Posted on 07/30/2004 11:39:13 AM PDT by fight_truth_decay
Boston, Mass. — Some of John Kerry's fellow Swift Boat veterans — the ones who were not on stage with him at the Democratic National Convention Thursday night — are questioning the account of Kerry's Vietnam service as presented in a nine-minute biographical video played at the convention.
In particular, the film portrayed an incident in which Kerry, in command of a Swift Boat, rescued Army Green Beret Jim Rassman during a fight on a river in South Vietnam. The film graphically illustrated the incident, in which a group of Swift Boats, including Kerry's, came under attack on March 13, 1969. The film recounted the often-told story of how a wounded Kerry pulled Rassman out of the water while under enemy fire.
The veterans raise two objections to the story. First, they question Kerry's version of events. Second, they question the convention video's portrayal of Kerry's version of events.
First, the video. The film included what appeared to be pictures of the incident itself. But one of Kerry's fellow officers who was involved in the action that day says there is, to his knowledge, no film of what went on. "I can vouch for the fact that there was probably no way that that incident was filmed that day, in the chaos of that moment," says Larry Thurlow, who was, like Kerry, a Navy lieutenant in command of a Swift Boat.
There is some confusion about what the film actually shows. In 1996, the Boston Globe reported that Kerry bought an 8-mm movie camera during his time in Vietnam and used it to film reenactments of some of the action in which he was involved. The Globe reporter recounted how Kerry showed the reporter a video made from that old film during an interview in Kerry's Boston home. "Kerry jumps repeatedly from the couch to adjust the Sony large screen TV in his home entertainment center," the Globe reported, "making sure the picture is clear, the color correct. He fast forwards, rewinds and freezeframes the footage. His running commentary — vivid, sometimes touching, sometimes self-serving — never misses a beat."
The New York Times later reported that Kerry had not reenacted any action. And James Moll, the Hollywood director who made the Kerry convention film, told The New York Observer that he did not see any "reenacted" scenes of actual battle. But Moll's comments did not answer the question of what was shown in the convention video. "When Jim Rassman is talking about how John Kerry saved his life, I'm using some of that footage," Moll told the paper. "It shows the swift boat and various shots of the swift boat, and some firing like you see in the water. Bullets in the water."
But the Observer also reported that "the bullets in the water were not from the actual event," and that Moll said the footage was "illustrative." Whatever the case, the campaign video featured footage of Swift Boats in action, and of apparently hostile fire. In the end, it is not clear whether the events portrayed were real or a reenactment.
Another of Kerry's fellow veterans, Steven Gardner, says that Kerry did indeed make movies of himself, and asked his crew members to take pictures as well, but, wisely, always at times when the crew was not in danger of making contact with the enemy. "One of the guys would be taking pictures of him, but never in a fire zone," Gardner says. "Anytime he discharged a weapon or anything like that, it was strictly play action." (Gardner is the only enlisted man from Kerry's crew not to join the so-called "Band of Brothers" supporting Kerry. He says he never got along with his old skipper.)
"If I was making a movie of my tour of duty and wanted to show people when I got home, I'd probably do the same thing," says Larry Thurlow. "If you wanted to enhance the fact that you were in Vietnam and saw some action, you'd probably want to dramatize it a little bit. But he couldn't have taken pictures that day, because he had to be in control of his boat."
As for the first, more fundamental objection to the convention video, Thurlow says that Kerry's version of the events of March 13, 1969, is simply wrong. "His story is a total fabrication," Thurlow says. One of the Swift Boats did hit a mine that day, Thurlow says, but much of the rest of Kerry's story is inaccurate. "This thing about being under intense enemy fire is a falsehood...There was no fire off either bank [of the river]. This thing about getting Jim out of the river under a hail of bullets with these serious injuries is totally fabricated."
"We fired our weapons onto the bank to suppress any chance that there might be snipers that might try to pick off guys in the chaos," Thurlow says. "But I don't remember any fire from the banks." Thurlow also says he saw Kerry briefly toward the end of the day, and "he wasn't bleeding, and he wasn't hurt."
Thurlow's recollection of events, along with those of other veterans who were there, will be part of an upcoming book by John O'Neill, a leader of Swift Boat Veterans For Truth, a group of Kerry's former colleagues, mostly his fellow Navy officers, who oppose Kerry's presidential candidacy
She was on a recent show "On-Air with Ryan Seacrest." Ryan Seacrest..Fox's wholesome answer to MTV. She stated she met him for dinner as they had met several times at gatherings. Ryan asked her if this was a date, she only looked down and smiled. She made it sound more recent. Hedged the question. She said what a great man he was. She said they went to dinner as had a mutual "interest in Vietnam". This was just a few weeks ago and I was surprised no one picked up on it in the media. She never stated it was years ago.
When Kerry was demonstrating in Boston on the Common with the other dregs of society. They would return to their tents, park benches, flop houses, etc. and he would return to Beacon Hill to the residence of quite a wealthy lady..was reported on Howie Carr sometime ago.
Several month ago I exposed a fraud in a political chat room. (He had on several accasions claimed having served in the military.) He came in the room with a claim that Viet Nam era veterans were supporting Kerry. Pretending not to know I asked him what Viet Nam era veterans are. He replied to me that Vietnam era veterans are veterans are vets who faught in Nam. I replied to him that if had really been in the military like he claimed that was not the case. I had to explain to him that Viet Nam era veterans were in the military, but did not serve in Nam. This was at another time verified by a true Viet Nam vet.
On another occassion he claimed that that our troops had shot at and killed innocent Iraqis from a get this AC130 gunship helicopter. Doing a image Google search I found pictures of what a AC130 gunship looks like. I posted the picture in the room with the caption that this does not look like a helicopter to me.
Needless to say the fraud is not liked in the room at all even by the liberals in the room and has at many times be exposed as a liar
Lastly not to cause confusion. The reason I know what Viet Nam era veterans are is, that my husband retired from the army in 1979 and that he had done 2 tours in Nam
As I understand, he served 4 months (of one tour) actually in Vietnam, commanding swift boats. He served another tour on a destroyer in the Pacific, that was considered supporting the Vietnam Theater of Operations.
Faked films? A dishonest demoncrat? Who'da thunk it.
Re; how did Kerry get a commission for a swift boat? On one of his (few) released records it stated that Kerry was a yachtsman (and suited for the proposed duty?). A later record stated that Kerry also learned Vietnamese in his weeks incountry! John Mitty, lost brother of Walter.
I've never seen the dems let the facts get in the way of a good story yet !
Right on as I, too, have seen far to many fake Vets in chat rooms. These guys will say their MOS was classified. Others do not even know what an MOS is. So, that ought to tell you that fake vets are working overtime to distort the Vets for Kerry.
Speaking about Vets 4 Kerry, that was one so called fake vets chat room screen name.
To me that is very sick and, maybe even suggests that the VVAW is still working overtime.
Ahhhhha! Now if it anytime I need an hollywood movie to make my life look good, i want all of you to shoot me!
Scary. Is he crazier than Dean... or Gore?
This refers to a period of time, NOT where you served.
I believe the Viet Nam era ended May 1975.
A Viet Nam era veteran could have served in Germany or in the states.
Being a member in the Senate he knows full well that President Bush did not lie to the American people about the Weapons of Mass Destruction before the war. He knows the classified and unclassified details of both the Senate Intelligence Report and the 9/11 Commission. Both of these Commissions were very heavily staffed by partisan Democrats who had an agenda to damage the President. People like Ben Venista, Gorelick and Bob Kerry who were definitely looking to make the President and his administration into liars. Both Commissions not only did not find any lying by the President or his administration, but could not find any pressure put on the CIA or the FBI by any Administration member. They found the Bush Administration made sure that the CIA worked in complete objectivity to the facts as they were known. The Commissions both found that the President was completely innocent of misconduct in this very serious matter. There was no lying from the President George W Bush’ Administration.
What this means is either the two Senate Commissions are lying or John Kerry is lying. Since John Kerry knows everything the Commission knows and his staff has briefed him before putting in his acceptance speech that the President misled the Country, then the Commissions must be lying in their reports. For John Kerry to be telling the truth when he calls the President a liar is that he knows something that substantiates that statement. Perhaps he can give proof that the President of the United States lied to the American People. Absence that, John Kerry can give proof that the two Senate Commissions wrote false reports to the American People. If not then John Kerry is lying to the American people. According to the facts that have been found on a bi-partisan basis the Truth is, John Kerry is the liar.
Do we need another President that is willing to lie to get elected? If he can lie about a President of The United States telling a monstrous lie, then he can easily lie about cutting your taxes or staying the course in the War on Terror. In a World were the enemy is doing every thing it can to kill a million Americans, we cannot afford to play dangerous games with our country’s security. We cannot afford politicians who will say or do anything to get elected only to find out they were not telling the Truth. This is a time when words mean something and the Truth is all that matters. This is a dangerous World right now and we need a President of principle and integrity and that is what we have in the White House right now. Vote Bush!
Pray for W and Our Troops
Mike Savage had one of these guys on his show this past week. Kerry is undoubtedly a liar.
If he will defend this country the same way he did as a young man, NO THANKS!
We don't need a President who RUNS!
In D.C. (3-6 pm.m), I listen to Glenn Beck.
I don't want Hannity to go away; I can tune in every day or two to see what's new.
Hmmmm. Now that's somewhat ambiguous in meaning. :)
Thanks...excellent post
You are correct. My error.
I have a close friend who left Vietnam with three Purple Hearts. A Marine I am lucky enough to call a friend. He spends his days in a wheelchair, the last PH from shrapnel that hit his spine.
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