[Mike Darancette]

young Kerry had created great problems for him and the other top brass, by killing so many non-combatant civilians and going after other non-military targets.

I don't understand how a swift boat commander could be offing so many civilians by himself. Maybe we should be checking Kerry's service record and talking to his commanders.

[HardStarboard]

>>>do you like your Mini? They are the coolest little things! (I've rented them before. Just wondered about maintenance.) <<<

Maybe this is why he make that rant in congress about "his fellow vets" killing and brutalizing civilians and cutting ears off and raping and pillaging.....maybe he was talking about himself.

Maybe Kerry was a one man MaiLai!

Vote Kerry, and you'll get Kofi as Sec Def!

[okie01]

"I don't understand how a swift boat commander could be offing so many civilians by himself. Maybe we should be checking Kerry's service record and talking to his commanders."

Caution is indicated. And research required before proceeding further.

But the fact that Kerry has openly accused others of these same charges serves as a certain kind of corroboration. Liberal Democrats excel at accusing others of what they themselves have done.

[There's millions of'em]

'I don't understand how a swift boat commander could be offing so many civilians by himself. Maybe we should be checking Kerry's service record and talking to his commanders.

I was not in the delta, but friends who were describe these boats as fearsome gun platforms that could chew up the shoreline and landscape as they cruised the rivers and waterways. Consider that in a primative environment, villagers go down to the river for any number of reasons and major trails would often track right alongside the river.

Even in a "free fire" zone, a leader was expected to prevent senseless slaughter. We would see kids all the time in these areas in my AO when on patrol. Just because we saw them, didn't mean we were supposed to shoot them, but the accusation seems to be that JFK did.

[expatpat]

I don't understand how a swift boat commander could be offing so many civilians by himself.

Going up and down the rivers, it would be easy for him to order his men to shoot civilians fishing or farming on the banks.

[Krodg]

I don't understand how a swift boat commander could be offing so many civilians by himself. Maybe we should be checking Kerry's service record and talking to his commanders.

Maybe the author has him confused with Kerrey?

[dalebert]

Does anyone really believe Kerry ever set one foot in Nam.

[capitan_refugio]

I don't know what type of craft Kerry commanded, but the "brown water" navy used modern-day monitors on the Mekong, which carried 50 cal machine guns, 20 mm and 40 mm cannons, and 81 mm mortars.

Zumwalt was at one time ( c. 1964) Commander, Naval Forces, Vietnam.

[Clean_Sweep]

"how a swift boat commander could be offing so many civilians "

They would shoot up the native small craft on the rivers. Wooden boats don't provide much cover from a 50 cal.