Posted on 08/19/2004 12:50:51 PM PDT by gilliam
Statement by Navy Veteran Van Odell, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, in Rebuttal to Michael Dobbs, Washington Post, August 19, 2004
A courageous, soft spoken man of the Midwest, Larry Thurlow has a heart bigger than the great plains and a commitment to truth and honesty that is boundless. He is under attack, because John Kerry is feeling the heat of truth at the hands of this honest man and others like him.
The Kerry Campaign is attacking the truthfulness of this man and the Bronze Star he so richly deserves for his actions on March 13, 1969. I was there. I saw what happened.
The mine’s detonation lifted PCF-3 completely out of the water just yards ahead of me. All boats commenced suppression fire in case enemy small arms fire ensued. None did.
All boats came to the aid of PCF-3, except one: John Kerry’s boat. Kerry fled.
Larry Thurlow piloted his boat straight toward the mine-damaged PCF-3 from which thick, black smoke billowed. He jumped aboard and personally led damage control operations that saved the boat and rescue operations that saved the lives of badly wounded men. Larry’s leadership was in the highest traditions of the naval service. His leadership allowed the other men and boats of the mission to exit the river safely.
This “single act of meritorious service” – the chief requirement of the Bronze Star – should be honored, not ridiculed, by the Kerry campaign and its allies in the mainstream media.
To reiterate, only one enemy weapon was deployed that day – the command-detonated submerged mine that disabled PCF-3. Larry Thurlow’s citation contained references to “enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire,” because that was the language chosen by John Kerry who penned the “spot report” on the action that day. There was no “enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire” received that day. John Kerry’s report was fiction – a hoax on the entire chain of command.
Larry Thurlow’s heroism and meritorious service, however, is real. To me Larry is one of the heroes of our country. He is a man who served his country when called and who returned home to be a productive citizen. Larry and men like him are the strong backbone of our society. I am proud to have served with him.
I think with John O'Niell and the others it is also about honor. They know the true character of johnkerry and believe he is Unfit for Command. Thus the name of the book. It really is very simple.
"I love it when the Dems go after other Dems!
Nader is finding out how viscious the Dems can be also.
DemoRAT feeding frenzy! "
Just imagine how pleased as punch is the wicked witch of Chappaqua. She doesn't even have to dirty her hands; Kerry is being done in by others!
Below is a statement from John O'Neill responding to Senator John Kerry's August 19, 2004, attack on The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.Mr. O'Neill is the author of Unfit for Command.
-- --The Navy did not send Republicans or Democrats to the island of An Thoi. We are responding and dealing with something that is deeply personal - our own record and the record of our unit in Vietnam. These are issues Senator Kerry raised and we regret that he uses ad hominem attacks instead of dealing with the actual facts. He is doing that because he can't deal with the truth.
For example, for 35 years he said he claimed that one of the turning points of his life was spending Christmas Eve and Christmas illegally in Cambodia, libeling our commanders and our nation with accusations of war crimes. That is a totally false statement because he was no where near Cambodia on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. The Kerry campaign continues to flip flop on the Cambodia issue.
In addition, Senator Kerry closed the Democratic National Convention with a story in which he claimed that five of the boats fled on March 13 after a mine went off and he came back. His campaign is now admitting that he fled and the rest stayed.
Attacking our organization does not respond to the facts that occurred in Vietnam. Senator Kerry says that he has learned to charge into an ambush in connection with this, instead he is fleeing down the river from the facts.
Kerry was in Vietnam as a naval officer. Whether he served his country or not while there remains open to debate, especially considering that others there asked him to leave after he got his third PH and could get out. He left the next day. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and his fellow officers located it pretty quickly.
Just be sure to take a few thousand local voters with you.
I am too, so proud of them, this is what they fought for years ago, to speak up. Let them have their say!!!!!!
. . .probably not too much to worry about here. The truth never plays well with these Democrat; the wave they ride; is the 'lie'; and they will stay with it.
They certainly will not make any exceptions for a genuine hero and loyal soldier.
ie.. .how many times; night-after-night; has Alan Colmes heard the 'truth of the matter'; and yet; every night he begins again; like the 'moment of truth' never happened.
It is a Leftist mind-block; they are immune to the truth; plain and simple. . .and they never let it get in the way of their agenda.
The Left is immune to the 'truth' and they assume; everyone they speak to is as well; and have to say; all those that follow them. . .are.
The irony you speak of; had the power at least, of an 'iron skillet' upside the head' and yet. . .
Odell was on talk radio today in Houston. He was awesome. A caller asked him, "Why now? Why out of nowhere do you come out now?" His reply was that it was one thing to lie about atrocities that did not happen, to lie and cause POW suffering, but it became unconscionable not to stand up against Kerry's lies when he was seeking the status of Commander and Chief. (Paraphrased) He was clear and concise in rebuttal to "attacks" against the Swift Boat Vets. He mentioned the amount they had to put on their ad as compared to the amount moveon.org had... I can't remember the amount, but it was unbelievable how much moveon.org had spent.
All boats commenced suppression fire in case enemy small arms fire ensued. None did.
Could it be that Rassman saw splashes caused by ejecting shell casings hitting the water beliving he was being shot at?
While it is true that the hardcore lefty partisans are immune to the truth and driven solely by their philosophy and agenda of Marx. But there are not enough of them to win an election. The need the occasional thinking democrat and the mushy middle and that is where the Swifties will be devastating.
Thurlow is the one who jumped on a sinking boat to save it while Kerry fled, but it Kerry who is sinking now.
When advisers told Kerry to cool it with the hotties, he set his sights on the Mozambique-born Teresa Heinz, whose first husband, John, a Republican, died in a plane crash in 1991. Kerry and Heinz had met at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janiero and he escorted Heinz, a devout Catholic, to Mass. He found her "very earthy, sexy"—and very rich, with estimates topping $500 million. They married in 1995.
The first Mrs. Kerry filed papers the following year seeking more child support. Kerry interpreted the move as vindictive and fired back: he asked the Catholic Church to formally annul his failed marriage. He didn't even tell her; the church sent her a letter in November 1996 (some say Kerry filed for the annulment because Heinz is a devout Catholic who wanted to participate fully in church ceremonies; others say it was retaliatory
He will fall on the floor kick his feetand whine and cry. and then retailiate.
On July 29 Rassman said "I was a perfect target, hanging out there for everyone to see,". Now all of a sudden he says he was being shot at. Just digging himself deeper with Kerry's lies.
Texas is pretty much in the bag for President Bush. I will of course vote for him. But, if I could get someone to give me lucrative temporary employment in a battleground state, my vote might really help. I would be happy to register,vote and campaign for Bush?Cheney 04.
Regarding my earlier post I was apparently ineffectively trying to be sarcastic about kerry fleeing the scene,and one of his campaign slogans.
I heard O'Neill say something yesterday that really struck me. He said that if Kerry was a Republican, they would be doing exactly the same thing. From most folks, that would seem laughable, but O'Neill comes off so honorable, that it sounded like the most natural thing in the world for him to say.
Did anyone else notice yesterday that Kerry's goons stood up at least one, and probably more, of the talking-heads shows? I can't remember which ones, but I remember hearing at least one, and maybe two complaints from the hosts.
But will you read this in the NYT or Wash Post?
Will you hear it on the TV or radio news?
NO
In fact, it's doubtful anyone in New England will learn of it at all.
Princess you are absolutely correct in your synopsis. I think we both agree on, " Let the chips fall where they may," in pursuit of the truth. Honest men and women have nothing to hide in order for justice to prevail.
Hope he continues 'downward' . . .
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