"SEN. KERRY: There are all kinds of atrocities, and I would have
to say that, yes, yes, I committed the same kind of atrocities
as thousands of other soldiers have committed in that I took part
in shootings in free fire zones. I conducted harassment and
interdiction fire. I used 50 caliber machine guns, which we were
granted and ordered to use, which were our only weapon against
people. I took part in search and destroy missions, in the
burning of villages. All of this is contrary to the laws of
warfare, all of this is contrary to the Geneva Conventions
and all of this is ordered as a matter of written established
policy by the government of the United States from the top down.
And I believe that the men who designed these, the men who designed
the free fire zone, the men who ordered us, the men who signed off
the air raid strike areas, I think these men, by the letter of the
law, the same letter of the law that tried Lieutenant Calley, are
war criminals."
FFZ were SOP
50 Calibers, we did have any but had twin and quad 60's and no orders
not to use them.
Air strikes with 2000lb bombs were a weekly occurrence. I heard people
joke about how disoriented the people were after a 2000 lb bomb went
off near them.
One of my least favorite memories of Viet Nam was when I was manning
the radio in the field and listening to some real sicko pilots who had
just killed a co ( Vietnamese word for woman ) in a FFZ and were
laughing an joking about it. "Hey she is still waving, I am going in
for another run. " " Nice hit, hey I think she has the hots for you,
I am going in, Whoa I got her"
This woman may or may have not know that she was going into a FFZ.
This woman may or may not have been up to no good. This woman could
have been someone's mother, who children are now orphaned,.
.
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