Brad Knickerbocker of the Christian Science Monitor on US veterans remain sharply divided:
They came by motorcycle and wheelchair, one group in a small boat symbolically crossing Boston Harbor. Some wore suits and ties, others faded fatigues with battle ribbons and personal decorations.
Hundreds of military veterans have joined John Kerry's campaign for the presidency. It's a calculated part of Senator Kerry's effort to display "a lifetime of strength and service" – one of the major themes of this week's Democratic National Convention. But it's also a gut-level response to having the first Vietnam combat vet just one election away from becoming commander in chief.
The story goes on to say what we already know – veterans are divided, not united with regard to this war and the man running it. For instance, 250 "patrol boat veterans " oppose Kerry's candidacy. On the flip side, during a 48 hour period in 2003 nearly a thousand veterans, myself included, signed a letter to the president in opposition to the war in Iraq. Neither Bush, nor Kerry have our votes in the bag. Conservatives asserting otherwise are either delusional or high. Or both. Read the rest here.