Not to be Rude to Rood, But Wait a Minute

Kerry Spot ^

[gilliam]

Kerry Spot reader Barnaby observes that the article by former Swift Boat commander William B. Rood creates a new problem for John Kerry. Rood's bronze star citation says he earned the medal "while serving with friendly foreign forces" and "Underwater Demolition Team THIRTEEN and Vietnamese Regional and Popular Force personnel."

Kerry's Silver Star citation makes no mention of Underwater Demolition Team THIRTEEN, and the friendly foreign forces aren't credited with any role in the battle. The description makes it sound like Kerry and his crew saved the day.

This inconsistency bears out one of the Swift Boat Vets's objection to Kerry's Silver Star citation. Page 83 of Unfit for Command: "The citation simply ignores the presence of the soldiers and advisors who actually "captured the many enemy weapons" and routed the Viet Cong. Further, the citation ignores the preplanned nature of the tactic and the fact that Kerry's boat did not beach first. Finally, the citations statement that Kerry attacked a "numerically superior force in the face of intense fire" is simply false." Admiral Roy Hoffman, who keeps being cited as a formerly pro-Kerry vet who has "changed his story," says he was told Kerry had "almost single-handedly" routed the Viet Cong.

It's little things like this that make one wish one could ask questions of Mr. Rood. And it makes one wonder if Kerry's reports to his superiors after battles were more than a little self-serving.

[pikachu]

What? John Kerry in Vietnam? Never heard anything 'bout that </sarcasm off>

[Always Right]

Kerry sounds more and more like Agent Smart everyday. I hope all Kerry's reports started out with "Would you believe...."

[jer2911tx]

bottom line is the liberals know kerry is a liar, but they would rather have him than bush....the media isn't going to sue to have kerry's military records released, and no way kerry is going to sign the standard form 180 and remove all coubt from the swing voters that he has based his entire campaign on 4 months of lies.
how often does the media even mention his requests for deferments?
senator harkin has no problem calling VP Cheney a coward for his deferments, but harkin doesn't call VP Wannabe Edwards a coward for his Vietnam student deferments

[The Right Stuff]

Is Edwards even old enough for Vietnam? I think he's in his early 50's.

[claudiustg]

We could ask Rood, but, oh gee, he's not taking calls or doing interviews. :^(

[Bob]

It's little things like this that make one wish one could ask questions of Mr. Rood.

I'd also like to see him tell his story in a sworn affidavit as the Swiftees did.

[somemoreequalthanothers]

It had to be one of Kerrys secret missions with the CIA. That would explain the lack of records.

[Mr. Jazzy]

I don't blame him!



Why should HE trust the MEDIA, HE KNOWS they have an agenda!!!

[rolling_stone]

if he graduated in 1974 he probably entered college in 1970 and probably received a deferment in 1970,71, and 72....


John Edwards was born in Seneca, South Carolina in 1953 and raised in Robbins, North Carolina. There, he learned the values of hard work and perseverance from his father, Wallace, who worked in the textile mills for 36 years and from his mother, Bobbie, who ran a shop and worked at the post office. Working alongside his father at the mill, he formed a strong belief that all Americans deserve an equal chance to succeed and be heard.

A proud product of public schools, John Edwards was the first person in his family to attend college. He worked his way through North Carolina State University where he graduated with high honors in 1974. And he earned a law degree with honors in 1977 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

[claudiustg]

---I'd also like to see him tell his story in a sworn affidavit as the Swiftees did.---

Good point, especially since he won't take follow-up questions. Have any of Kerry's little band been deposed?

[Steven W.]

about time Kerry Spot started paying attention! they sucked up the Root spin hook line & sinker!

I e-mailed 'em that they totally missed the most basic facts of the Rood matter and the writer didn't catch there are actually multiple copies of Kerry's records (which he manipulated and refiled over the years) and interesting one copy of the Silver Start report DOES include mention of the troops:

"While transiting the Bay Hap River en route to an insertion point along the Dong Cung River, these craft with thirty Regional/Popular Force personnel embarked in each unit" and Kerry is definitely highlighted as "The Officer in Tactical Command, Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY." ... Arriving at the area, Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY's craft received a B-40 rocket close aboard. Once again Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY ordered his units to charge the enemy positions and summoned Patrol Craft Fast 43 to the area to provide additional firepower. Patrol Craft Fast 94 then beached in the center of the enemy positions and an enemy soldier sprang up from his position not ten feet from Patrol Craft Fast 94 and fled. Without hesitation Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY leaped ashore, pursued the man behind a hootch and killed him, capturing a B-40 rocket launcher with a round in the chamber. Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY then led an assault party and conducted a sweep of the area while the Patrol Craft Fast continued to provide fire support. After the enemy had been completely routed, all personnel returned to the Patrol Craft Fast to withdraw from the area. While backing off the beach, these units again came under a hail of fire, this time from the opposite river bank. Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY immediately coordinated the firepower of his units and supressed the enemy fire. Later, after disembarking personnel, and while exiting from the Bay Hap River, the Patrol Craft Fast were again under fire. Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY immediately maneuvered his craft through several strafing runs which completely silenced the enemy. As a result of this operation, ten Viet Cong were killed and one wounded with no friendly casualties.

Of course the real key here is that Rood does not refer to taking any intense rocket rocket fire with at least one B-40 rocket blowing up on Kerry's boat as his citation indicates (meaning Root supports SwiftVets!) More HERE under Kerry's Olympics?

[Boundless]

> and no way kerry is going to sign the standard form 180

He might at 5:00 PM EST on 01 Nov.

But what's more likely prior to that, is that he'll post
highly redacted or even forged versions of all the
outstanding documents in the days before the election,
then claim to have "released everything".

[TomGuy]

It's little things like this that make one wish one could ask questions of Mr. Rood.

I noticed when Rood's revelations broke, it wasn't Rood, but Rood's managing editor who was doing the interview and acting as Rood's mouthpiece over the weekend. It made me wonder why Rood wasn't speaking for himself.

I'm beginning to think all the mouthpieces are out to give plausible deniability. If their story later is shown to be a lie, they can simply say they are talking FOR so and so and that was the best information they had at the time.

[Steven W.]

Here is the relevant segment from Unfit for Command, page 82: What actually occurred was quite different. According to Kerry's crewman Michael Medeiros, Kerry had an agreement with him to turn the boat in and onto the beach if fired upon. Each of the three boats involved in the operation was involved in the agreement. Larry Lee, a crewman and gunner, recalls the agreement as Medeiros recounts it and further recalls a prior discussion of probable medals for those participating. Bronze Stars for selected landers were contemplated and Navy commendations for others. Some crewmen dispute this, but none deny that the landing had been calculated the night before.
According to Doug Reese, a pro-Kerry Army veteran, and many others, what happened that day differs from the retelling in the citation. Far from being alone, the boats were loaded with many soldiers commanded by Reese and two other advisors. When fired at, Reese's boat - not Kerry's - was the first to beach in the ambush zone. Then Reese and other troops and advisors (not Kerry) disembarked, killing a number of Viet Cong and capturing a number of weapons. None of the participants from Reese's boat received any Silver Stars. Indeed, most, if not all, of the non-PCF troops received no medals for this action. Doug Reese, who advised the South Vietnamese who were the first group ashore and who killed most of the Viet Cong, received a well-deserved Army Commendation Medal - a much lower medal than the Silver Star. After the first boat beached, Kerry's boat moved slightly downstream and was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade in its aft cabin
...
Admiral Roy Hoffmann, who sent a Bravo Zulu (meaning "good work") to Kerry upon learning of the incident, was very surprised to discover in 2004 what had actually occurred. Hoffmann had been told that Kerry had spontaneously beached next to the bunker and almost single-handedly routed a bunkered force of Viet Cong. He was shocked to find out that Kerry had beached his boat second in a preplanned operation, and that he had killed a single, wounded teenage foe as he fled.

[Steven W.]

IMPORTANT TO PAY ATTENTION HERE!

Rood's article is TRUE - Kerry's report & the media reports are the LIEs!

[atomicpossum]

How does Rood think he can get away with popping up (at Kerry's behest, no less), throwing out an assertion, and disappearing, refusing all questions? The Swift Boat Vets, at least, are putting themselves out there to answer questions...If Rood believes that his word will be swallowed as gospel simply because he says it (and he may think this, since he works in the media), he's sorely mistaken.

[Repairman Jack]

Speaking of the picture of Kerry and Rood, is there a picture in which Kerry doesn't look like a complete dildo?

[kingattax]

Major Garrett on FOX News Special Report:

In Kerry's own journal he writes 9 days after being awarded

his 1st purple heart that "we haven't been shot at yet."

Garrett said the kerry campaign...IS NOW SAYING THAT KERRYS

WOUND "MAY HAVE BEEN SELF-INLFICTED"..

very interesting ..LOL

[snooker]

Several questions for Mr. Rood are just sitting here to be asked. A couple are ...

Did Mr. Rood commit any war crimes in this action?

Did Mr. Rood ever witness any war crimes or atrocities? I assume if he did, he turned in the guilty party.

Since Kerry says he committed war crimes, did Mr. Rood ever see Kerry commit these alleged war crimes?

Questions, questions, that's all we have, but what we need are answers.