what he did when he came home!
Posted on 08/23/2004 7:22:22 PM PDT by Doctor Raoul
Below is a letter to the editor of the US Naval Institute Proceedings from Kerry's superior in Vietnam (Executive Officer USS Gridley) in response to an interview with Kerry’s biographer (Douglas Brinkley) in the May issue.
I have emphasized certain areas for your review and consideration.
Their website is http://www.navalinstitute.org
“Interview: Douglas Brinkley”
(See p. 56, May 2004 Proceedings)
Captain James F. Kelly, U.S. Navy (Retired)---Every candidate for public office probably has some excess baggage to carry that he’d rather not have. With Senator John Kerry, it’s undoubtedly his anti-Vietnam War activism that followed his heroic naval service in Vietnam.
John Kerry and I were shipmates in the guided missile cruiser USS Gridley (CG-21) in 1967 and 1968. He served as first lieutenant, the office in charge of the deck division, and I was executive officer. I remember him as a serious and intelligent young ensign, seemingly mature beyond his years. The skipper and I were mightily impressed with him in spite of his inexperience. He had excellent verbal skills and great poise so we assigned him a collateral duty as public affairs officer. Because of these duties and his basic responsibilities for seamanship evolutions and the overall external appearance of the ship, I had close, daily contact with him. (In other words, I would be all over his case if the ship wasn’t shipshape.) Turns out he didn’t need too much supervision in that regard. He was a fine division officer, and his men obviously respected him.
We deployed from San Diego to the Vietnam theater in early 1968 after only a six-month turnaround, and spent most of a four-month deployment on rescue station in the Gulf of Tonkin, standing by to pick up downed aviators. It was a fairly grueling tour of duty. Our helicopter was hit trying to rescue a downed pilot and the door gunner was killed. The crew performed well, and John Kerry’s performance in all aspects of his duty was outstanding. Drafting his fitness report was an exercise in the use of superlatives. In fact, of the 30 or so officers, I counted him in the top half dozen, no mean feat for an ensign.
I tried to interest him in a naval career. Silly me! It was obvious he had bigger fish to fry. I drafted the favorable endorsement on his request for swift boat duty on the rivers of Vietnam, where he distinguished himself in combat. Before he left, he gave me his bridge coat and several other uniform items, saying that he wouldn’t be needing them in the “brown water” Navy. Aside from a Christmas card and an aborted phone call, I didn’t hear further from John until I read about his antiwar antics, including his appearance with Jane Fonda and the famous episode of throwing medals onto the steps of the Capitol during a protest. While he was protesting against the war, many of us were still fighting in it. Many of us felt betrayed that one of our own, a decorated hero, would give comfort to the enemy by such actions. Think what you want about the wisdom of getting involved in that war. Two presidents, both Democrats, committed the armed forces they commanded to fight it. Make no mistake: actions by people such as Fonda and Kerry were damaging to our morale, gave aid and comfort to the forces we were fighting, and altered the eventual outcome in a manner less favorable to the United States than if they had kept their mouths shut.
The time for antiwar protests is before the war starts.
Might want to ask the Admin Mod to fix the title since we're after 'Kerry', not 'Kery'. ; )
No kidding.
You know she is dying to reveal these letters from the Gridley, right?
Right?
Umm...
pics of the Gridley from 1980:
http://rescueattempt.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/gridley-cg-21.jpg
http://rescueattempt.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/iran34.jpg
That would exceed your heroics in facing down sKerrey. Just make sure you remove your sunglasses first.
I believe, Doctor, that you mean "toy poodle." A standard poodle can be a protector and standard poodles are seldom rich women's pets. Properly trained they can be very good hunting dogs.
Didn't either Kerry himself of one of his hagiographers claim he had been an electronics officer? I don't think he actually, given his attention span, can handle the hard, rigorous type of study.
>>>When Andrea Mitchell mentions this on the evening news, I'll kiss her butt at high noon in Lafayette Park.
I'd consider flying in to see that... :)
what he did when he came home!
Kerry Drone Chorus: "He wasn't on the same boat!"
Anyone who has their brain engaged knows that Kerry is a poseur and that he did bloody little in all of his years in "public service." He owes the taxpayer for all of those missed workdays.
Race...Marines tolerated the squids, but without meaning to disrespect ANYONE who ever served in the Navy, my very limited knowledge of shipboard organization seems to recall that the deck division was the least desirable billet for oficers, and the enlisted assigned there were, as a rule, the least skilled aboard....unfair?
I forgot the term, DECK APE was the insult, Boatswain Mate?
It was the GRUNT of the Navy, hard working, no glamour, no guarantees, but from there you could move up if found qualified.
They did it all, just not too detailed of it unless you showed skills, then they pushed you up.
Those guys made things happen, gotta give them that.
Regards
I mean, that is a nice statement for our side to hear. However, I doubt it until I hear it from many, many more Vets.
I will try and be in DC for the Sept. 12 Vets meeting to see and hear if there are more Vets that support this statement.
McCain used to say something like that but since then he and Kerry have kissed and made up.
I was shocked (not) to find that "Quick John" lied about his time there, too.
These guys WERE on Kerry's Boat...
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