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Serious Problems with Kerry's Bronze Star Story
May 10, 2004 | The Bandit

Posted on 05/10/2004 1:52:54 AM PDT by The Bandit

 

On March 13, 1969, Jim Rassmann, a U.S. Army Green Beret, was aboard PCF-35 - one of three swift boats traveling together on the Bai Hap River - when one, the PCF-3, struck a mine and immediately began to take incoming fire from the river bank. Kerry's boat at some point turned around and headed toward the damaged vessel when a second mine exploded nearby, throwing him against a bulkhead, causing an contusion to his right arm. The explosion also tossed Rassmann out of a third vessel, the PCF-35. With Rassmann in the water, it is alleged that enemy gunners started taking shots at him in the water.

According to the description of the events from John Kerry for President web site, Kerry maneuvered his boat up to the PCF-3 to give assistance, when someone noticed Rassmann, by this time a couple of hundred yards away, ducking bullets, and shouted man overboard. With enemy fire still coming from both sides of the river, Kerry's boat headed down river to fetch Rassmann out of the water.

According to Kerry's Bronze Star citation, Lt.(jg) Kerry "from an exposed position on the bow" and with his "his arm bleeding and in pain" pulled Rassmann aboard his boat. 

In an LA Times interview by Tomas Alex Tizon, told the story of how Rassmann tried to scramble up a cargo net at the bow but was too exhausted to make it all the way. He clung to the net as bullets whizzed past him. “Next thing I knew, John came out in the middle of all this,” Rassmann says. “I couldn’t believe it. He was going to get killed. He ran to the edge, reached over with his good arm and pulled me over the lip.”

In a press release by John Kerry for president, titled "Kerry Reunites with Fellow Veteran in Iowa," dated January 17, 2004 stated: "Kerry was hit in the arm." Question here is: hit in the arm with what?

To make matters worst, Time Magazine writer, Mitch Frank described it this way in a article that appeared May 3, 2004:

Why did Kerry get it? On the Bay Hap River on March 13, 1969, a mine exploded under Kerry's boat, driving shrapnel into his arm and knocking Green Beret Jim Rassmann overboard. Despite heavy fire, Kerry turned the boat around and pulled Rassmann back on board with his good arm.


Problem with all the above is Kerry was never wounded in the arm. His medical record for the incident states:

"In firefight approx. 3 hours ago, pt was a) thrown against bulkhead sustaining injury (contusion) to R forearm."

A "contusion" is a fancy word for a bruise - and to be classified as a wound, Kerry would have had to suffered a break in the skin, which clearly would not have been described as a contusion by any physician. Why does his Bronze Star describe his "arm bleeding and in pain" when clearly there is no medical evidence to support such a description? Who in the hell investigated and wrote this very misleading and false citation description?

What we do know is that James Rassmann is the one who did recommend Lt.(jg) Kerry for a Silver Star, for which ended up being reduced to a Bronze Star with "V" for valor. The reason for the "V" is because it is alleged Kerry was exposed to hostile fire from the shore - something I am not so sure of. This incident happened on a river and about time Kerry caught up with Rassmann; Rassmann would already have been hundreds of yards downstream from where they were ambushed. Kerry's own description of the events places Rassmann several hundred yards down stream once it was known that they had a man in the river.

In my mind I don't understand all the fuss; you have a man overboard what are you suppose to do, leave him? I got this feeling that like Kerry's first undeserved and fraudulent purple heart, and how Kerry's official web site personal bio describes a tiny shrapnel wound as a "bullet to the leg," this story is terribly "sexed up" and misleading.

Then there is Rassmann's own cute explanations for what lead him to contacting Kerry's campaign.

Transcript of JohnKerry.com Chat With Douglas Brinkley, Author of "Tour of Duty - John Kerry and the Vietnam War" described how Rassmann came across the story of his own rescue:

Douglas Brinkley: Jim Rassmann walked into a bookstore in LA, and saw my book "Tour of Duty" in front of the store....he looked in the index and saw his name, and that's what made him decide to call the Kerry campaign, and come to Iowa to campaign on JK's behalf.

In a telephone interview from Iowa with the Eugene Register-Guard, Jim Rassmann describes it differently: "As chance would have it, I opened it at random to the page that talked about this particular incident [being pulled from the water by Kerry]," he recalled. "The memories were suddenly overwhelming. I got all choked up," he said. Interesting that Jim Rassmann would open the book to the one random page that describes how Kerry had pulled him out of the water with a wounded arm! Douglas Brinkley's version makes more sense to me.

But wait, it gets better as, Jim Rassmann, goes to pains to paint himself as a loyal registered republican, suggesting he has no partisan motives (another Richard Clarke phony republican claim.)

Rassmann was quoted by the Associated Press in a January 20th article saying he has followed Kerry's Senate career, especially his time on the Senate Intelligence Committee and the POW/MIA Committee that worked to re-establish ties with Vietnam

"It put him head and shoulders above the rest of the candidates, and I include Wesley Clark in that," Rassmann said.

Rassmann went on to say: "If he had done a lousy job in the Senate and I thought his ideas were ridiculous, I wouldn't have called him. I might have bought him dinner, but I wouldn't have called him."

This isn't the kind of praise one would expect from a long time republican to be handing out to a northwest liberal like John Kerry, who has very little to show for eighteen years in the US Senate besides maybe two wealthy wives. I get the sense that the entire Jim Rassmann story is a clever scripted story.

John Hurley, Kerry's veterans affairs coordinator, told Rassmann by phone "We've been looking for you," Rassmann recalls Hurley saying. The next day, Jan. 17, Rassmann was on a 5:45 a.m. flight to Des Moines, and within hours was reunited with Kerry in a TV moment that Hurley described as "monumental" for Kerry personally and politically. As campaign strategy, it couldn't have been better scripted. Was it scripted?

Just scripted enough so that Sen. Kerry could truthfully say he hasn't met or talked to Rassmann in over 30 years. But of course, this doesn't rule out any Kerry operatives who may well have already found Jim Rassmann before he made his famous call to help.



TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: boats; bronze; bronzestar; kerry; militaryrecord; rassmann; star; swift; swiftboatveterans; vietnam
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1 posted on 05/10/2004 1:52:55 AM PDT by The Bandit
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To: The Bandit
You have done an excellent job in detailing this whole thing. I think the story smells fishy, too.
2 posted on 05/10/2004 1:57:38 AM PDT by Miss Marple
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To: Miss Marple
I'm sure HACKworth will be out front exposing this.

NOT.

3 posted on 05/10/2004 1:58:29 AM PDT by CWOJackson
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To: CWOJackson
Kerry was in Louisiana?
4 posted on 05/10/2004 1:59:58 AM PDT by knarf (A place where anyone can learn anything ... especially that which promotes clear thinking.)
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To: CWOJackson
Hey, I just got done reading your post on Hack's involvement in the Admiral Boorda affair. Thanks for finding that!
5 posted on 05/10/2004 2:20:00 AM PDT by Miss Marple
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To: Miss Marple
I'd e-mail the article to Hackworthless but he'd probable call me a Nazi again. But for anyone who cares to see how he reacts here's his e-mail address:

teagles@hackworth.com
6 posted on 05/10/2004 2:30:10 AM PDT by Terp (Retired living in Philippines were the Mountains meet the Sea in the Land of Smiles)
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To: Terp
I don't want that guy knowing my e-mail address. He is in league with the more sinister elements of the Rat party and I would just as soon avoid any contact with him.
7 posted on 05/10/2004 2:38:51 AM PDT by Miss Marple
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To: The Bandit
If the other boat was hit by a mine and already taking fire . . . why did Kerry turn his boat around to assist a single crew member when and an entire boat was rendered helpless?

Was Kerry's decision made to keep from joining the true firefight and risk personal injury from actual combat? Is it possible that Kerry's crewmate was also a coward who jumped overboard so not to take fire, in a premeditated act that thereby allowed the good ensign to also emerge from the combat without exposing himself and crew to what was going to be real enemy fire.

Was there any additional mention that the other boat, taking fire and hit by a mine, was assisted by Kerry's or the third boat, and if so, how long was the engagement - a brief hit and run or a protracted battle. If it was a long engagement, did Kerry's boat FINALLY close with to both destroy the enemy and protect the other boat?

8 posted on 05/10/2004 2:40:27 AM PDT by Jumper
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To: Terp
Hack called you a nazi? Since you are a FReeper and he's a nut, I'm not surprised.
9 posted on 05/10/2004 2:46:51 AM PDT by Arthur Wildfire! March (Backhoe's Gorelick links: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1117579/posts)
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To: The Bandit
Excellent analysis. But I think there is a need for someone to counterpoint this. So I will do it, although I believe his first band aid purple heart was a joke.

"Why does his Bronze Star describe his "arm bleeding and in pain" when clearly there is no medical evidence to support such a description? Who in the hell investigated and wrote this very misleading and false citation description?"

I get a lot of bruises at my plant, handling wood panels all the time. Some bruises are combined with scrapes that clot up very quickly. I'm not certain about military lingo, but a scraped bruise can cause plenty of short term bleeding. [Or if he fell on a ketchup packet.]
10 posted on 05/10/2004 2:52:11 AM PDT by Arthur Wildfire! March (Backhoe's Gorelick links: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1117579/posts)
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To: The Bandit
You know that this whole questioning Kerry's medals thing isn't doing too much with undecided people - their reaction is, "At least he *went* to Vietnam instead of getting deferments or joining the guard like those in the current administration did."

In other words, you may convince a few people, but your efforts may have the opposite result of the one you intended.

IMO, concentrating on Kerry's actions since he returned from Vietnam (saying he was guilty of war crimes and atrocities worse than the prison "torture", etc.) and his current Senate voting record is more productive and more likely to convince swing voters.

With the medals, you're (at most) preaching to the choir.

11 posted on 05/10/2004 3:01:19 AM PDT by Amelia (It's the culture, stupid....or the lack thereof.)
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To: Miss Marple
I thought about that after I sent my original e-mail to him. But here's hoping he gets lots of e-mails from us Nazi types and I get lost in the shuffle.
12 posted on 05/10/2004 3:09:26 AM PDT by Terp (Retired living in Philippines were the Mountains meet the Sea in the Land of Smiles)
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To: Arthur Wildfire! March
I get a lot of bruises at my plant, handling wood panels all the time. Some bruises are combined with scrapes that clot up very quickly. I'm not certain about military lingo, but a scraped bruise can cause plenty of short term bleeding. [Or if he fell on a ketchup packet.]
Kerry was merely forced against the bulkhead by wave action...not enough concentrated force to a small area of his arm to cause blood clotting that could have been ruptured and a source of bleeding.
13 posted on 05/10/2004 3:12:03 AM PDT by The Bandit
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To: Amelia
You know that this whole questioning Kerry's medals thing isn't doing too much with undecided people - their reaction is, "At least he *went* to Vietnam instead of getting deferments or joining the guard like those in the current administration did."
It will when it the media starts to question his inconsistencies. It's not a matter of he went, but what he did when he was there! Unlike Kerry, Bush isn't feeding the public tall tales of heroism.
14 posted on 05/10/2004 3:17:54 AM PDT by The Bandit
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To: Jumper
Good questions. Obiviously it is a judgement call, someone in the water might be considered in more immediate need. I'll research some more and see if I can find some indication of a timeline for this engagement.
15 posted on 05/10/2004 3:22:18 AM PDT by The Bandit
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To: Arthur Wildfire! March
but a scraped bruise can cause plenty of short term bleeding.

That would be an abrasion on top of the contusion. Bottom line, he had a bruise, and the medical report doesn't indicate any sort of bleeding. My $.02

16 posted on 05/10/2004 3:32:44 AM PDT by MortMan (Complacency is an enemy sniper)
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To: The Bandit
It will when it the media starts to question his inconsistencies. It's not a matter of he went, but what he did when he was there! Unlike Kerry, Bush isn't feeding the public tall tales of heroism.

There are plenty of inconsistencies in his more recent record, and his more recent record doesn't invite unflattering comparisons with the current administration and can't be passed off to mistakes of youth.

Questioning the medals isn't necessary, and has too many potential negatives.

17 posted on 05/10/2004 3:35:40 AM PDT by Amelia (It's the culture, stupid....or the lack thereof.)
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To: The Bandit
"Rassmann went on to say: "If he had done a lousy job in the Senate and I thought his ideas were ridiculous, I wouldn't have called him. I might have bought him dinner, but I wouldn't have called him.""

Proof that Rassmann is a Democrat.

Only a Democrat thinks an abstract thought is both clear, and logical.

The sad thing is that they (Democrats) don't even consider their lies to be lies.

18 posted on 05/10/2004 3:38:12 AM PDT by G.Mason (A President is best judged by the enemies he makes when he has really hit his stride…Max Lerner)
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To: Amelia; The Bandit
I agree completely. Unless you have smoking-gun evidence that Kerry knowingly falsified documents or asked others to lie for him you are only going to embitter the undecided. I agree that all of his medals are highly questionable, both why he got them and how it was possible to get that many in such a short time. Even if all of his medals were legit, what he did after the war more than erased his hero status.

Kerry is a total loser, but questioning military medals without evidence of wrong-doing is dishonorable in my opinion.

Kerry's ugly history:
a. He fought in Vietnam, but he brags way too much about it, particularly when others who served much longer tours rarely talk about it, much less brag.
b. After fighting in Vietnam, Kerry turned his back on his fellow soldiers. He viciously maligned the military and gave speeches which were nothing less than inspirational.. to the enemy.
c. Kerry spent the rest of his political career simultaneously bragging about his Vietnam service whenever possible while at the same time voting against every funding measure for the military. Even when voting for various missions Kerry voted against funding those missions.

In summation, he's a piece of liberal two talking trash. He's a gold-digging gigolo tightwad, flip-flopper, (too!)proud vet/anti-war protester, arrogant New England liberal whose most memorable saying in Massachusettes is "Don't you know who I am? I'm John Kerry!". There is MORE than enough mud of his own making to throw at Kerry without going down this questionable medals route.

19 posted on 05/10/2004 3:46:02 AM PDT by thedugal (scumsukkinflabberjawdlimpwristdbleedinhartneocommiepinkopsychobabblinrumprangintailtaggintaleteller)
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To: thedugal; Amelia
awwww but for vets this medal business is a very BIG deal because it reduces Kerry to a Frank Burns in their eyes.
20 posted on 05/10/2004 3:55:27 AM PDT by The Bandit
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