I published the following essay on Monday, February 07, 2005 at “Blatherings:”
Canadian Broadcasting Company’s Bob McKeown was hosting a TV broadcast “The Fifth Estate,” on January 26 which devoted one hour to show Canadians how the American media have been high jacked by conservative bullies. Strident conservative pundit and personality, Ann Coulter, was interviewed during which the following exchange occurred:
Coulter: “Canada used to be one of our most loyal friends and vice-versa. I mean Canada sent troops to Vietnam – was Vietnam less containable and more of a threat than Saddam Hussein?”
McKeown interrupts: “Canada didn’t send troops to Vietnam.”
Coulter: “I don’t think that’s right.”
Since that interview, (Video from CBC of Ann Coulter and Bob McKeown), Coulter has been unmercilessly attacked for saying that Canada sent troops to Vietnam. She has been called an epithet-throwing fictionalist, liar, loudmouth ignoramus, outrageous nationalist and described as empty-headed and shameful, and this in just one editorial, by Doug Ireland at Driland! By doing a short Google search, I discovered that Ann Coulter was correct. There is nothing like the truth to send the liberals into the out of control spin zone.
In 1973 the International Commission of Control and Supervision Vietnam (ICCS) was responsible for securing the armistice that lasted two years from 1973 to 1975, known as Operation Gallant. Canada, a member of the commission, contributed 240 Canadian Forces whose role was to monitor the cease-fire in South Vietnam, according to the Paris Peace Conference, and to arrange the release and exchange of more than 32,000 prisoners of war. In addition, ten to forty thousand Canadians, voluntarily served in Vietnam or during the Vietnam era with the American military, of whom 111 Canadians, were lost. One Canadian soldier, Toronto born Peter C. Lemon, won the Congressional Medal of Honor.
The Canadian government believed that because of its membership in ICCS, that Canada had to remain impartial during the Vietnam Conflict. While Canada as a nation was not involved in the fighting, Canadians themselves formed the largest foreign contingent in the U.S. military during the Vietnam era. Although exact numbers are not obtainable, some estimate that between 30,000 and 40,000 served and that 12,000 Canadians actually were in American uniforms in the war zone. The Canadian Armed Forces won a Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in Vietnam.
When the Canadian Vietnam veterans returned to their homeland, they were even more unwelcome than here in the United States, where at least returning veterans had access to government resources. Today, there is a memorial, “The North Wall”, at Assumption Park, Windsor, Ontario, overlooking the Detroit River. It honors the 103 Canadians who lost their lives in Vietnam and the seven who went missing in action. It is a fine tribute to those Canadians who served and sacrificed all for their belief in freedom.
O Canada, We Stood On Guard For Thee
Canada Took A Pass On Vietnam?
Kerfuffles and Flourishes 
No, the silly cow was wrong. Canada sent troops to Vietnam the same way it sent troops to Cyprus: for peace-keeping – that is, to enforce an armistice not to help attack a country. This was an honorable thing for our government to do. The Canadians who went to fight did so of their own accord. They were soldiers in the American army who happened to come from Canada, which is no where near the same as Canadian Army soldiers. You are willfully ignoring historical facts to push some odd agenda. Ann Coulter does that every morning before breakfast, but you shouldn’t be duped by that nonsense.
Colin Doyle – Attempting to ignore your gratutitous sexist slur of Miss Coulter as a “silly cow”, I will try to treat your comments as serious, although it is difficult.
Instead of refuting Ann Coulter, your comment actually reinforces the accuracy of what she said. This is the actual Coulter/McKeown transcript we are discussing:
You are in agreement with Coulter and refuting McKeown’s blatant lie, as nowhere in this statement did Ann Coulter say that Canada sent troops to Vietnam “to fight”. She was correct any way you look at it, technically or otherwise, as it is an historical fact that Canada sent troops to Vietnam.
Totally innacurate point: “used to be”? Why does she think Canada is no longer a loyal friend?
She’s comparing the Vietnam years to Canada’s refusal to send troops to Iraq. Why would Coulter care about troops who came to Vietnam to neutrally enforce the armistice(which is what the Canadian peacekeepers did – you’re loyally trying to defend her, but it just doesn’t hold water)? The analogy would only work if the Americans were trying to get out of Iraq and needed peace-keepers to help enforce an armistice so they could high-tail it out of there. You will concede that she couldn’t possibly have meant that. Obviously she’s complaining that we didn’t join in the original attack on Iraq in 2003. But Canada did not join in the original adventures in Vietnam in the 60s.We took no part in any “containment”. you know what? My guess is that she confused us with Australia (which sent troops from the 60s into the 70s) and, like the present Administration, would never admit a mistake if her life depended on it. Or maybe it was a blatant lie. Who am I to say.
Incidentally, did you know that since that interview,nearly 2 years ago, a Conservative government has taken power in Ottawa? They support an active military, you’ll be pleased to know, but foolishly dismiss Canada’s proud neutral peace-keeping role (so ironically, they wouldn’t think much of your troops-in-Vietnam story either). They recently extended our troops’ tour of duty in Afghanistan, and a lot of Canadian men and women have died there, helping clean up the mess America left behind when it ran off to Iraq. Coulter’s failure to acknowledge that (“used to be friends”!) is wicked and insulting. But she’s not, I concede, a cow. A cow never hurt anyone.
Colin – I am NOT a fan of Ann Coulter. I am defending her only in the true statement she made that “Canada sent troops to Vietnam”, for which she was unfairly denounced. I believe in defending truth “regardless”* of whether I am in agreement or not with the truthsayer.
You write “A cow never hurt anyone.” Wrong again, dear Colin! Ever hear of Mad Cow Disease?
*Corrected from “irregardless.”
No, she was very fairly denounced. You’re taking her words out of context (the Vietnam/Iraq analogy) to unsuccessfully prove a silly point. In light of the whole article you posted, you’re not defending truth at all. I’ve been doing my best to establish a few facts, but you haven’t been making it easy.
Smoking Gun:
“The Canadian Armed Forces won a Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in Vietnam.” What year was that? I used Google to save myself from Liberal bias, and discovered that this was a total blatant lie. Since a conservative would never tell a lie or say something without first checking his/her facts, I have to assume that you’re a vicious liberal willfully planting misinformation to make conservatives look gullible and foolish. Well done, comrade! You had me going there for a minute! Pyongyang salutes you!
Best wishes to you and your livestock! You won’t be hearing from me anymore – mustn’t blow your cover!
PS – Surely it was the cows who were hurt by Mad cow disease. Do you think they ate that corrupted feed of their own free will? But then, you’d obviously swallow anything.
bye bye!
Thanks for your views Colin. We can agree to disagree, except on one thing: neither one of us is a fan of Ms. Ann Coulter.
She was refering to the fact that Canada sent troops to Vietnam to participate in the war, while they were there only to monitor the armistice. You can’t argue that, while being technically right, that Canada offered troops to enforce the agreement of both sides truce, she definatley was implying that they were there to fight and fight while the war was hapening. She was talking about Iraq and on the Hannity and Combs she made the comment that “they (Canada) better hope the US doesn’t roll over one night and crush them…they should be glad America let’s them exist on the same continent.” That comment led to this incident with McKeown who is Canadian, I believe. She, like many neo-cons, are employing Clinton’s scorched earth policy on anyone who opposes this administrations agenda. They wrongly destroy crediability like a good defense lawyer by casting doubt on anything the opposition says mostly buy using straw man arguments. Thanks for allowing me to join in on the debate!
Korey – You are welcome to comment. I am not sure I can accept your analogy comparing Ann Coulter and Bill Clinton. Clinton, I’m sorry to say, was an elected official of the U.S. government. Ann Coulter is NOT. She is an entertainer whose carefully honed schlick is to garner attention to herself for promotion and book sales purposes. That is the main reason she continues to spew outrageous comments.
So why do you keep quoting her?
Because she drives liberals insane, almost inducing them to acts of self-immolation.
Oh yeah, someone who claims Clinton is gay REALLY drives liberals insane.Ker-fuff.
Did Ann Coulter really say that?
Letterman did a bit on it. Oh; by the way. Read the inscription on the North Wall of Quebec.It’s in memory of Canadians WHO SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES FORCES during Vietnam. Canada had the good sense to stay out of the war. Sorry, Ann Coulter is as stupid as any other conservative. KERRR-Fluff!
Oh Yes – Canada and its “good $en$e” when it comes to choosing between liberty and “good $en$e”. Since 1776, it has always been thus.
Liberty IS good sense.Too bad Conservatives hate it so much.
Liberals;making good sense since 1776;it has always been thus…
A Harris Poll in 1971 showed that only 1% of the veterans encountered hostile reactions when they came home, and they did not think the antiwar movement was hostile to them.
A Harris poll reported to Congress in 1972 that indicates 93% of returning veterans FOUND THEIR HOMECOMING FRIENDLY, while only 3% found it unfriendly. The poll also reported that over 75% of returning vets WERE OPPOSED TO THE WAR.
Glade – If a Harris Poll showed that “only 1% of the veterans” … “did not think the antiwar movement was hostile to them” that would be believable. Where’s your source for your unbelievable Harris Poll statistics?
you know, somehow I don’t quite see random canadians fighting in vietnam counting as the governement SNEDING TROOPS to fight with us. you might wanna re-read what you write and have someone ELSE review it before publishing. it seems obvious that the idiot- sorry, coulter, thought canada actually officially sent CANADIAN troops to vietnam. oh and good point about them being enlisted with us, mofeto. as many people as there are that think Coulter is stupid and unwanted, you’d think she’d just move to another country, but I don’t think they would accept her, unless they needed a vicious- yet obviously creative- liar on their side.
Oh, by the way, kerfuffles, it’s ‘defending… regardless, not IRregardless.’ tsk tsk. For someone with so little facts backing their argument, you would think grammar at least would be respected. Irregardless would be ‘not without regard’ which would be telling us to pay close attention to the fact, not disregard it.
Senseless –
Thank you so much for the grammar lesson. From your taking the time to help me, I will be able to make my post read as correct English. I think I must have been trying to emphasize that “I believe in defending truth,” by using a double negative. However, my reverting to substandard English probably comes from my 1940s growing up days in the inner city of Baltimore, or so my children tell me. With my “Vanishing Memories,” oftentimes I cannot recollect what I did yesterday, much less remember why I wrote what I did two whole years ago.
I am honored that you have read my writings. As for Ann Coulter, or me for that matter, moving to another country, why would either of us do that? We LOVE America!
[…] defending. Actually you are wrong sir. She was right about Canada sending troops to Vietnam. Ann Coulter Was Right! (2) Kerfuffles and Flourishes I happen to find Ann’s comments funny and I am glad they antagonize the left. It is her right to […]
[…] by johnnyturk Actually you are wrong sir. She was right about Canada sending troops to Vietnam. Ann Coulter Was Right! (2) Kerfuffles and Flourishes I happen to find Ann’s comments funny and I am glad they antagonize the left. It is her right to […]
For the person at “Political Forum” who most “UNCIVILLY” called me a liar because I wrote that Canadian troops won a Peace Prize for their work in Vietnam, I direct you to these comments I made a long time ago with documentation of my facts:
https://kerfuffle.wordpress.com/2006/10/24/canadian-vietnam-vets/#comment-332
I wrote another post about this today, and, although you called me a LIAR at the so called “CIVIL” Political Forum, I restrained myself from labeling you as an IGNORAMUS!
See: Canada’s NOBEL PEACE PRIZE.
Kerfuffles
[…] “The Canadian Armed Forces won a Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in Vietnam.” What year was that? I used Google to save myself from Liberal bias, and discovered that this was a total blatant lie. (October 12, 2006) […]
Canada did send troops to Vietnam! But in the context in which she said it was clearly to imply that they were sent to fight. I know you would argue differently but that is neither here nor there. I felt an urge to write to ask if you honestly believe Anne Coulter is good for the political process? If it isn’t already clear I think she isn’t. Neither do I think Al Franken is good for the process. They are both biased and manipulative to the truth to serve their party rather than their country. Sure they can argue what they say is technically true but their implications, percieved or otherwise, are wrong.
I do agree with you melomelo. They are both bomb-throwers and hurt their respective sides much more than they help. However, Al Franken is an outright liar, which is not true of Anne Coulter and he has built his fame on the backs of popular conservatives by using their names in the titles of his books. In contrast, love her or hate her, Anne Coulter has built her career with her own talents.
However, Anne Coulter knows her place. She is not running for political office to govern the rest of us. Al Franken is and the voters should reject such an immoral person to be their representative:
http://kerfuffles.blogsome.com/2008/08/18/al-franken-lying-liar/
I see Neddy is still .. blathering.. ..
Ann Coulter run for office??? LOLOL I can just see her at NATO summit conference.. kind of lends new meaning too.. bend over and Kiss youf *ss good-bye LOLOL
Ann Coulter is right about a lot of things, she does her research
No Ann was wrong. Canada did not send combatants to Vietnam. The Canadians that fought in the U.S. Army were not sent by Canada. These people chose to fight with the U.S. the Canadian government had nothing to do with it. Canada did not fight in the Vietnam war.
“Sans Says:
February 27, 2009 at 7:01 pm
No Ann was wrong. Canada did not send combatants to Vietnam.”
————————————-
SANS – You are correct. Canada did not send COMBATANTS… However, You are wrong. Ann Coulter never used the word combatants….she said TROOPS!!!
Here is the difference:
“com⋅bat⋅ant
1. a nation engaged in active fighting with enemy forces.
2. a person or group that fights.”
“troop
1. an assemblage of persons or things; company; band.
2. troops, a body of soldiers, police, etc.: Mounted troops quelled the riot.”
“These people chose to fight with the U.S. the Canadian government had nothing to do with it.”
Are you saying that these were Canadian Mercenaries? Who paid them while they were in Vietnam…the U.S. government or the Canadian government?
“mer⋅ce⋅nar⋅y
1. working or acting merely for money or other reward; venal.
2. hired to serve in a foreign army, guerrilla organization, etc.”
Ann was correct and the nice fellow was dead wrong, I remember Canada sending troops to Vietnam. GET IN YOU THICK HEAD LIBERALS, SHE SAID “CANADA SENT TROOPS” She never made any comments about battle troops.
you gotta love the left when they try to debate a skillful blond. They are laughable.
[…] Three years ago I wrote “Canada’s Remembrance Day 2005” in which I mentioned Canadian military forces serving in Vietnam during the era of America’s Vietnam War and the Nobel Peace Prize they were awarded for their service. I never realized the rancor that revelation would come to garner. It began when I was called a LIAR by a Canadian commenter to my own blog: “The Canadian Armed Forces won a Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in Vietnam.” What year was that? I used Google to save myself from Liberal bias, and discovered that this was a total blatant lie. (October 12, 2006) […]
We never sent anyone officially to be involved in combat in Vietnam. SO GET off it. We are not puppets.
But she meant combatants because why else would you go there during that period with out carrying a assault rifle and shooting at things.
Don’t wanna be an American Idiot. ( Green Day)
for the record, Ann Coulter was referring to the war on terrorism (Look up the definition of war as I won’t bother to explain it to you) and how Canada sent troops in to fight in Vietnam. As you were nay sayers! Ann Coulter was wrong as the US is still fighting the “war on terror”, thus her assumption, the charge that she was wrong and did not answer with rebuttal.
Officially, the US began to pull out in 1973 after signing the peace accord. North Vietnam continued the fight. They shot at us as we were boarding those ships.
She is after all, a woman… I think.
It is clear that Coulter was implying combat troops. He should have asked her to then explain why Canada granted asylum to Americans who went to Canada to avoid the draft during the Vietnam war.