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 mines 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 Kerrys 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. Larrys 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 Thurlows 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 Kerrys report was fiction a hoax on the entire chain of command.
Larry Thurlows 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.
Well 7 and the entire media establishment. It is sickening the lengths the left is going through to muddy the reputations of these honorable men.
Then you must use this
..he's French, afterall!
Pray for W and Our Troops
That's the point we hammer on. He fled. And then filed a false report afterwards - and then has the unmitigated gall to use his own LIE to disparage an honorable vet who is telling the truth.
Thurlow never asked for nor did he put himself in for the Bronze Star he unexpectedly received THREE MONTHS after the incident.
And that's the insanity.
American socialists/pervs/gun grabbers/dims are so committed to their pet causes they would gladly elect one of their own just to keep sanity out of the White House.
I remember when Klintoon was disgracing America with his perversions and some female (reporter?; politician?) saying she would gladly join his perversions if it meant abortion would remain legal.
These people are scum.
Nothing changes...
Dosen't JFK's senate transcript claim that the mine lifted *his* boat 2 feet out of the water.
FYI Ping
Welcome to the brave new world people! We have been selected for extinction.
Already has been spun. One of Kerry's crew said that they had to turn around to avoid obstructions in the water (maybe like mines!), and that this was SOP. I guess all of those other boats were not following standard CYA procedures....
waiting
waiting
waiting
crickets
bump
Can't that "spot report" be found and released? I want to see kerry's signature on it.
Van Odell, thank you for your courage before and now. Thank you for rising in defense of your fellow veterans whom served honorably.
Larry Thurlow, despite Kerry's attacks on you, WE support the bravery exemplified in your service.
Certainly shoots holes in Kerrys story.
I wouldn't get too wrapped up in the comment that Kerrys boat fled. For a foot soldier at least, if you get caught in an ambush the best way to get out of it is to sometimes run out of it. Immediately stopping and shooting back keeps you in the kill zone that has already been predetermined by the enemy that launched the attack. Immediate action could be: run through the kill zone, especially if you are at the front of the ambush area, turn back and support the guys caught in the line of fire. If Kerrys boat fled and then came back, that may have been the correct course of action.
Kerry served his country in combat. I have nothing negative to say about that. He did more than most. Kerrys exaggerations of his heroics are just ridiculous. I have found that those that brag about their heroics are almost always exaggerating. Seems to be the case here.
Yes, this is a devastating statement by O'Dell. The more the media digs into Kerry's Vietnam record, the more trouble Kerry will get himself into. The Kerry campaign is in big trouble here. Also, Hugh Hewitt apparently has uncovered another fabrication by Kerry about fictional missions to Cambodia.
I question the timing of this...
I'm PROUD of these guys!
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