Posted on 08/30/2004 5:18:18 PM PDT by pookie18
Another eyewitness has spoken out on the subject of whether there was or wasn't enemy fire from the shores during the Bay Hap River action out of which Sen. Kerry received his Bronze Star for rescuing Jim Rassmann:
An Oconto Falls man says he was there when John Kerry earned his Purple Heart and his Bronze Star in Vietnam. And, Butch Vorphal has a very different account of what happened that day. Kerry says he earned bothmedals for pulling a fellow soldier out of a river while under heavy enemy fire. Vorphal was on board Swift Boat Number Three, which was hit by mines that day. While the blast knocked him out for a short time, Vorphal told [Green Bay, Wisconsin, radio station WTAQ's] Bill LuMaye the only gunfire he remembers was cover fire from the Swift Boats themselves. Vorphal says they lay down cover fire because they assume there's going to be enemy gunfire. He says when they stopped firing, there was no other gunfire. Vorphal says none of his shipmates remember seeing bullet holes from enemy fire in the Swift Boats. Vorphal says he doesn't remember anyone else being injured enough to get a purple heart. Leslie L. "Butch" Vorphal is a verifiable Swiftee who served aboard PCF 3 from February through August 1969, and although he is not listed in Unfit for Command's Appendix A, he is listed on the SwiftVets' website as having joined in their letter to Sen. Kerry dated May 4, 2004, that called upon him to sign Standard Form 180 and to "provide a full, accurate accounting of [his] conduct in Vietnam."
Mainstream media references to "Vorphal" from Google News as of this moment: zero.
That Mr. Vorphal's version of events comes to us via a radio station in Green Bay, Wisconsin - rather than, say, through a press conference called by the SwiftVets - brings me to an essay (or perhaps a bit of a rant) that I'll post separately just above this one.
..
That's a start, but don't expect the other networks to carry it. They're in full support and cover mode for Kerry's lies.
another one for the SBV
His name does appear in the orginal letter signed by the SBV's
poor John, his face just keeps getting longer and longer
Thank you, Brit. And thank you, Mr. Vorphal for standing up and telling the truth. TerAYsa's thugs are already banging on your door, but don't even talk to them. You'll be dancing at the inaugural ball in DC with the rest of the Swifties come January.
Kerry was just in Green Bay and the entire state's democrat players were at an invitation only gathering. They are getting really mean and viscious. Feingold is running local spots just ripping Bush on healthcare. It's not in the brains of Wisconsin liberals that healthcare is not a government endevour. Feingold claims that Kerry and he have a plan to provide every man woman and child with healthcare by forcing efficiencies within medicare! UFB!
he must be a liar because he is disputing what kernel(yes,kernel) rambo kerry said happened for 35 years.
I really believe these guys are showing more bravery now than they did in Viet Nam! It's got to be tough speaking out after so many years...and knowing what might happen because of it.
> Vorphal says he doesn't remember anyone else being
> injured enough to get a purple heart.
Although we might assume this refers to Kerry's PH, SBVFT
has turned up an Army document indicating that Rassman
was issued a PH for that day.
Rassman has apparently never mentioned it, and the
document doesn't indicate the circumstances (so it could
have been legit from earlier that day).
However, there's also the issue of: "The question that
goes begging today is why was Rassman there at all?"
Search down to that quote at:
http://www.vnsfvetakerry.com/jim_rassmann.htm
Fascinating.
If Kerry does win the election, I expect the IRS will be updating their audit selection software to include all Vietnam era veterans........It's the democrat way!
The only reference I find to Mr. Vorpahl is that he is named in a Wisconsin lawsuit, between himself and H&R Block (he lost the appeal). It takes a tough bird to hold up through trial and appeal litigation. He sticks to his guns, it seems.
And I've got a plan to turn dogpoop into gold bullion by forcing efficiencies within canine bowels...
I'm looking toward an IPO. How much you in for?
Thank you for posting.
Brit said that either he hadn't (originally) been or isn't a member of SBVfT...don't recall exactly.
That's one of the details that whacked me. If the boats were under such heavy fire, how come nothing got hit? Then when most of the witnesses pooh-pooh the idea that there was any enemy fire, one gets a pretty clear picture who was panicked and who wasn't. John Kerry ran at first, everyone else stayed to help the stricken boat.
Next question -- how did Jim Rassmann get in the water? The Kerry folk gloss over that one with some yarn about Kerry's boat also taking a hit -- except it wasn't damaged. I suspect Rassmann was flipped off the boat when Kerry turned tail and hit the gas.
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