Posted on 08/21/2004 5:33:07 PM PDT by franklog
When John F. Kerry rescued James Rassmann from the Bay Hap River in the jungles of Vietnam in March 1969, neither man could possibly have imagined that the episode would become a much-disputed focus of an American presidential campaign 35 years later.
For Kerry, then a green and gangly Navy lieutenant junior grade and now the Democratic challenger to a wartime Republican president, that tale of heroism under fire has become integral to his campaign. A centerpiece of public rallies, videos and a new campaign advertisement last week, it has helped distinguish the candidate from his Democratic primary rivals and from President Bush, who spent the war at home as a member of the Texas Air National Guard.
For the Massachusetts senator's critics, who include three of the five Swift boat skippers who were present that day, the incident demonstrates why Kerry does not deserve to be commander in chief. They accuse him of cowardice, hogging the limelight and lying. Far from displaying coolness under fire, they say, Kerry was never fired upon and fled the scene at the moment of maximum danger.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I dont know what happened but from the chart in Post 5 it looks like the other boats stopped to help the boat that hit the mine while Kerry hit the throttle to head down the river, tossing Rasman off the boat. Then he returned for Rasman and left the other boats on their own.
I can only surmise that the Wash. Post drew the chart , but it sure looks like Kerry ran to me.
The comPost is really going all out here.
I had thought they'd learned something from what the NYT had just gone through and were going to cut this kind of crap out.
But, obviously, electing Kerry is more important to them then good journalism.
Crap!
*****At 2.45 p.m., according to Navy records
*****muzzle flashes from the riverbanks. Langhofer,
*****all boats receiving "heavy a/w [automatic weapons] and s/a [small arms] from both banks
1. One cannot "see" muzzle-"flashes" in broad daylight!
2. "intense a/w and s/a fire".......oh yeah? In broad daylight, too? LOLOL.....trust ME.....Chuck would have caused MANY bullet holes in Americans if it actually happened....the count is ZERO!
Puhleeeez!
Oh come on. You served under Kerry for 6 weeks. Didn't you other COs have something to do with keeping you alive?
Meanwhile the lib networks incl CBS (which I listened to a few ago) are coming to his rescue.
This article lays the issues that both sides have with one another. I do believe that this is one of the better examinations I have seen.
There is a ton of (well deserved) bitterness on the part of the Vietnam Vets towards Kerry. How much of that is guiding their version of the facts remains debateable. However, it is clear that Kerry tends to play fast and loose with the facts and for that he is a scary choice for the role of POTUS. The questions that have arisen about his character are also deserved given his willingness to stake his claims to the presidency on a military experience he turned around and trashed upon his return home. I wasn't there at the time and place of the events in question but the guys who were deserve their say without the attacks of MSN and the NT Times.
Torie: The Washington Times is the superior paper in DC!!!!
Including the guy who took over from Kerry, John O'Neill. (I wonder what became of him?)
You have GOT to be kidding me...
One of things I noticed was in the sidebar where is says "Based on available military records". Well, if Kerry would just release the full records this would clear up a lot.
Nice font effect. I call them as I see them.
After having several encouters with WaPo "reporters," I couldn't disagree with you more.
If you want to believe the Post, okey-doke.
They do some good stuff in other areas. But their politics, in news AND editorials are way to the left.
No it's not. The WT is the better paper. By far.
Its a start. The MSM closer look has started. This is good, slanted as usual, but they haven't even started on the POW stuff, the illegal visit to Paris, the 'special ops' he claims, etc. Nice runup to the GOP convention, I would say.
The Seattle Post Intelligencer is not attacking the Swiftboat Veterans, they are presenting the facts and stating that the Swifties are beginning to take a toll on Kerry.
Kerry is gone. Questions will always remain until he releases ALL his service records. Kerry can spin it however he wants, and this may help in the short term, but eventually the truth will come out.
Great graphic. The ambush is out of scale.
How did kerry get shrapnel while in the pilot house?
Rassmann deserves to have fallen in if he was eating a cookie there!
Also it is claimed Rassman fell overboard when the boat made a hard starboard (right) turn. If Kerry turned right he would have run up against the riverbank again. And Rassman should not have fallen off.
Kerry was OITC of the 5 boats yet he was the only one to run down river. Dereliction of duty.
There is no gun position on the front of a PCF.
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