Alston Never Served Under Kerry

Captain's Quarters ^ | 8/14/2004 | captain ed

[stayout]

For those of you who have not been fully following the Swift Vet's story, one of Kerry's traveling entourage (David Alston) claimed he was under Kerry's command on a PBF and found Kerry to be a great leader. He even gave a speech to that effect at the Democratic National Convention, where he said the following:

I know him from a small boat in Vietnam, where we fought and bled together, serving our country. There were six of us aboard PCF-94, a 50-foot, twin-engine craft known as a "Swift Boat." We all came from different walks of life, but all of us-including our skipper, John Kerry-volunteered for combat duty. And combat is what we got.

However, one intrepid blogger now has proven that to be a lie, Alston never served under Kerry because Alston was wounded and out of action before Kerry took command of Alston's boat. Here is the final bit of proof (published early this morning), I suggest you go to Captain's Quarters to find all the previous analysis leading up to this astonishing coup de gras (pass the word):

Alston Never Served Under Kerry

Thanks to reader Lori in Texas, I think we've just about pieced the record together on David Alston and his supposed service under John Kerry's command. Lori points out a sympathetic article on Dale Sandusky, one of the few Swift boat veterans supporting Kerry and one that served on his boat, specifically gives the timing on Kerry's command of PCF-94:

In January 1969, Sandusky's boat, PCF-94, came under attack during one such ambush. Lt. Ted Peck, the officer in charge, and another crewman were seriously wounded. Sandusky had to take command. The boat was sinking and on fire, but Sandusky steered it back to safety. They counted 155 bullet holes in the boat and found a live enemy rocket in the main cabin. It had come to rest in a sack of potatoes.

For his actions, Sandusky would receive the Bronze Star.

With their officer headed home, the crew of PCF-94 needed a leader. And Lt. j.g. John Kerry, whose crew on PCF-44 had rotated back home, needed men to lead.

"I was sure glad he came along," Sandusky said, "because to be honest, I didn't want to take command."

From Jan. 30 to March 13, 1969, Kerry and the crew of the PCF-94 would conduct 18 missions in the Mekong Delta river system. In that time, Kerry would earn a Silver Star, a Bronze Star and add two Purple Hearts to the one he received earlier.

Bingo! Yachtzee! Alston received his serious wounds in that same exact battle that took Peck out of service. On January 29th, Alston was medevaced out to a hospital with head wounds and no records indicate that he ever returned to the unit. Kerry took command of PCF-94 the next day. Alston never served a day under Kerry's command. In fact, Kerry received a replacement, Fred Short, on 28 February as a replacement for Alston.

Now what does that tell us about Kerry and his Viet Nam narrative?

1. He and Alston conspired to deceive people about Alston's service under Kerry. That conspiracy was intended to give John Kerry cover against exactly the kind of campaign he faces from the other Swiftvets.

2. The "end of January" language on Kerry's website was intentionally vague in order to fuzzy up the timeline and keep Alston's true status a secret. Obviously, Sandusky remembers the dates well enough, and Kerry could easily have gotten them from him if he wanted to be as specific as his other dates on the timeline.

3. The DNC either were saps or actively participated in the conspiracy in order to assist Kerry in his Viet Nam mythology. Otherwise, why would they have allowed David Alston to speak at the convention about his experiences serving with John Kerry on the boat?

4. Kerry's band of brothers have some complicity in this cover-up as well. Those who served on PCF-94 surely remember that Alston never served under Kerry; Sandusky specifically recalls Peck being wounded and removed from command, but he wouldn't remember that Alston left at the same time?

5. One could argue that they served on the same boat, of course, and I look forward to that Clintonian parsing used in Kerry's defense. After holding Alston up as an expert on his leadership, he'll be hard pressed to explain how that expertise came to Alston from a hospital bed miles away from Kerry and his old PCF.

If this gets out to the mainstream media, this story kills Kerry's campaign. This isn't just a guy embellishing his war record -- this is a deliberate and longstanding attempt to mislead and defraud people by creating his own witnesses after the fact. That he could have done such a clumsy job should disqualify him for higher office on that basis alone.

Posted by Captain Ed at August 14, 2004 01:25 AM

[nopardons]

bttt

[nopardons]

And you'd more truthful than Kerry EVER has been. LOL

[LibertyJihad]

The "Alston never served with Kerry" angle seems to be a loser when you look at the picture of Alston with the crew members of PCF-94 and Kerry. At some point, Alston was with Kerry. We need to rap up these lose ends before we scream they didn't serve together. Otherwise, the opposition will simply show that photo and ask whether your eyes are lying.

Furthermore, conspiracy theories about doctored or staged photos are a loser. That picture of Kerry and Alston has been around for quite some time. There is not a conspiracy to doctor or stage photos. There is however, some question as to whether Alston was with Kerry for the period of time he claims (and Kerry fails to correct the erroneous assertion). Someone needs to find out when Alston returned from his injuries. Was it after the Feb. 28, 1969 Silver Star episode? How about the March 10?, 1969 Bronze Star episode.

We need the help of someone else who was there.

[No Truce With Kings]

Why am I so *not* surprised.

[Wolfstar]

...so I doubt they would both be faked.

I didn't say it was faked. In fact, I began by saying, "While I can't say if this photo was doctored..." What the lighting in the particular photo I discussed shows beyond any doubt is that there were three light sources. If it is a genuine photo, and I have no reason to doubt that it is, then it is a posed shot taken by someone who had professional-type spotlights (and a source of electricity to power them).

[popparollo]

Just a point to ponder: Suppose the picture is real, the date-time is wrong, Kerry just happens to be there...
He is standing close but not part of the "group"
Remember Kerry is an oppurtunist...

The truth is coming for you Johnny!!

[dennisw]

http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/002254.php#comments

I now believe this Alston-Kerry (and others) photo is not a fake.

[potlatch]

Another neat one. I think the chopper got his left eye though!!

[CyberAnt]

Well .. John O'Neill can claim he served on the same boat as Kerry .. John took over Kerry's boat when Kerry left Vietnam.

[dennisw]

My take is Alston served under kerry for 2-3 weeks. Swift boat rosters were not etched in stone.

[concerned about politics]

Now what does that tell us about Kerry and his Viet Nam narrative?

He's the candidate that just keeps on giving, isn't he?
Thanks John, you make a Bush win seem so easy.

[cyn]

That's what I was wondering.

BUT -- google search >> http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/061603.shtml has that photo with the caption:

Kerry and the crew of PCF 94, a swift boat that saw heavy action on the narrow waterways of the Mekong Delta, south of Saigon, under Operation SEALORD. From left, Eugene Thorson, David Alston, Tom Belodeau, and Delbert Sandusky. (Globe Photo / Michael Medeiros)

Could it be that the writer of At The Office just got info wrong? I've gotta feel sorry for anyone who tries to get info from Kerry camp, can't be easy.

[Aliska]

It's also possible that one of the crew had a 35mm or whatever and handed the camera over to someone at hand to take some informal photos on such a momentous occasion. Also, the informality of the group and the poor overall composition leads me to conclude that they may have been taken by an amateur. I don't think a professional would have chopped off parts of arms on Kerry and the blond guy on the left, do you?

As long as the questions are answered about various periods of assignment of the individuals and that the photos are not doctored, there is little to gain by beating the thing to death.

I agree with you about the lights. Without extra lights or flash, I'm not buying the conflicting shadow effects. I studied a couple of my digital pictures taken around noonish and the shadows are all consistent with the one light source, the sun. I'm scratching my head trying to figure out how other people get different shadows under similar conditions outdoors.

That looks like a toaster in the other photo :-). Wonder if that means something. I love a good mystery.

[Valin]

Amazing how he can line up "The New Yorker" just like that to print his revisionism.

Good thing that there's no bias in the "mainstream" press.

[devolve]

Was Gardner on Kerry's boat in that time frame some claim Alston was on Kerry's swiftboat?

Gardner will not lie for Kerry.

Forget Douglas Brinkley, Kerry's biographer!

He is just tryng to pump up book sales and future books!


Brinkley is Kerry's partner, with PR from Salon, Globe, NYT, WP, LAT


When Kerry's BS is exposed all of these TV and print media sources will be permanently "seared" with the Jayson tattoo!


Their choice!



Is it worth the gamble they are taking with their corporations profits and future?


Who will buy or tune in to the MSM then?

[potlatch]

Since I've missed so much, do you know if any of Kerry's swift boat crew have been interviewed on TV by someone asking 'hard' questions?

[texasbluebell]

Forget Douglas Brinkley, Kerry's biographer!

I would certainly love to know what little Dougie Brinkley's father would have thought of this Kerry business, and his son's involvement in it.

David Brinkley's quote about clinton will live on forever: He's a bore and will always be a bore.

He couldn't have thought much better of J Effin'.

[The Bandit]

I've come up with some more for this story I been developing and will have another article on this shortly. Glad others are now carrying on with my work because this will sink Kerry faster than Unfit will.

[claudiustg]

---Since I've missed so much, do you know if any of Kerry's swift boat crew have been interviewed on TV by someone asking 'hard' questions?---

No.

Some bozohead was on Fox saying that the MSM wasn't covering the Cambodia story effectively and that that's just what Carl Rove wants, because then O'Neills's lies will go uncorrected! Spin! Spin! Spin! She also said that these were the same people that attacked McCain! No one challenged her.

[concerned about politics]

Good thing that there's no bias in the "mainstream" press.

You know, people had to hear 24/7 for months about Bush's military records, yet the SBV have brought up some serious charges against Kerry. There's not even a peep from the press about Kerry's military records.
Only the truly ignorant wouldn't notice this special treatment for Kerry.
Actually, this really makes the liberal press look quite bias. People may just start paying more attention to the spin and distortions, and start deciding for themselves. The liberal press is shooting itself in the foot.