Posted on 08/14/2004 7:15:31 AM PDT by 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.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.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.
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
is this a "real" picture. Reason I ask is this. The 4 other men look like they are in the same picture and if you notice they kinda make a U. Kerry looks like he was dropped/Photoshopped into that pic because his body is facing like a different direction and from a body language POV, looks to me like possibly this was maybe (not saying it is) super imposed into it. Based on the stories, I've heard about Kerry reinacting his battle scenes and such for him home movie camera, is there any way to see if any one can figure out if this is real or fake?
Thanks.
Read the entire article at captain's quarters--in fact, go there and read what he has posted for the last three days. I'm not going to predigest it for you.
OK. I'll do that. Then you'll have time to go around changing the subject with other folks. Maybe you can use your scar theory again.
One account I read says that Alston was wounded in two places in the same encounter. He was "grazed" on the head and shot in the arm (his Mom later says he was wounded in the shoulder). That would seem to suggest non-serious head wound, a possibly more serious arm/shoulder wound.
It doesn’t say anything about him going home. Since you can't find it again, I'll assume you read it while in Cambodia.
Vietnam comrade recalls Kerry as leader
Even in '69, crewmate thought Swift boat officer was going places
ANNA GRIFFI, Staff Writer, charlotte.com
i agree. Continued research and theorizing is fine, important even. But we mustn't fall into the trap of citing unsubstantiated theory as fact. Doing so will undermine the swiftee effort.
If you go to cptain's quarters and read what he posted over the last 2 or 3 days may of your questions will be answered.
If this gets out to the mainstream media,....
$$
I can't say that I've seen any pigs flying today.
Kerry's vulnerable right now and the Swift Boat Vets need to drive their point home. Adding more charges (Alston didn't serve with him or the photo's a fake) will just add to the muddle.
The SBVFT need to boil it down to ONE MESSAGE in a 30-second spot:
[O'Neill, w/ swift boat picture on screen behind him]That's all they need to say. The public, but especially reporters, will get it. I believe most reporters honestly think Kerry has released all his records and will be surprised by this ad. (They don't like being surprised.) Remember the old adage: Keep it simple, stupid. That's what this ad would do.Two weeks ago Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ran its first ad pointing out the inconsistencies in John Kerry's version of events when he served in Viet Nam. Kerry's spin machine immediately began to smear the personal integrity of these highly decorated veterans rather than address the specific questions we raised. Ironically, the Kerry campaign has now had to recant major portions of one of his claims, that he fought in Cambodia in 1968.
[List of unreleased records scroll across the screen behind him]
Rather than make personal attacks on his fellow veterans, Kerry should simply release ALL his military records. The records listed here remain out of public view...Kerry has not released them. Those records will reveal who is telling the truth.
[Full screen--O'Neill's face]
Tell John Kerry it's time to release ALL his records...and let the public decide.
Now, how do I get it to O'Neill?
As every shoddy scummy Kerry lie is exposed, he becomes more and more the perfect Dim candidate.
Many people mistakenly think this is a liability. To the contrary, it is his primary qualification to lead the Dim party.
Wait and see.
Go to swiftvets.com and see if they have a contact email. I also under he has an email address (at his lawfirm) which a FR reader posted.
Actually, the swifties have made NO accusations about Alston and have asked people not to make such charges until all the evidence is in. But if the Alston claims are proven false, they will add credibility to the swifties' more general charges about Kerry's fraudlent service record.
Possibly, I suppose.I understand that VVAW has the pic on their site, though .....
Not VVAW. I think I meant the VVAJK ....
?Working theory?:
Alston was on limited duty back at base, yet still nominally part of the crew until officially replaced by Fred Short?
perfect commercial. did you find O'Neill's e-mail address yet?
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