Posted on 08/08/2004 5:09:55 PM PDT by Steven W.
XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX SUN AUG 08, 2004 19:04:35 ET XXXXX
SWIFT OFFICERS AND VETS: KERRY LIED ABOUT SPENDING CHRISTMAS IN CAMBODIA
Since the early 1970s, Kerry has spoken and written of how he was illegally ordered to enter Cambodia. Kerry mentioned it in the floor of the Senate in 1986 when he charged that President Reagan’s actions in Central America were leading the U.S. in another Vietnam. Here’s what he said as excerpted from the new book, UNFIT FOR COMMAND:
I remember Christmas of 1968 sitting on a gunboat in Cambodia. I remember what it was like to be shot at by the Vietnamese and Khmer Rouge and Cambodians, and have the president of the United States telling the American people that I was not there; the troops were not in Cambodia. I have that memory which is seared--seared--in me.
DRUDGE has learned from the accounts of Swift Boat officers and Kerry’s crewmembers that Kerry was never in Cambodia. UNFIT FOR COMMAND authors charge that Kerry made it all up.
“Despite the dramatic memories of his Christmas in Cambodia, Kerry’s statements are complete lies,” according to John O’Neil, co-author and the Swift Boat commander who took over Kerry’s boat. “Kerry was never in Cambodia during Christmas 1968, or at all during the Vietnam War. . . . he was more than fifty miles away from Cambodia.”
Kerry was stationed at Coastal Division 13 in Cat Lo. Coastal Division 13’s patrol areas extended to Sa Dec, about 55 miles from the Cambodian border. . . . Tom Anderson, Commander of River Division 531, who was in charge of PBRs (small river patrol crafts] confirmed that there were no Swifts anywhere in the area and they would have been stopped had they appeared.
All the living commanders in Kerry’s chain of command . . . deny that Kerry was ever ordered to Cambodia. They indicate that Kerry would have been seriously disciplined or court-martialed had he gone there. At least three of the five crewmen on Kerry’s boat, Bill Zaldonis, Steven Hatch, and Steve Gardner, deny that they or their boat were ever in Cambodia.
O’Neill observed that the Cambodia incursion story is not included in Tour of Duty (Kerry’s recent biography). Instead, Kerry replaced the story with a report about a mortar attack that occurred on Christmas Eve 1968 “near the Cambodian border” in a town called Sa Dec and Christmas day was spent at the base writing entries in his journal.
After conducting interviews and research, authors of Unfit for Command conclude, “The truth is that Kerry made up his secret mission into Cambodia.... the lie about the illegal Cambodian incursion painted his superiors up the chain of command. . . . as villains faced down by John Kerry, a solitary hero in grave and exotic danger and forced illegally against his will into harm’s way.”
Developing...
May I ask why you think that the SwiftVet stuff does not help the President?
The White House has nothing to do with this. People can either believe it or not. I find it just adds fuel to the fire that is consuming sKerry.
Franks is registered as an independent but we all know he's going to vote for W. In fact, Hannity asked him to announce his support on his show and Franks agreed. Also heard Franks say he was "leaning" towards George W. Bush during an interview.
No wonder he is not Irish with an Irish name. I was being sarcastic and that even turns out to be true! :)
Thanks for that info!
Because taking shots at a man or those who served with him in Vietnam is not received well by voters.
If Bush thought it would help him, he'd embrace these guys.
You see that he is not embracing them.
Very true but Kerry is no Bill Clinton when it comes to lies and speeches. He is so arrogant I guess he figured he could say and do anything and the media would be there to prop him up. Although I am starting to see some cracks in the media as the whoppers increase in size. Just wait until October -- my bet is there should be huge cracks in the media as some jump off the Kerry train when they see Kerry destructing even more.
No, the President is not embracing them. Why should he? They aren't doing it for George W. Bush. They are doing it because they know what John Kerry is... They don't think he's fit for command and have every right to tell the American people what occured in Vietnam.
Thanks! Even when I am sarcastic about Kerry, it turns out to be true! Amazing!
I agree with you 100%. Pres Bush does not need to embrace these guys and shouldn't. They are not doing this for Pres Bush but for the American people. Everyone I know is supporting the Swift Boat people in getting out the truth, and we are all big Bush supporters and a lot of military are included.
Just because Kerry served 'four' months on a Swift Boat in Vietnam doesn't give him a pass when he is lying. Cannot even get his President's straight and I am supposed to give him a break when it comes to his record in Vietnam? No way!
We will keep banging it.
However, just look at the confusion here on FR with good Freepers, not trolls in trying to follow this story.
Just before I went to bed last night Travis McGee poste an interesting comment about with the money Teressa has, it would be really easy to buy authors, journalists and so called newspaper reporters to bury the obvious and make lies look like reality.
This goes to character and scruples. And it's being proved (albeit slowly) that Kerry doesn't have any of either.
And let's not forget that Kerry is the one who's basing his whole campaign and his qualification to be POTUS on his four short months in Vietnam. If all of it is fabricated bull-hockey, he has nothing left. He brought up his record, it needs to be examined.
And I particularly agree with this statement: Just because Kerry served 'four' months on a Swift Boat in Vietnam doesn't give him a pass when he is lying.
That is what the media and John McCain are demanding.... I served in Vietnam, don't you dare question one thing I say about it...
Bulljive! I can and I will.
We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!
The rule is never attack combat duty...Bush isn't..the VietNam vets are..
I had a discussion over the weekend with a Bush supporter who worried this could hurt Bush...I said..These vets have a right to tell their story and are passionate about doing so..
It is from deep in their heart and I support their right to tell their side on why Kerry is a liar and a fraud...Kerry is running on his VietNam record...I want to push him into running on his record in the Senate.
Apparently, Kerry doesn't "nudge" "inconvenient" people into Arkanside. There's ONE good thing about Kerry! ONE.
bump
Beeeeeeeeeeeauuuuuuuutiful!!!!!!!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.