuri battered the country over the weekend. Flash flooding reduced entire villages to rubble, and the government says more than 4,000 buildings have been flooded. Troops have been deployed in boats to reach those cut off by the waters.

For a stunning underwater photo of the swimming relay, read more.

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Pictures of McCain's Vietnam Cell, Plus First-Person Account

CitizenSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:55 -0700

John McCain has announced that these days, he's speaking softly and carrying a big stick, a la Teddy Roosevelt. McCain said, "I count myself as a conservative Republican, yet I view it to a large degree in the Theodore Roosevelt mold," with a nod to Roosevelt's reputation for reform, environmentalism and tough foreign policy.

Though he may be a political Rough Rider now, these new photos of McCain's POW cell show that he's already had it plenty rough for almost six long years. The pictures show that even after the cell was cleaned up for an American historical filmmaker, the Hanoi Hilton was a chamber of terror. Debra Watkins took the pictures in 1993 before the area was destroyed. The first photo shows the door to the cell. Next to the door you can see old locks probably used to hold leg irons and other torture implements. The other photo shows the inside of McCain's cell and the leg-iron contraption the filmmaker believes he was tortured with.

Though certainly his time in Vietnam is no secret, the account of his entire time as a POW, written by McCain himself in 1973 and published online for the first time this year, is a riveting read. It's long - bookmark it and read away at it this week - but the length and detail does nothing if not prove beyond a shadow that what this man survived is anything short of miraculous. To see some excerpts of his story, read more.

This started on the first day. I refused to give them anything except my name, rank, serial number and date of birth. They beat me around a little bit. I was in such bad shape that when they hit me it would knock me unconscious. They kept saying, "You will not receive any medical treatment until you talk."
"I had been reduced to an animal during this period of beating and torture. My arm was so painful I couldn't get up off the floor. With the dysentery, it was a very unpleasant time."
"Once you become a prisoner of war, then you do not have the right to dissent, because what you do will be harming your country. You are no longer speaking as an individual, you are speaking as a member of the armed forces of the United States, and you owe loyalty to the Commander in Chief, not to your own conscience."

Perhaps this experience has shaped his Rooseveltian politics. Today, McCain says, "I believe less governance is the best governance, and that government should not do what the free enterprise and private enterprise and individual entrepreneurship and the states can do, but I also believe there is a role for government. Government should take care of those in America who cannot take care of themselves."

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Real Endorsement: McCain's War Captor Would Vote For Him

CitizenSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:00:03 -0700

Tran Trong Duyet could just be the unlikeliest John McCain supporter you could hope to meet. Though he's now a retiree who likes ballroom dancing, 40 years ago Duyet was in charge of the prison where McCain was held as a POW for over five years. Speaking now, the 75-year-old says, "McCain is my friend. If I was American, I would vote for him."

Seen in the center of this picture after having ejected from his aircraft into a lake in Hanoi, Vietnam, McCain was taken to Hoa Lo prison, less than affectionately known by fellow inmates as the "Hanoi Hilton." The treatment McCain received while being held drove him to try to commit suicide. Duyet, his captor says now, "I don't know how he'd react if he met me again." And he tells a decidedly different story of McCain's time there: "I can confirm to you that we never tortured him. We never tortured any prisoners."

Duyet tells the tale of the man in prison, now seeking the White House:

We used to argue about the war - about whether it was right or wrong. He is a very frank man - very conservative, and very loyal to his country and the American ideal. He had a very interesting accent and sometimes he taught me words in English and corrected my accent. I have followed his career since he left prison.

While Duyet's recollection of human treatment all those years ago is impossible to corroborate in a country with wildly tight controls of the media, his support of now seems genuine. "I wish him success in the presidential election. . . I consider John McCain my friend because he did much to mend relations between our two countries. And if he becomes president he will do more to improve those ties."

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Where I'm Clicking Now: Rolling Stone Political Covers

LibertySugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:00:32 -0700

That "Britney in her panties" Rolling Stone cover might have gotten a lot of attention, but I know the mag can rock more than just an alluring pop tart. This compilation of all of its political covers is music to my history fanatic ears. I love looking back at contemporary representations of important events. What better way to roll through history than to peruse Rolling Stone's hot archive of political covers?

Most of the covers are a bit more creative than the magazine's latest radio-active Barack Obama-as-super-hero cover. A January 1974 issue featured a cartoonish President Nixon violating Lady Liberty. Yikes!

Check out the art work accompanying stories about the Vietnam War, the Watergate conspiracy, presidential children, Jimmy Carter and much more. The entertaining history lesson is worth the clicks!

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Vietnam Veteran Graduates From High School at 60 Years Old

CitizenSugar — Mon, 26 May 2008 05:00:47 -0700

In Colorado this weekend, hundreds of high school seniors turned their tassels and graduated - one of them had just been waiting for it longer than the others. Forty-two years longer, to be exact. Dennis Collins, now 60, walked across the stage on Saturday and collected the diploma that he'd sacrificed by heading off to Vietnam in 1966.

Collins says of his decision to go, “Vietnam was becoming a big issue. It was just kind of what you did. I was raised to believe you served your country and whenever you got out, you served your community.” He continues, “In Vietnam, you didn’t like it or not like it. It was something you did because it was something your country said to do. … It was my duty to do it, and I did it.” To see how Collins was able to graduate and more scenes from this Memorial Day, read more.

The program that allowed Collins to get his diploma is called Operation Recognition. It was enacted in 2003 and authorizes veterans from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam to receive their high school diplomas. The program recognizes the “sacrifice and contribution of those who honorably served our country."

Collins graduating class was delighted to have him. “They all applauded. I didn’t ask them to do that. They had an excitement all of their own. … It was exciting to me the students showed that enthusiasm. I think it did mean something to them.” said their high school principal. Collins was thankful to everyone who made his graduation possible. He said, "Most of all, I want to thank the kids for taking on an old fart like me. They’re making an old man’s dream come true.”

Colorado remembered Dennis Collins service - here are some more scenes of remembrance from around the country this Memorial Day.

View 10 Photos ›

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77-Year-Old Gets a Sex Change

TresSugar — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 02:00:00 -0700

On Friday most of you agreed that 13 is too young to get a boob job, but can you ever be too old to get a sex change?

Renee Ramsey, 77, has become one of the oldest people to undergo a sex change operation. Renee says she's been dreaming of getting the procedure for decades and that she knew something was "different" about her since she was 13. After saving up money for the pricey operation, she finally went through with it after her second wife died.

Renee, who used to be Richard, was also a Green Beret weapons specialist in Vietnam and served in the US military for over 20 years . . . Don't ask, don't tell.

Front Page: Obama Heads to Russia With Love

TresSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:00:42 -0700

President Obama arrived in Moscow today with hopes of reaching a deal to cut stockpiles of nuclear weapons. - New York Times
After her surprise resignation as Alaska's governor on Friday, Sarah Palin continued to twitter against rumors this weekend. - Sarah Palin's Twitter
Riots in China's western province have left 140 dead and at least 828 people injured. - AP
Robert McNamara, the former US defense secretary and architect of the Vietnam War, has died. - Washington Post
After 1.6 million people registered for the chance to go to Michael Jackson's Staples Center memorial tomorrow, 8,550 fans have been chosen at random to attend. - LA Times