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The Education of Lieutenant Kerrey

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This book is must reading for any policymaker, or citizen, as this country moves inexorably toward war. Whatever your view of our iraq policy, "The Education of Lt. Kerrey" will make you give some real thought about the impact of war on the young men and women we put in harm's way. I was capitivated by the narrative and appalled at the position we put our soldiers in in Vietnam. The question of individual guilt is a difficult one. Each of us will have to decide for ourselves the individual culpability of Bob Kerrey, although it certainly seems that he, himself, feels the guilt deeply. As a nation, however, Vistica's book leaves no doubt in my mind that we carry a signficant burden of guilt with regards to the war in Vietnam.

This riveting tale has to give us some pause before sending our troops on another foreign adventure. The education of Lt. Kerrey can serve as a cautionary tale to the rest of America. Let us hope we can benefit, through this terrific book, from his education without having to relearn old lessons with the blood of our children.

This book is not a biography of Bob Kerrey. In the words of the author, "it is a story about war, memory, and the terrible corrosive power of secrets."

If you are fond of Bob Kerrey, you may not want to read this book...because it will more than likely change your opinion of him. Author Greg Vistica clearly establishes himself as one of the finest young journalists in America with the publication of "The Education of Lieutenant Kerrey." This book is penetrating, provocative and painful. It is also bound to accumulate many journalistic laurels for its extraordinary fairness and maturity.

The plot of this explosive nonfiction book is whether Bob Kerrey conducted an atrocity or orchestrated a war crime while leading an elite team of Navy SEAL commandos in Vietnam. The facts are straightforward. Vistica spends three long years putting the puzzle together. His big break takes place when the most credible member of Kerrey's Vietnam SEAL team admits the young Lieutenant from Nebraska ordered the brutal murder of unarmed civilians...mostly women and children. Some were carved up with knives and the others were riddled with bullets from point blank range. The evidence collected by Vistica is so compelling you will have to suppress the urge to vomit in horror.

Unfortunately at the conclusion of this book one is left to think that Bob Kerrey is not a hero. In defense of the former Senator Americans must bear in mind...it was the poor decisions of politicians that created the Vietnam quagmire. In addition, the many brave soldiers that answered the nation's call were subjected to a sinister White House and Pentagon obsession with "body counts."

Still and all, Bob Kerrey is his own worst enemy by authoring misleading and inconsistent explanations. Moreover, his employment of mercenary "spin masters" to control the damage of Vistica's journalistic investigation is absolutely dishonest. This is a book you make time to read and then pray that you find the moral strength to forgive. Nevetheless, as a lifelong Democrat dedicated to the protection of human rights...the bottom line of this book is that Bob Kerrey is probably not qualified to run for President of the United States.

Contrary to a couple of the other "amateur" reviews already posted on this book, I say that, given the unfolding of events in Iraq, particularly the atrocities of the American military against prisoners and the shame of immorality that those atrocities carry, that are only just now beginning to surface and be investigated, this is perhaps the most timely book one could read today. Vistica uses the events of February, 1969, in Vietnam to examine America's collective self-image and the guilt of not living up to that image when engaged in battlefield realities. I say if you read no other book this year, this month, you must read this one. In it you will find grave lessons for those who are involved in fighting and policing overseas, as well as for politicians who are sending them as our agents. What will be said thirty years from now about what the United States is doing today?

It's the rare book that exposes clear wrongdoing but does so in a way that stirs sympathy for those involved. Though this important book by the respected journalist Gregory Vistica uncovers a horrendous war-time atrocity, it has no anti-military theme to it. It's an engaging and thoughtful story of how members of a Navy SEAL unit have lived with the horrible memory of massacring some two-dozen women and children in a tiny Vietnamese village.
Even when Vistica methodically builds a case against Bob Kerrey, the commander of the SEAL unit who later became a popular U.S. senator and presidential candidate, he does so with great fairness. He relies on Kerrey's own words and actions to show how he dissembled and changed his story numerous times about his role in the killings. By Kerrey's own acknowledgement that he committed an "atrocity," one senses that he is slowly coming to terms with what the real truth of that brutal night is. Vistica convincingly shows how Kerrey fights within his own mind and rationalizes that this atrocity is different than a war crime.
There is more than ample evidence in this well written and authoritative book, including vivid passages about how the SEALs slit the throats of their victims, to warrant a government investigation. Yet, to his credit, Vistica's goal is not to prosecute Kerrey. If anything, as this country prepares for war with Iraq, he has written a cautionary tale of how good men can do bad things in combat. A superb read that deserves wide-spread attention -- especially among those who want to hold our military to high ethical standards.

...

My loyalty, unashamedly, will always be with the American Warrior, my band of brothers. But this allegiance, lest we become the enemy we scorn, is coupled to a Code, a universal discipline that does not tolerate or celebrate the slaughter of unarmed civilians, especially the uninvolved women and children we profess to be saving...

I salute unsung hero, Gerhard Klann, for his bravery in Vietnam, his daring counterterrorism exploits in Iran and for his moral courage to set the record straight.

Acknowledging the many legendary accomplishments of Senator Kerrey, his greatest contributions and his own salvation are yet to come. Seeking redemption, I believe that like many great men before him, he will eventually use his influence and personal experience to help prevent future Thanh Phongs.

Proving that courage and patriotism takes many forms, Greg Visticas, The Education of Lieutenant Kerrey, released after the events of September 11, is a ruthlessly honest book that helps answer one of the most important questions of our time  Why do they hate us?

Vistica's book, 60 Minute II's reporting and the confession of one of Kerry's teammates make a very strong case against Kerry.
He was the commander at the time and was responsible for what his men did and did not do. His logic for making his decisions is horribily flawed; such as; he ordered the throat cutting of three small children because they might give away their location but he then orders the machingunning of twenty woman and children.(Note: the sound of the weapons firing definately gave their position away.) What is interesting the SEALs used up 75% of their ammo murdering non-combatants. This resounds of a panicked, uncontrolled unit--not highly trained Navy SEALs.

In a nation, sixty years after the fact, where we hunt down and imprison German and Ukrainian soldiers from WWII solely because they were GUARDS at a concentration camp--we allow OUR war cimminals not only to become senators--but American heros.

There is no doubt in this old soldier's mind Kerry is a war crimminal and should have his "highly questionable" Medal of Honor revoked--by the very Congress and nation he has disgraced! In addition, his Navy SEAL organization should officially shun him. We either are or are not an honorable nation.

I am a combat veteran having served with elite Special Forces A Teams and with MACV-SOG Command and Control North. As a combat peer of Kerry's--I hold him in the highest contempt. He is a disgrace to special operations personnel--past or present.

Donald E. Zlotnik, Major (Ret.)
Special Forces

"The Education of Lieutenant Kerry" is an eye-opening look at a singularly dark moment in Vietnam, and the resulting behavior of those involved. The former Senator and Governor from Nebraska, Robert Kerrey leads a team of highly trained Navy SEALS on two fantastic missions into backwaters of Vietnam in October of 1969. On one his team scales huge cliffs and battles heroically against fierce opposition. Kerrey suffers the loss of a leg, and is saved by a fellow SEAL. That mate, Gerhard Klann, a decorated veteran of Vietnam, Iran, and Iraq, now a steelmaker in Pennsylvania, reveals to writer Gregory Vistica a second, very different mission on which Kerrey led his SEAL team.

That over two dozen women and children were cut to shreds by a hyper-aggressive team of US warriors at Thanh Phong is never disputed. What Vistica brings out though is the constantly wavering, growing-shadier-by-the-moment, inconsistent memories that Robert Kerrey provides of the tragedy. Were they fired at first? Where were participants standing? What was the mission? What orders did Kerrey give? Vistica explores in some depth, (much more is needed) each perspective. Klann never wavers in his story. Seemingly, Kerrey continually wavers.

Furthermore, Vistica unveils a lifelong pattern of wavering on the part of the former Senator and Presidential aspirant. Should he accept a medal from Nixon? Is he a Democrat or Republican? Did he raise the endowment at a University or not? When is he telling the truth? Before I read this, my image of Kerrey was precisely what Vistica describes as the "idea of him rather than the reality: hero from the heartland, boyfriend of a movie star, governor, senator, and presidential candidate." Vistica's book is not the uncaring attack of an over-zealous journalist, but he attempts to debunk the golden-boy myth that surrounds Kerrey.

In the end, the reader must judge how much is truth and how much is spin. "Quagmire" is a description frequently applied to the Vietnam conflict. Reading through these conflicting accounts of Thanh Phong, one realizes what an appropriate term that is. It is hard for any non-combatant to comprehend what that moment could possibly have been like. The result of a frightening, ill-advised, dangerous confrontation, far from home one evening long ago has had very long repercussions. It makes a civilian most appreciative of anyone serving his or her country, especially those on the front lines. A provocative read.

After reading the first 2/3 of this book, I couldn't see why Kerrey admirers (like myself) were upset. In fact, a lot of the stories are the same ones in Kerrey's autobiography, "When I was a Young Man". I actually enjoyed it, until...
The last 1/3 turns venomous! It's full of a lot of personal attacks, not only on Kerrey, but on everyone who disagrees with the author's theory of what happened that night in Thanh Phong, or whomever gets in the way of Vistica releasing "his" story. (pg. 243 "[John Scanlon] preferred to call himself a 'strategic counselor', not a 'paid liar'.")
I had to shut the book a couple of times, because the story became less & less about the story, and more of the author boasting of his skillful reporting, or ability to see through "public relations countermeasures". (pg. 210 "...Kerrey was beginning to realize that he'd have to cooperate with me."). Ugh.
Even if I DIDN'T like Kerrey, it's doubtful I would've enjoyed the way this ended.
If you want to learn about Kerrey, a better choice would be "When I was a Young Man". If it's history you're after, you'd be better served to visit a museum than to read this biased, bitter piece.

This book is now all about the wrong Kerry / Kerrey. If this were a book about JOHN Kerry's military career, it might be timely and relevant. But, Robert Kerrey? This is old news.

Under the guise of "pursuing the truth"--"honestly"--the author tries very hard to sell the reader on the notion that Robert Kerrey is war criminal. The big problem with the author's presentation: there is absolutely no evidence, whatsoever, that Kerrey intentionally, with premediation, set out to kill innocent civilians in Vietnam.

Vistica relies heavily on innuendo and conjecture--and very few facts--to build a flimsy case for the idea that Robert Kerrey was an evil soldier. Unfortunately, innocent civilians do get killed in war. I suppose that a book could be written to indict every single American soldier who ever served his county in combat.

Thankfully there are those who serve their country bravely in combat. And, then there are those who...write books about it.

this book is nothing more than the author's opinion. He never supports any of his claims/conclusion with fact. All he has is the claims of one man, Gerhard Klann, who he says he believes because, unlike others, his story never changed. Maybe the reason his story never changed is because it is not true. The stories of other members of Kerrey's team did change - perhaps because in thinking back on that horrific night, new insights arose. Also is it possible that, as Kerrey admits, that there is some blockage of those events.

Vistica only mentions once (outside of quoting Kerrey) that Klann admittedly had a grudge again Kerrey because Kerrey got the medal of honor and Klann did not - despite that fact that Kerrey lobbied for that for his efforts in the Middle East. Why is that not pursued more? Perhaps because it does not fit with Vistica's preconceived plan to do a hatchet job on Kerrey.

Bottom line: you will like this book if you hate soldiers or hate Kerrey because it will support those predispositions. But if you are looking for a balanced, fact-filled story, this is most definitely NOT a book for you.