"It gets deeper and deeper...... According to Short, who supports the Kerry candidacy and appeared alongside Alston with Kerry at last month's convention, Alston was gone during the month of February and did not return to the boat until March. Short remembers going on his first patrol on PCF-94 on February 18, 1969 So Kerry took over the 94 boat on Jan 29th but never even went on a patrol till 18 Feb. He left the 94 on 17 Mar. Just how long was he on the rivers?" Kerry was in "action" only a few weeks, but in that time he burned a village, got 3 PH's, Bronze Star, etc. etc, made a movie of himself, etc. etc...all the stuff he needed to do to get out of the Navy early to run for Congress.