Esquire Confirms Val Kilmer Quote

Actor Val Kilmer, who is contemplating a campaign for governor of New Mexico, recently sent us a message denying that he made the derogatory comments about Vietnam vets that were quoted in a 2005 Chuck Klosterman interview for Esquire magazine.

So naturally we sent an inquiry to Esquire to clear up the "confusion", asking if they would care to comment, and whether the interview had been taped and the quotes could be confirmed.

This morning, we received the following response from the Editor-in-Chief of Esquire (emphasis in original):

What can we say?

As a journalism graduate and a lawyer, I suspected the interview had been recorded, to protect both sides in the event of a dispute over what had been said or not said. I certainly expected a publication with the reputation of Esquire to be responsible enough to double-check its quotes prior to publication.

Recording the interview provides them with a defense in the case of a lawsuit by the person being interviewed, because truth is an absolute defense to a lawsuit for defamation of character. Having a separate research department conduct the double-check prevents the he-said-she-said problem. That means an Esquire employee listened to the taped interview and confirmed that the quote was accurate before it was approved for publication.

This confirmation from Esquire leaves us with a sense of sadness. It confirms that not only is Mr. Kilmer ignorant, arrogant and unkind, shooting off his mouth to insult 8.3 million Vietnam veterans who served this nation honorably, he apparently is also a liar when it's convenient to his purposes. (Either that, or he has a really bad memory.) We hope the voters of New Mexico will take note.

Sound Off (Again)

We appreciate you holding off on additional comments while we waited for the confirmation from Esquire. Below, we give you the opportunity to sound off (again) on this issue, and remind you to keep it clean, as this is a family-friendly site. If you wouldn't want your 5-year-old daughter using those words, find some others to convey your sentiments. We've spent a lot of time editing some of your previous comments, and some were deleted without publication because they were nothing but profane name-calling. Thanks.

Facts About Vietnam Vets

Because of some of the comments that we received in response to our original publication of Kilmer's quote, containing inaccurate information regarding our Vietnam veterans, we have compiled a page of documented facts about our Vietnam veterans, who answered our country's call and served honorably, and US participation in the conflict to save Southeast Asia from the spread of Communism.

On that page, we invite you to submit your own stories of service in Vietnam, or your stories about family members who served, and especially your thanks to those who served. We believe it's important to preserve that legacy for future generations, and we believe it's time that our Vietnam vets are recognized and appreciated for the sacrifices they made for the betterment of the world we live in. Scroll down that page and look at the difference in the number of days of combat for WWII veterans and for Vietnam veterans. If nothing else, that should give you a better appreciation for their service.

Now, here's your opportunity to respond to Esquire's confirmation of Val Kilmer's quote in the Chuck Klosterman 2005 interview:

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