[the_Watchman]

A lot of Freepers seem intent on jumping the gun on this one! On a prior thread, the poster stated that Alston was sent to the hospital due to the same battle which wounded Peck AND THERE WAS NO RECORD OF HIS RETURN TO DUTY.

At that point, everyone wanted to jump to the conclusion that he hadn't returned to service. There were constant calls to "alert the media".

Some Freeper analytical skills rise to the level of Micheal Moore! All we need is Rush and Fox News proclaiming stuff like this on the air when it could be easily divulged in Alton's records that he returned to duty the next day. We simply don't know!

Let's stick to known facts rather than jumping to convenient conclusions. There are certainly plenty of solid, verifiable facts to indict Mr. Kerry.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Level headed ping.

[christie]

I agree. Too many assumptions and lack of fact. The other SwiftVets must know the Alston story, so ask them what they know. But jumping to conclusions is stupid. It's muddying the water and will give ammunition to the other side if it turns out FReepers are wrong.

[the Real fifi]

http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/002249.php Alston was wounded and medavaced off the boat on Jan 29--Kerry took over on January 30.

[JustaCowgirl]

"All we need is Rush and Fox News proclaiming stuff like this on the air when it could be easily divulged in Alton's records that he returned to duty the next day. We simply don't know! "

I agree completely. At this point, we don't have proof that Alston didn't return to duty on PCF94, although it does seem unlikely. If solid proof of his whereabouts during the period from Jan. 30, 1969 to Feb 28, 1969 are generated, then it would certainly be reasonable to claim they never served together. I say Feb 28, 1969, because that is the date of the Silver Star incident, and there is no evidence that Alston was on board then. Kerry shipped out on March 13, and I think there was limited action between Feb 28 and Mar 13. So I would say that the month of February, 1969 is the one that needs to be nailed down.

As an alternative, it would work to establish who exactly was on board PCF94 with Kerry during that month. If that doesn't include Alston, then QED.

[browardchad]

How do you explain the fact that Alston is not pictured in this Boston Globe photo of Kerry and the PCF-94 crew taken at An Thoi, Vietnam, on February 28, 1969, after a medal presentation for Silver Star action?

True, there's no proof that Alston was hospitalized after his January 1969 wound -- but neither is there any proof that he returned to PCF-94 to serve with Kerry for "four months," as he states. He is not in the picture of the crew taken roughly a month after his injury.

[Steven W.]

thank you :)

[justshutupandtakeit]

"analytical skills" bawhahaha.

[gilliam]

The Swift Boat Vets have put the kabash on speculation on their site as well.

http://www.swiftvets.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=6