Posted on 08/09/2004 6:14:07 AM PDT by Pikamax
August 9, 2004
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The television ad that aroused the wrath of John McCain and journalist supporters of John Kerry just begins deconstruction of the Democratic presidential candidate's war record. "Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry," a 214-page critique of his performance in Vietnam and the antiwar movement, is off the presses ahead of schedule.
I have read the book and found it is neither the political propaganda nor the urban legend that its detractors claim. It is a passionate but meticulously researched account of how Kerry went to war, what he did in the war and how he conducted himself after the war. The very serious charges by former comrades deserve answers but so far have produced only ad hominem counterattacks.
Why should details of what Kerry did more than 30 years ago be part of this election campaign? Only because the senator has made them integral to his strategy. Kerry as war hero received more attention at the Democratic National Convention than plans for the future. Thus, what he did in his shortened four months of combat becomes a valid campaign issue.
John E. O'Neill, co-author of "Unfit for Command," replaced Kerry as commander of Swift Boat PCF 94 in 1969 and has been confronting him since 1971. O'Neill told me he is no George W. Bush partisan and probably would have supported John Edwards had he been nominated for president, but is committed to keeping Kerry out of the Oval Office. Thus, reversing the usual formulation, the assault on Kerry is personal but not political.
O'Neill told me neither he nor his co-author (Jerome R. Corsi, a writer and expert on the Vietnam antiwar movement) has had contact with the Bush White House or the Bush-Cheney campaign. He said he and Corsi, on their own initiative, went to conservative Regnery Publishing to offer the book.
The co-authors paint Kerry as a reluctant warrior. Contrary to claims by Kerry's supporters that he served two combat hitches in Vietnam, his one-year term aboard a guided missile frigate was far from action. His four months in the brown water navy were terminated eight months early by a third Purple Heart wound, none of which required hospitalization.
The book's strength is the vehemence of testimony by swift boat veterans, alleging that Kerry "gamed" the system to win decorations and later betrayed comrades by charging war crimes. Typical is the quote by Bob Hildreth, commanding an accompanying boat: "I would never want Kerry behind me. I wouldn't want him in front of me, either. And I sure wouldn't want him commanding our kids in Iraq and Afghanistan." Some 200 "Swiftees" on May 4 signed a letter to Kerry demanding full release of his service records.
The book's weakness is support for Kerry's presidential campaign by his swift boat crewmates, presumably people who knew him best. O'Neill told me that these former sailors served with Kerry no more than five weeks. Jim Rassmann, now part of the Kerry presidential campaign, was a Special Forces lieutenant spending a few days with Kerry when he fell or was knocked off the swift boat while under fire and was fished out of the Mekong River by the future candidate.
The "band of brothers" was organized by Kerry, according to this book. It tells of a 2003 telephone call to Adm. Roy Hoffmann, who commanded swift boats in Vietnam, telling him he was running for president. Hoffmann, mistakenly thinking it was former Sen. Bob Kerrey, "responded enthusiastically." Once the admiral realized it was John Kerry, "he declined to give Kerry his support." Hoffmann is quoted as saying, "I do not believe John Kerry is fit to be commander in chief of the armed forces of the United States."
"Unfit for Command" sends a devastating message, unless effectively refuted. Perhaps most disturbing are allegations that Kerry's combat decorations are unjustified. His first Purple Heart, the book alleges, was accidentally self-inflicted. His commander, Grant Hibbard, is quoted as saying: "I didn't recommend him for a Purple Heart. Kerry probably wrote up the paperwork and recommended himself." Full release of documents demanded by his critics could settle this claim quickly if it is unwarranted.
Novak is a registered Democrat. He is a conservative, for sure, but he is a registered, self-admitted Democrat so that he can participate in local politics in Washington, DC, where he lives.
Yes. At best, it shows the media as incompetent (The Swift Boats Veterans for Truth were out with these allegations in May of this year), or propaganda tools. I suppose the press could be both.
I understand that O'Reilly is having one of the veterans on his program, too. O'Reilly has a history of expressing negative opinions when a person is not there to defend himself. He flip-flops almost as much as Kerry.
Great idea.
This will only get prominence in the press if more folks pick up on it and read it with an open and logical mind. Novak ought to be congratulated for his objective viewing of the book, but more needs to be done. Only if the main stream press picks it up and gives it it's just due will people hear of it.
I have noticed in the last couple days that many previously ardent backers of that lying, backstabbing, seditious traitor - Hanoi John Kerry - have been taking the Swift Boat Vets seriously and not just mouthing the Hanoi John campaign answer that they are nothing but Republican shills, Wacko Viet Nam Vets or that the charges are malicious, underhanded and libelous. They seem to be wanting some answers to the charges themselves. Hopefully they will start looking closer at his sedition and treason while still an officer in the United States Navy.
Could it be that these former backers actually believed Hanoi Johns thrice wounded war hero BS?
Hanoi John has made his service (1/3 of a tour and three Band-aids) the backbone of his campaign. If he doesnt answer the charges soon his campaign might well self destruct.
Senator Kerry: release your military records!
Any journalist worthy of the name should be digging into the story trying to establish the veracity (or not) of the claims. Instead they all blather about the timing, question the motives of the Swifties, and theorize about the involvement of the Bush campaign. The MSM is a disgrace!
P.S. Speaking of records, how about Teresa's tax returns too!
A wound of that nature would leave a substantial scar.
hey, hey,
ho, ho,
kerry release
the one eight ohh
180
Ordered my copy on bn.com. Just waiting for release.
With all the worthwhile candidates to choose from, why the hell did they pick Hanoi John?
Nope- registered democrat.
Wow folks...if Novak considers this serious...this book is going to clearly have lots of citations, names, dates, etc. to back up the claims.
I already note that in the section concerning the "Christmas in Cambodia" episode, two of the three crewmates who deny they were ever in Cambodia (via interviews for the book) are actually people who support Kerry.
It is pretty damaging to Kerry's case when even your supporter's admit you were not in that country.
"Evan Thomas of Newsweek was on Imus today and said these allegations were "trouble" for Kerry. This story just might have legs."
Whoa...Evan Thomas said that? Intriguing..if he is saying this- perhaps he's read the book too...did he say anything else?
I have not noticed that, at least would not be able to name a backer of Kerry that has supported revisiting Kerry's assertions regarding his Viet Nam service. At best, some are suggesting that for political purposes, it might be wise for Kerry to release more of his records.
We would like to see his Christmas in Cambodia journal as well.
Kerry seems delusional.
"Maybe just maybe Col. North could weigh in?"
Yes he can and hopefully he will!
Novak I believe was in the service in WWII.
I just emailed him so maybe he will pursue Kerry's military record. Kerry's medical records should be released also but I won't hold my breath. LOL
Kerry is a lying fraud. He "ran a game" on the Navy, he "ran a game" on the state of Massachusetts and if he is not exposed by November 2, he will "run a game" on the entire country!!!
So, Novak is not even correct that the people who are criticizing him never were on his boat.....Gardner was.
And two other crewmates deny the Christmas story.
Some analytical Freeper out there could easily access Murphy's records and calculate not just his total number of combat days, but grade the intensity of individual battles and then map it to his overall medal take.
Using the same technique for Kerry, it would probably show that Kerry has the highest ratio of medals to combat days/battles in the history of the US military.
That in and of itself would provide peripheral support to allegations that he purposely gamed the system.
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