Friday, May 15, 2009

Ted Sampley

Today comes news of the death of Ted Sampley, 62, a Vietnam vet and once a Vietnam POW/MIA activist, and most recently a hard-core wingnut. Sampley, it may be remembered, was a leader in the Vietnam Veterans Against Kerry, and was a supporter of the Swift Boaters. In Sampley's hive mind, he had Sen. McSame as a "Manchurian candidate" who had betrayed his fellow POWs and aided the North Vietnamese. His web site had frequent denunciations of "Barack Hussein Obama Jr" (sic) and Obama's father's Muslim heritage. Sampley's latest project was to establish a museum of Confederate history, complete with a replica Confederate warship (didn't know they were famous for their naval prowess). That's just a "sampley-ing."

Sampley's life illustrates the fact that you can serve honorably and still be dishonorable.

1 comment:

POW Warrior said...

It is one thing to work for something for personal gain, it is quite another to knowingly sacrifice yourself for a greater good. Ted Sampley was a man of passion and little that he did was for himself, it was for his fellow soldier and his country.

The last thing anyone should be doing is trampling on the grave of a man who had what few people have today, true unbridled passion.

He left his mark on this world and he lightened the load for more than a mere handful of POW/MIA Families. I would be anxious to learn what selfless things Ted's retractors will be able to take credit for when they leave this world.

As I have said, in the end, Ted still wins.