Rev. David Alston of Columbia, South Carolina, is one of the "Band of Brothers" that speak out for Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mekong Delta), and this speech is from the first night of this most remarkable Democratic Convention. It is, in our view, perhaps the most powerful of several powerful speeches that have been delivered in this historic (and trans-historic) gathering of tribes and summoning of the Force...Therefore, the LNS has held it until the final night of the convention, in the hope that it stays with you through the tumult and trials that are to come...
David Alston: Once, he even directed the helmsman to
beach the boat, right into the teeth of an ambush, and
pursued our attackers on foot, into the jungle. In the
toughest of situations, Lieutenant Kerry showed
judgment, loyalty and courage. Even wounded, or
confronting sights no man should ever have to see, he
never lost his cool.
And when the shooting stopped, he was always there
too, with a caring hand on my shoulder asking,
"Gunner, are you OK?" I was only 21, running on fear
and adrenaline. Lieutenant Kerry always took the time
to calm us down, to bring us back to reality, to give
us hope, to show us what we truly had within
ourselves. I came to love and respect him as a man I
could trust with life itself.
I am a man of faith, and I did not come here tonight
to glorify what we did. I came here to share my
personal knowledge of a young naval officer who rose
to the challenges and responsibilities of leadership,
and who has always shown the courage to speak truth to
power.
The 27th Psalm tells us, "Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear. Though war break out against me, even then I will be confident" I stand before you tonight alive, while many of our brothers never made it home. I am grateful to have lived to enjoy my children, to see them grow up. But I stand here before you only because almighty God saw our boat safely through those rivers of death and destruction, by giving us a brave, wise, and decisive leader named John Kerry.
Today, 30 years after Vietnam, American soldiers are
once again fighting and dying on distant battlefields,
at war with an elusive enemy. We pray for these brave
men and women. They are our friends, our neighbors,
our loved ones. Their loss brings all of us sadness
beyond measure...
Friends, here in this city more than two centuries
ago, patriots launched a revolution that changed
history. Generations since have marched, fought, and
died to defend the sacred ideals of life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness-and to make these ideals a
reality for every American.
It is now our turn to defend these ideals. It is our
time to speak out. It is our duty to exercise our most
precious right as Americans: the right to vote.
Support Our Troops, Show Up for Democracy in 2004: Defeat Bush (again!)
David Alston
Good evening.
My name is David Alston, and I am a minister from
Columbia, South Carolina. I join you here tonight in
Boston-birthplace of the American Revolution-to
celebrate the bedrock ideals on which our nation was
founded-freedom, equality, and democracy.
I also come here tonight to honor a friend of mine, a
man of courage and conviction who has fought for these
ideals his entire life: John Kerry. Many of you in
this hall already know John Kerry well. Others across
this land are still learning about his long and
distinguished record of public service.
I know him from a small boat in Vietnam, where we
fought and bled together, serving our country. There
were six of us aboard PCF-94, a 50-foot, twin-engine
craft known as a "Swift Boat." We all came from
different walks of life, but all of us-including our
skipper, John Kerry-volunteered for combat duty. And
combat is what we got.
We usually patrolled the narrow waterways of the
Mekong delta, flanked on both sides by thick jungle.
As our crewmate Gene Thorson put it, we were a
traveling bulls-eye. And we often came under sudden
attack from the enemy, hidden in the shadows.
Machine-gun fire, rocket-propelled grenades, it all
came fast and furious, and Lieutenant Kerry had to
make quick, life-or-death decisions for the entire
boat.
You have to realize, a Swift Boat isn't armored. The
hull is aluminum, about as thick as two nickels. And
in the middle of a narrow river or canal, with no
cover at all, even small-caliber bullets could punch
right through it-and often did.
Manning the deck guns, most of us got wounded sooner
or later, including Lieutenant Kerry. It would have
been easiest, in an ambush, to simply rake the shore
with return fire and roar on down the river to safety.
But Lieutenant Kerry was known for taking the fight
straight to the enemy. I can still see him now,
standing in the doorway of the pilothouse, firing his
M-16, shouting orders through the smoke and chaos.
Once, he even directed the helmsman to beach the boat,
right into the teeth of an ambush, and pursued our
attackers on foot, into the jungle. In the toughest of
situations, Lieutenant Kerry showed judgment, loyalty
and courage. Even wounded, or confronting sights no
man should ever have to see, he never lost his cool.
And when the shooting stopped, he was always there
too, with a caring hand on my shoulder asking,
"Gunner, are you OK?" I was only 21, running on fear
and adrenaline. Lieutenant Kerry always took the time
to calm us down, to bring us back to reality, to give
us hope, to show us what we truly had within
ourselves. I came to love and respect him as a man I
could trust with life itself.
I am a man of faith, and I did not come here tonight
to glorify what we did. I came here to share my
personal knowledge of a young naval officer who rose
to the challenges and responsibilities of leadership,
and who has always shown the courage to speak truth to
power.
The 27th Psalm tells us, "Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear. Though war break out against
me, even then I will be confident" I stand before you
tonight alive, while many of our brothers never made
it home. I am grateful to have lived to enjoy my
children, to see them grow up. But I stand here before
you only because almighty God saw our boat safely
through those rivers of death and destruction, by
giving us a brave, wise, and decisive leader named
John Kerry.
Today, 30 years after Vietnam, American soldiers are
once again fighting and dying on distant battlefields,
at war with an elusive enemy. We pray for these brave
men and women. They are our friends, our neighbors,
our loved ones. Their loss brings all of us sadness
beyond measure.
In a few short months, we will choose our next
President. I believe we need to elect a man of faith,
experience, and wisdom. A man who knows that defending
America means defending our most fundamental rights. A
man who knows that leadership is not just about
telling others what to do, but inspiring them to do
it. A man who knows the true meaning of freedom,
equality, and democracy. And that man is my former
skipper, my friend, and our next commander-in-chief,
John Kerry.
Friends, here in this city more than two centuries
ago, patriots launched a revolution that changed
history. Generations since have marched, fought, and
died to defend the sacred ideals of life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness-and to make these ideals a
reality for every American.
It is now our turn to defend these ideals. It is our
time to speak out. It is our duty to exercise our most
precious right as Americans: the right to vote.
So come November 2nd, join me in casting your ballot
for a new, principled, and courageous leader-America's
next president-John Kerry.
Thank you.