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Val Kilmer Responds

Military-Money-Matters.com has received a response from actor Val Kilmer to our article regarding his alleged comments to writer Chuck Klosterman during an interview for Esquire magazine, published in 2005.

This is his response, verbatim (emphasis ours):

"In response to the recently quoted interview
regarding the Vietnam veterans:

I have read the interview and I certainly did not say those things.

The writer was elaborating and not able to accept the intent of empathy, and sympathy that an actor has for all human beings and the human condition.

My father served proudly in WW2 and I have never uttered a single word of disrespect to any armed servicemen anywhere ever.

I sincerely apologize for causing any discomfort to any vets and would not have pursued a line of thought that could have been turned into such an ugly version of a simple rule in acting.

You are justifiably offended, as I was when I read the supposed quotes.

I have travelled to Iraq, interviewed, and filmed on behalf of the men and women in the field and have met with some of our great retired generals. One of the greats that I had the privilege to know was Admiral Noel Gyler, a true hero, as was Colonel Gavin, whose family I was adopted by, and even asked to write his eulogy.

Sincerely,
Val Kilmer"

We wrote to Mr. Kilmer to confirm that this comment actually came from him because WE didn't want to "misquote" him.

Here is the response we received:

"Hello, my name is Jacque and I work as an assistant to Mr. Kilmer.

The comment [submitted to] your website is a personal comment from Val which he asked me to distribute.

He was very disturbed by the perception Mr Klosterman's article left. He had not actually seen the essay/article prior to the recent re-publication of the excerpt regarding veterans.

Thank you for your part in clearing up the misunderstanding."

So there you have it, folks, straight from the Iceman's mouth (well, at least straight from his assistant).

We'll attempt to get a response from Chuck Klosterman, and in the meantime will say this:

Val, if you did not say those things, you have our sincere apology for perpetuating the "misquote."

However, if you said anything remotely like that, we stand behind everything we've said.

If you did not make those statements, we implore you to make headlines for yourself (which might help your political aspirations) by becoming one of the rare voices in Hollywood that speaks out publicly to acknowledge the honorable service of all our veterans, and our Vietnam vets in particular.

We ask you to call on your Hollywood friends to do the same. The wounds caused to these honorable men and women by a number of high-profile folks in Hollywood have festered for more than 40 years. It's time to acknowledge their service, thank them for it, and try to heal some of those wounds.

Regardless of what one's personal opinion happens to be concerning that war, or the one we're currently engaged in, one thing we have in common needs to take center stage: as Americans, we need to unite behind our military men and women, without whose sacrifices we would not have the freedom to enjoy the lives and careers we've chosen, nor to engage in the type of discussion we've had here.

We owe them (as well as their brethren in arms from our allied countries) a tremendous debt of gratitude, and it's time they know that we understand that, and we appreciate their service.

Won't you show your leadership by thanking them publicly and asking your Hollywood friends to do the same?

Update: Esquire Confirms Kilmer Quote

Military-Money-Matters.com has received a statement from Esquire confirming the comments attributed to Val Kilmer in the Klosterman interview.

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Are you a Vietnam (or Viet Nam) veteran? Do you have a story you'd like to share with our readers to help correct some of those persistent myths?

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Other Readers' Comments

Read contributions from other visitors to this page...

Finally, a Way to Respond
I was drafted in 1969 and served as a medic in a rifle platoon in Vietnam.

For decades I and my fellow veterans have had to bear the slander of our ...

What is Going On Here?
I'm a Viet Nam veteran, having served on active duty almost the entire period of the war and being honorably retired from the service as of 1982. I am ...

ITS TIME MR KLOSTERMAN TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED
It now seems that it’s time Mr. Klosterman stands up and be accountable for the article in which he wrote on Mr Val Kilmer regarding Vietnam veterans.

We ...

I want to believe Val
I have long been a fan of Mr. Kilmer's acting. I think, for example, that his interpretation of Doc Holiday in Tombstone was the definitive Doc Holiday ...

Can't believe people would run with this
PLEASE READ THIS
As the mother of a son currently serving, and the daughter of a vet in a family of vets than run in an unbroken line back to the Revolution,...

I'll Match IQ's with Kilmer and
Spot Him 10 Points
Like most liberals, Kilmer is a weasel, except he's not quite as smart as one of those little varmints. He DID express his contempt for Vietnam Vets in ...

Val Kilmer was Talking About Acting... Not rated yet
Val Kilmer was talking about preparing mentally to act and thinking through how a person would feel in the circumstances of war. The only thing he did ...

Val Kilmer - a UK perspective Not rated yet
Andrew writes: What a prat.

Ok, Mr. Kilmer, let's cut to the chase. You were caught out. Own it!

Esquire insists their interview was accurate.

Question:...

Val Kilmer Turns Tail and Runs Not rated yet
Val turns tail and runs - when the heat's on.

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If I were Val Kilmer, and somebody accused me of saying things about ...

Tears of Bravery Not rated yet
David writes:

Everyone knows the saying. "For those who have fought for it, Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know".

I think people ...

To Val Kilmer Not rated yet
Mister Kilmer, you have just made a jackass of yourself, if you feel this way and are trying to retract your words to prevent loss of income or to retain ...

Do you really believe everything the media says? Not rated yet
I have known Val for many years now. If he says he was misquoted I believe him. In the case of the infamous Rolling Stone article, I had been traveling ...

Delusional People Rarely Recall What They Have Said Not rated yet
Kilmer is definitely deluded if he believes he understands what went on in a Vietnam Veteran's mind as he watched his buddies die.

The best possible ...

Kilmer letter validated? Not rated yet
In my opinion, the most effective way for Mr. Kilmer to clear this up is to make a public statement on TV or syndicated radio station.

Until then, many ...

Calibre of Vietnam Vets Not rated yet
Janet and Mates,

Thank you all for defending the calibre of people most Vietnam veterans are. Around the world, from the USA, New Zealand and Australia,...

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