Guam delegate, Sen. McCain
among those voicing their support for Kerrey
By Donovan Brooks, Guam
bureau chief
FINEGAYAN — Some present and past members of Congress are lining up in support of
former Senator Bob Kerrey following allegations he ordered the killing of civilians during
the Vietnam War.
"He’s proven his patriotism and courage by leaving part of himself on the
battlefield. To me he’ll always be an American hero," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.,
also a Vietnam veteran, said Saturday in a national TV interview.
In an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, McCain said Kerrey "made a mistake in
Vietnam. He was sent into a free-fire zone to kill for his country, and he helped kill the
wrong people. Those who judge him must follow the dictates of their conscience. But unless
you, too, have been to war, please be careful not to form your judgment of him on your
understanding of what constitutes a war hero. They are not the Hollywood copy you might
expect."
Retired Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Ben Blaz met Kerrey when Blaz served as Guam’s
Washington delegate from 1985 to 1993.
"(Kerrey) is a tremendous leader. He’s candid, straight-shooting …
People respect this guy," Blaz said in a telephone interview.
Charges that Kerrey ordered the killing of Vietnamese civilians in 1969 in the hamlet
of Thanh Phong in the Mekong Delta surfaced Wednesday following a joint investigation by
the New York Times and CBS’ "60 Minutes II." In the story, one of
Kerrey’s fellow Navy SEALs, Gerhard Klann, and a Vietnamese woman, Pham Tri Lahn,
allege that the then Lt. j.g. Kerrey ordered the rounding up and shooting of at least 12
Vietnamese civilians.
Kerrey received a Bronze Star for his actions at Thanh Phong.
While admitting the casualties, Kerrey has denied accusations that he ordered the
killings, and said the deaths were accidental.
"I’m inclined to believe (Kerrey’s) account," Blaz said.
The news report was "so unusual and contrary to what we teach in the armed
forces," Blaz said.
Kerrey is still highly respected in Washington, Guam’s current Washington delegate
said in a telephone interview. "Everything points to the fact that most people are
supporting his explanation," Robert A. Underwood said. "I have no reason to
doubt him."
Underwood suggested that Kerrey is being smeared.
"There will always be people who want, for whatever reason, to take you
down," Underwood said.
The State Department has had no official diplomatic communications from the Vietnamese
government about the incident, an official said.
Vietnam Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh said in a statement, "We
think the best way for Mr. Kerrey, as well as other Americans who used to fight in
Vietnam, to find peace of mind is to have concrete and realistic actions to contribute to
the healing of the wounds left by the war in Vietnam."
Underwood said, "In a way, the tragedy that was the Vietnam War continues to haunt
America. As far as Vietnam is concerned, the war is over. But the U.S. can’t seem to
get over it."
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