Posted on 08/27/2004 5:56:36 AM PDT by Bob
The timeline in "Unfit for Command" for John Kerry's deployment on the USS Gridley doesn't match the ship's operations as listed in Kerry's Fitness Reports.
"Unfit for Command"'s timeline indicates that Gridley departed Vietnam January 2, 1968 and, travelling via Australia, returned to Long Beach on June 8.
Missing from this account is an additional period of Gulf of Tonkin SAR duty in the time period April 1 - May 5, 1968. This information appears in Kerry's Fitness Report for the period of March 23 - July 20, 1968.
Regarding kerry's MLK assassination story, I believe that it's possible for Gridley to have reached its SAR station by the time he was killed on April 4th.
Another item: Gridley's return to Long Beach was via Wellington, New Zealand, not Australia.
"The timeline in "Unfit for Command" for John Kerry's deployment on the USS Gridley doesn't match the ship's operations ..."
Picky, picky, picky - so what if the SBVT can't get their facts straight? They still are telling a whale of a story, no need to have facts correct if they get in the way of the plot. Just ask MM about F911.
The Gridley crew has a Kerry page up on their site. They don't care for him much as a possible president.
http://home.nycap.rr.com/pwcarter/the%20kerry%20page.html
If the exact movements of kerry's previous ship had any relation to the Swiftees' accounts of his Swift boat service, I might agree with you, but they don't.
They do matter, though, when they're used to discredit as a fake kerry's story about the MLK assassination and his being in Vietnam at the time.
Even if he was off the Gulf of Tonkin, he wasn't on shore being shot at, as he said in his speech.
"A minor error that impacts none of the rest of the book is just that: a minor inconsequential error."
I strongly disagree. If only one fact is wrong, bent, twisted to make a point, then it brings into question all the 'facts' in the book. It also raises serious doubt about how truthfull the SBVT really are. They are challenging the truthfullness of someone else with facts that are not correct (untruthfull)and that doesn't flush - sorry.
If it is in error, I imagine it will be researched and corrected. You would probably be THANKED for calling it to their attention unlike.............
I've read your posts on this subject and you don't hide your sympathies. Just curious. Have you actually read the book?
Please point out any item in the book that you think is based on the Gridley deployment timeline and how it was 'twisted to make a point'.
As I've said, this is a minor inconsequential error since it isn't being used to make the case for any of the points raised regarding kerry's Swift boat service.
The First “Tour of Vietnam”
John Kerry’s first year of duty, from June 1967 to June 1968, was spent aboard the USS Gridley, a guided missile frigate. During this year, Kerry experienced no combat. His assignment aboard the Gridley is, however, the basis on which Kerry claims to have served “two tours” in Vietnam. Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign describes his service in the following words, which frequently get picked up uncritically by the news media: “After graduating from Yale, Kerry enlisted in the Navy and was sent to Vietnam in 1967. He served two tours of duty and won a Bronze Star, a Silver Star, and three Purple Heart.”
A closer look at his service record, however, shows that the assignment in 1967 was not to Vietnam, but to the Gridley. The guided missile frigate was in the Pacific and in December 1967 did guard duty for planes operating in the China Sea and the Gulf of Tonkin.
To say that Kerry was sent to Vietnam in 1967 exaggerates what was actually service on a deep fleet ocean vessel, involving no combat. Indeed the Gridley operated along the California coast, and on January 2, 1968, the Gridley sailed for Australia and then returned to Long Beach, California on June 8. In other words, the Gridley was in what could be considered a “fighting zone” ( still far off the coast of Vietnam) for probably fewer than five weeks while Kerry was aboard; five week off the coast of Vietnam could hardly be called a “tour of duty”.
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Can you show us the document in question? Kerrys record.
They should have more carefully checked Gridley's movements. They should have more correctly stated that he spent closer to 8 or 9 weeks off the coast rather than 5.
You said: If only one fact is wrong, bent, twisted to make a point, then it brings into question all the 'facts' in the book. It also raises serious doubt about how truthfull the SBVT really are. They are challenging the truthfullness of someone else with facts that are not correct
You make a good point. However, media should NEVER take these kinds of assertions, from either side, at face value. One job of the press is to, when presented with these issues, conduct independent research on them. This is being done with great vigor on the Swiftees' claims. Where was the press on F911? The press demanded, as perhaps it should have, all documents relating to the issue of President Bush's alleged "desertion" from the Air Guard. Of course, this same scrutiny is missing on the issues surrounding Kerry's service (not to mention his post service DIS-SERVICE). A story is not true because someone say it is so, it is true because it is true. And that truth does not depend upon the personal character, or lack thereof, of the one telling the story. The press continually misses (or avoids) this.
"...media should NEVER take these kinds of assertions, from either side, at face value."
I agree, but would add that the public has the same responsibilty to check 'facts' - as best they can. It seems that not many individuals have taken either the time or effort to do so - otherwise, how could a flawed 'documentary' like F911 receive such wide exposure & apparent credibilty.
The period in question is described in the March 23-July 20, 1968 report.
Enr and Upk Subic (27-31MAR) = Left previous operation, enroute to and upkeep at Subic Bay
Enr and SAR Ops Gulf of Tonkin (1APR-5MAY) = enroute to and serving the SAR duty
Enr and inport Subic (5-9MAY) = returned from SAR duty prior to departure to home port via New Zealand
NOT true:
You're reading it wrong:
The Gridley departed FOR Vietnam January 68, arrived off the coast for plane guard and SAR duty first week in March, and departed in late May 68 (a grand total of less than 90 days - all of it safe, easy, air-conditioned duty off-shore!) to arrive BACK in Long Beach the first wek in June.
Kerry, in a March San Diego paper interview this year, told of being "off-Midway" on the way to Vietnam on Feb 25, 1968.
UPK LBCH (5 DEC-4 JAN) = upkeep in home port of Long Beach
STRIKEX 1-68 (5-12 JAN) = strike exercise of some sort (probably off the California coast)
OPS/UPK SOCAL (13 JAN-8 FEB) = operating and upkeep in southern California area
ENR and WESTPAC COMBAT OPS (9 FEB-22 MAR) = enroute to and serving in western Pacific
(end of reporting period)
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