Posted on 08/12/2004 7:13:16 PM PDT by wagglebee
**Exclusive**
TOUR OF DUTY author and John Kerry historian Doug Brinkley is rushing a piece for the NEW YORKER: to set-the-record-straight on Kerry's Christmas in Cambodia tale, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.
Kerry has turned to author Brinkley for a "modification" after it was exposed that Kerry was not in Cambodia during Christmas of 1968, as he once claimed from the Senate floor.
The Brinkley piece for the NEW YORKER will now say that Kerry was not in Cambodia during Christmas, but rather in January, publishing sources tell DRUDGE.
MORE
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."
John O’Neil’s, author of UNFIT FOR COMMAND, comments on the “clarification:”
“John Kerry describes Christmas Eve in Cambodia as a critical turning point in his life. We now know that his story is completely false. My question is how many people do you know have invented a turning point, one that is seared in his memory? While it makes sense for John Kerry to come clean about the Cambodia story, it is one of several tales that the Kerry campaign will have to face and clarify.”
“By claiming we were engaged in a war crime and crossing international borders, John Kerry damaged the credibility of all the commanding officers above him and insulted the sailors who served with him,” said John O’Neill, member of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.”
Developing...
My angle is finding out exactly when "Cut & Run" Kerry started activities with VVAW. Was he still in the Navy during his time with VVAW? I already thought wearing his uniform was a bit tacky, just when you thought he couldn't go any lower....this FRAUD that the democraps and their water-Kerrying media props up makes me ill.
His bio suggests he completed service around April 1970 and the earliest mention of his involvement is Sept. 1970, although there isn't much until January 1971.
I wanna know what he was doing from April 1969 to his involvement with VVAW, as well as any involvement with the enemy. I am hopeful that the Vietnam Vets Against John Kerry will address Kerry's involvement in POW/MIA Select Committe. I hope more of his anti-vet activities will be exposed.
I think the swiftvets have taken care of his "war years"... now their story needs to get out. I hope another book about his anti-war years, as well as his incompetence as a prosecutor and Lt. Governor are talked about more effectively.
President Bush can handle the votes by "Cut & Run" Kerry in the senate, as that record speaks volumes about the absentee senator. Maybe someone can recall more of his adult past, such as his radio show, something from his failed attempts for political office, his stolen cookie biz and former law practice.
There is alot on WinterSoldier.com as well as Vietnam Vets Against John Kerry and the Swifboat vets site. How does this dufus expect to run on his war record if that is nothing more than a political opportunist sporting one hefty bag of lies?
By the way, I would like to see your spreadsheet once you finish! There needs to be a place for Kerry's ENTIRE record of LIES to be exposed.
Someone could always dig up a 20-year-old DUI that Mr. "war hero" forgot to tell us about...making certain it hits the nationwide press a week before the election.
"Let's see his 8mm film clip of the Cambodia adventure. We all know what a media hound this guy is."
For years Howie Carr, Boston Herald Columnist/WRKO Talk Show host, has labeled Kerry "Live Shot"
Sounds like a "bullseye" to me.
(to tune of "I'll Be Home for Christmas")
I was in Cambodia for Christmas -
A C.I.A. man and me
Please don't ask - it's "need to know"
But, it's 'seared' in my memory
Christmas eve did find me
fighting the Khmer Rouge or Viet Cong - it seems...
I was in Cambodia for Christmas
- if only in my dreams.
When I was in the Navy (70-74) not all officers had a TS. The average was a Secret Clearance. TS went to people that handled Communications, Weapons/Operations and Command. And to be honest I don't think all of them had a TS, I suspect if they were department heads (O3 and above) they needed them. Engineering, Deck Officers (1st Div) didn't need TS. Kerry's record is again conflicted. On one hand I read he ran the electrical shop (engineering), and also read he was 1st Lt, which means he ran the deck gang. Both low level posts that don't require a TS. Being an OIC on a PFC certainly requires no clearence. In fact, I'd be surprised they would let someone with a TS, even get in close quarters with the enemy.
And Nixon hadn't said sh*t about Cambodia in January or any other month in 1969.
Which didn't even begin until April 1970 anyway. Is Brinkley going to write another revised piece when we point out this inconvenient fact?
Sorry. Link for TS Clearances on Kerry's website:
http://www.johnkerry.com/pdf/jkmilservice/Top_Secret_Clearance.pdf
Hmmm. Maybe he can squeeze in another month and claim he was with Bob Kerrey, practicing their shooting skills at Thanh Phong.
Can't help here pal, Kerry's records have been skewed for over 30 yrs. SwiftVets have been setting the record straight. Those guys knew him and have stated what they knew about him.
Thanks for filling in what was unsaid in the article.
Nixon was sworn in on or about Jan 21st.... Inaguration Day. That means he had 10 days, to select John Kerry to lead the attack on Cambodia. Did we win that battle???
Hasn't Tipper changed her name after the Dimocrat convention? I think her name is Nipper now.
Remember this?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1178820/posts?page=1562#1562
"I sure as heck have never mixed up my location at Christmas with my location in the middle of January."
January psychologically would never be confused with Christmas either. Even at war, you would reflect on the past during the Christmas season. At war or at home, January can be downer.
You are correct that the PCFs went on a variety of missions including ferrying troops. My point is that Kerry did not have the responsibility to decide what missions his boat would undertake or not. If there was ever a secret mission, his superiors would be aware of it. I think your latter supposition that Kerry made this all up is correct.
The only thing that matters is whether the story is true or not. Nobody will care if it turns out to be January instead of December. The good thing is that it may require Kerry/Brinkly to release some of Kerry's journals to resolve the issue, and if they do they will probably have to release all of them.
I don't agree with your statement that nobody will care if it turns out to be January instead of XMAS Eve. Over the intervening years, Kerry has stated over 50 times that it was on XMAS. Changing his story once he is found out to be a liar is not meaningless in my mind. On the other hand, if on the remote chance, his story is true, then the political impact will be far less. It certainly would hurt the SVBFT even though it shouldn't because they got their facts right.
O'Neill wants Kerry to release his journals. I have a feeling that they are a fabrication of what went on and O'Neill knows it. The more Kerry tries to free himself from this tar baby, the more entangled he becomes. My only concern is that the MSM will accept the Brinkley explanation and just move on, i.e., Kerry was just donfused about the dates.
"ALL HIS LIES NEED TO BE EXPOSED! Not just the whopper about Cambodia."
I absolutely agree with that. I do think certain lies are going to be less plausible than others. It's great that you're going after this postwar years, that's a real grey area. Much of it is hard to nail down, but he did make himself a public figure during that time -- which was his prime objective. There has to be some documentation out there somewhere.
I suspect you're right that the SwiftVets know as much detail as they can get about his 3.5 months. However, for public purposes they could use as much CLEAR explanation in the form of timelines, etc., as they can get. One thing I'd like to do is to add all photographic documentary evidence available to the spreadsheet - like maybe the logs of other boat captains that mentioned him, even in passing. Anything that will nail down WHERE he was on a given date.
After all it was John Lehman, Reagan's Secretary of the Navy who signed, sKerry's Bronz Star citation.
Oh and don't bother clicking the links to Kerry's records (on Kerry's website), the incriminating PDFs are now blank!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1122563/posts
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