[Wild Irish Rogue]

From Joe Klein's interview of John Kerry,in The New Yorker,2002.

" Admiral Elmo Zumwalt later joked that he wasn't sure if he should give Kerry the Silver Star or court-martial him for his actions on February 28, 1969. Kerry had ignored standard operating procedure as his squadron ferried troops up the river that day."

[Mike Darancette]

Kerry had ignored standard operating procedure as his squadron ferried troops up the river that day."

If Kerry was ferrying troops at the time he beached his craft to kill that VC he definately was off mission. While beached his craft was a sitting duck for mortar and rocket fire.