Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Swiftboat Crewman: Kerry Boat Under Fire
AP ^ | August 26, 2004

Posted on 08/26/2004 4:36:06 PM PDT by Shermy

PORTLAND, Ore. - A swiftboat crewman decorated in the 1969 Vietnam incident where John Kerry (news - web sites) won a Bronze Star says not only did they come under enemy fire but also that his own boat commander, who has challenged the official account, was too distracted to notice the gunfire.

Retired Chief Petty Officer Robert E. Lambert, of Central Point, Ore., got a Bronze Star for pulling his boat commander — Lt. Larry Thurlow — out of the Bay Hap River on March 13, 1969. Thurlow had jumped onto another swiftboat to aid sailors wounded by a mine explosion but fell off when the out-of-control boat ran aground.

Thurlow, who has been prominent among a group of veterans challenging the Democratic presidential candidate's record, has said there was no enemy fire during the incident. Lambert, however, supports the Navy account that says all five swiftboats in the task force "came under small arms and automatic weapon fire from the river banks" when the mine detonated.

"I thought we were under fire, I believed we were under fire," Lambert said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

"Thurlow was far too distracted with rescue efforts to even realize he was under fire. He was concentrating on trying to save lives."

The anti-Kerry group, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, has been running television ads challenging the Navy account of the boats being under fire. Kerry has condemned the ads as a Republican smear campaign.

A career military man, Lambert is no fan of Kerry's either. He doesn't like Kerry's post-Vietnam anti-war activity and doesn't plan to vote for him.

"I don't like the man himself," Lambert said, "but I think what happened happened, and he was there."

A March 1969 Navy report located by The Associated Press this week supports Lambert's version. The report twice mentions the incident and both times calls it "an enemy initiated firefight" that included automatic weapons fire and underwater mines used against a group of five boats that included Kerry's.

Kerry's Bronze Star was awarded for his pulling Special Forces Lt. Jim Rassmann, who had been blown off the boat, out of the river. Rassmann, who is retired and lives in Florence, Ore., has said repeatedly that the boats were under fire, as have other witnesses. Lambert didn't see that rescue because Kerry was farther down the river and "I was busy pulling my own boat officer (Thurlow) out of the water."

Thurlow could not be reached for comment about Lambert's recollections.

But speaking for the Swift Boat Veterans group, Van Odell, who was in the task force that day, remembers it differently from Lambert.

"When they're firing, you can hear the rounds hit the boat or buzz by your head. There was none of that," he said in a telephone interview from Katy, Texas, where he lives.

Lambert said the swiftboats were on their way out of the river when a mine exploded under one, PCF-3.

"When they blew the 3-boat, everyone opened up on the banks with everything they had," he said. "That was the normal procedure. When they came after you, they came after you. Somebody on shore blew that mine."

"There was always a firefight" after a mine detonation, he said.

"Kerry was out in front of us, on down the river. He had to come back up the river to get to us."

Lambert retired in 1978 as a chief petty officer with 22 years of service and three tours in Vietnam. He does not remember ever meeting Kerry.


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: robertlambert; sbv; swiftboatvets
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-140 next last
To: NonValueAdded
The bruised arm was the result of pulling Rassmann out of the water.

Kerry reminds me of the 16 year-old who took out the family car for a joy ride and tore out the muffler while doing some brush running. A story is concocted that he had to help some police chase a robber over some speed bumps. His friend, the son of a police officer, corroborates the story.
81 posted on 08/26/2004 5:55:29 PM PDT by jonrick46
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Cboldt
Your complaint is with the media.

I guess you're partly right. What concerns me is the way the media can shape this, and fense sitters willingness not to care about the truth.

Eventhough, Bush can do nothing about it, I think it's ultimately going to hurt rather than help.

82 posted on 08/26/2004 6:01:55 PM PDT by sirchtruth (Do you just think I fell off a turnip truck?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 76 | View Replies]

To: Shermy; oregon; abcraghead; Andy from Beaverton; Archie Bunker on steroids; ...

Oregon Ping

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Oregon Ping List.

Lambert again.

83 posted on 08/26/2004 6:04:02 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Lil'freeper
Well. That's what I get for not paying close attention. Makes sense. Thank you.

You're welcome. There certainly is a lot of information, much of it conflicting, to keep track of.

84 posted on 08/26/2004 6:06:16 PM PDT by Bob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 78 | View Replies]

To: Dog

And none of the boats had damage from the enemy fire, not a single bullet hole.


85 posted on 08/26/2004 6:08:42 PM PDT by Eva
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: fso301

Kerry was controlling the craft in the pilot house. The broken windows were probably from bullets shattering the rocks onshore and flying out into the windows. Kerry had the guns a blazing into the shore.


86 posted on 08/26/2004 6:10:47 PM PDT by jonrick46
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: NonValueAdded

6 Swift Boats and only 3 bullet holes? Doesn't sound like enemy fire to me. Thurlow was so busy because he was in the water that he didn't notice there was enemy fire, but Rassman in the same water did?


87 posted on 08/26/2004 6:11:06 PM PDT by McGavin999 (If Kerry can't deal with the "Republican Attack Machine" how is he going to deal with Al Qaeda)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: sirchtruth
Eventhough, Bush can do nothing about it, I think it's ultimately going to hurt rather than help.

None of us has a reliable crystal ball. The Swiftees beef with Kerry is personal. ANd, they feel a moral obligation to inform the public of their observations and opinions drawn from those observations. It would be unfair to silence them, but a "bigger fire elsewhere" would certainly draw attention away from their message.

88 posted on 08/26/2004 6:13:35 PM PDT by Cboldt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 82 | View Replies]

To: plain talk
If you don't like it take it up with him.

What does this have to do with Bush winning reelection? I am not disputing that the SBV should not speak out, I just don't think it should be the FOCUS of this campaign because it puts ALL the spotlight on Kerry.

Of course Kerry brought up VN, it's the only damn thing he can bring up because there is NOTHING else for him! And that puts HIM in control and the subject of EVERYTHING about this campaign. KERRY, KERRY, KERRY...that's all this is about, people hear and see Kerry 100% of the time it will give him a better chance of winning just based on face value.

Everything you are saying is incorrect.

We'll see, but first you need to take a marketing course!

89 posted on 08/26/2004 6:14:26 PM PDT by sirchtruth (Do you just think I fell off a turnip truck?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 80 | View Replies]

To: jonrick46
Kerry was controlling the craft in the pilot house. The broken windows were probably from bullets shattering the rocks onshore and flying out into the windows.

Good point. A prior poster indicated the broken windows occured the previous day.

90 posted on 08/26/2004 6:18:28 PM PDT by fso301
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 86 | View Replies]

To: Cboldt
"I thought we were under fire, I believed we were under fire," Lambert said

Yes, his statment is not made with the same "certain" conviction expressed under oath, in recent affidavits, by some of the Swiftees who were also there.

Bear in mind that PO Lambert was Thurlow's 2iC and radarman. As such his duty station is inside the wheelhouse. With Thurlow out trying to save PCF-3, it is positively in the wheelhouse. And all reports say the Lambert had command of the boat during the events.

Inside the wheelhouse would probably be the worst place to detemine if there was enemy fire of not. Engine noise behind, bow gunner in front of you, twin 50 cals overhead.

I understand him being vague.

91 posted on 08/26/2004 6:18:55 PM PDT by Oztrich Boy ("Despise not the jester. Often he is the only one speaking the truth")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies]

To: Cboldt
It would be unfair to silence them,

I am not saying silence them by any measure, what I am saying is the focus is too much on this tit for tat they are creating thus putting Kerry directly in the spotlight!

92 posted on 08/26/2004 6:20:14 PM PDT by sirchtruth (Do you just think I fell off a turnip truck?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 88 | View Replies]

To: Shermy

The associated press had to find the report?


93 posted on 08/26/2004 6:21:24 PM PDT by dalebert
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oztrich Boy

You have shed a lot of light on this. Thanks!


94 posted on 08/26/2004 6:21:44 PM PDT by tomahawk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 91 | View Replies]

To: sirchtruth
1. The Kerry/Edwards campaign is floundering. NO SENIOR Dems are coming to his aide. They are too busy dealing with the SBV's. Middle America will see how Kerry is reacting. Don't think it will play well in Peoria.

2. The SBV will are effectively laying the land mines about Kerry's character (or lack thereof).

3. It is only 2 months to the election. The GOP has their convention next week. Kerry and Kompany have yet to define WHO AND WHAT THEY ARE FOR!.

4. THEN the GOP can charge into the Kerry record (or lack thereof).

Kerry and his lefty hippies are in a time warp. He plays to them. There aren't enough of them to carry an election. They can whoop it up all they want about the screaming pundits on TV. They can try to convince themselves that they are effectively counter-punching.

The average undecided Joe and Joanne, will look at his absolutely pathetic performance in this campaign and will probably say "Do I want this bunch of yo-yo's running the country and protecting us from the Islamists?"

In essence, Kerry's past and his severe character flaws have started to become visible. The "Anybody but Bush" is becoming "Anybody but Kerry".


AND....the yo-yo's haven't hit the streets in NYC yet.
95 posted on 08/26/2004 6:25:21 PM PDT by Stashiu ( Yeah, I am a Vietnam Vet, not a War Criminal.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 82 | View Replies]

To: Shermy
A March 1969 Navy report located by The Associated Press this week supports Lambert's version

Of course it does....KERRY WROTE THE REPORT!

THE "NAVY" WASN'T THERE!

96 posted on 08/26/2004 6:25:28 PM PDT by Optimist (I think I'm beginning to see a pattern here.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Shermy

Lambert's problem is that nobody was shot and there were no bullet holes in the boats. The bullet holes that have been referred to happened the previous day.


97 posted on 08/26/2004 6:29:01 PM PDT by savedbygrace
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sirchtruth
What does this have to do with Bush winning reelection?

No idea what your point is. Take it up with Kerry and the vets if you don't like it. And that puts HIM in control and the subject of EVERYTHING about this campaign. KERRY, KERRY, KERRY...that's all this is about, people hear and see Kerry 100% of the time it will give him a better chance of winning just based on face value

It's just the opposite of what you said. What's best is for us is for the election to be about Kerry and how extreme he is. The conservative side (and vets) must define Kerry to the masses since he is an unknown basically. 20 years in the Senate and few knew who he was a year ago. As long as Kerry was vague and unknown, Kerry could capitalize on Iraq as an "anybody-but-Bush" and was doing well in the polls.

Now Kerry is being being defined, his credibility is shattered on an issue HE brought up and based his campaign on and now he is now on the defensive. Good positioning for Bush before the RNC. Give this a little more thought.

98 posted on 08/26/2004 6:29:41 PM PDT by plain talk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 89 | View Replies]

To: aruanan

you forget they had to stay and TOW the #3 boat back!


99 posted on 08/26/2004 6:30:15 PM PDT by FesterUSMC
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]

To: Shermy

Eventually Kerry's people are going to go to Viet Nam and find some guy who will swear on Mao's little red book that he in fact was the person who was shooting at Kerry that day.


100 posted on 08/26/2004 6:33:34 PM PDT by Kirkwood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-140 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson