Written statements are regularly taken from 3rd party participants. See #21 -- In the Kobe Bryant trial, for example, the other hotel worker that the accused told about the rape has relevant information. What she said, when she said it, are all important.
French, reporting what he was told at the time, is giving valuable information about how a particular story has not changed, about a sequence of events that was in the mind of other participants at the time, and, since he was in the unit, he would have been in a position to know if any of the boats had received small arms damage.
He appears to be very careful to say he was not involved.
"French, reporting what he was told at the time, is giving valuable information about how a particular story has not changed, about a sequence of events that was in the mind of other participants at the time, and, since he was in the unit, he would have been in a position to know if any of the boats had received small arms damage.
"He appears to be very careful to say he was not involved."
Exactly. And if he had not publicly stated what he knew along with the applicable context, he would have been derelict in a reasonable search for truth.
His only "offense" is that he is in the liberal state of Oregon.