Posted on 09/07/2004 4:09:17 PM PDT by Conservative Coulter Fan
Version One
Version Two
Del Sandusky, the man steering Kerry's boat, told a different version to NEWSWEEK. He says his boat was jarred by an explosion, probably from a rocket, knocking the soldier, Jim Rassmann, off the boat. Kerry was thrown against the bulkhead, injuring his arm. Sandusky says he could see muzzle flashes from the jungle and bullets skimming across the water. Sandusky says he can't remember if anyone was still shooting when Kerry pulled Rassmann from the river, but in any case, the boat was banged up and taking on water. (Source: Newsweek)
Version Three
Aug. 10, 2004, Wall Street Journal op-ed, Rassman says he was on Kerry's boat: "The second blast blew me off John's swiftboat, PCF-94 ..."
Kerry campaign press release: "On March 13, 1969, Rassman, a Green Beret, was traveling down the Bay Hap river in a boat behind Kerry's when both were ambushed by exploding land mines and enemy fire coming from the shore."
Version Four
Kerry has posted his Bronze Star Recommendation: "On 13 March 1969, LTJG KERRY was serving as Officer-in-Charge of PCF-94 conducting a five boat Sea Lords operation in the Bay Hap river and Dong Cung canal together with ground forces. After sweeping the area for five hours, the boats extracted the ground troops and began exiting the river. Shortly after starting their exit, a mine detonated under one of the boats (PCF-3), lifting it two feet above the water and wounding everyone aboard. Almost simultaneously, another mine detonated close aboard PC-94, knocking 1st LT RASSMAN into the water and wounding LTJG KERRY in the right arm."
Version Five
Ann Coulter pointed out, "On Page 106 of the book "John F. Kerry, The Official Biography by the Boston Globe Reporters Who Know Him Best," Rassman is on a boat behind Kerry's." Adding, "In his Kerry campaign pamphlet, "Tour of Duty," hagiographer Brinkley resolves the conflicting accounts by having Rassman fall off both the boat that hit the mine (PCF-3) and Kerry's boat. (What would we do without historians?)"
An article from American History Magazine: "The five boats had gone about half a mile when the blast came. Right where they had been hit on an earlier mission, a mine exploded directly beneath Lieutenant James Rassman's PCF-3 near Kerry's port side. Rassman's Swift lifted about two feet up out of the water, engulfed in mud and spray, then settled, rocking so hard from side to side that the boat started zigzagging from the banks to the middle of the river. Everybody on board PCF-3 was wounded. "At the same moment, we came under a hail of small-arms fire from both banks," Kerry recorded in his journal. "I turned the boat into the fire on the left with the intention of trying to get the troops ashore on the outskirts of the ambush, but Sandusky, who was driving the boat and who had his eyes glued on the crippled 3 boat, pointed out to me how badly hit they had been. We veered back toward her then and tried to provide cover from the engaged side. Suddenly another explosion went off right beside us, and the concussion threw me violently against the bulkhead on the door, and I smashed my arm. At the same instant, Jim Rassman was blown overboard, although nobody knew it. But we continued sidling up to the 3, and as we came closer I could see that her twin-.50 mount over the pilothouse had been completely blown out of its stand and had landed on the gunner. No one was moving on the stern. [PCF-3 crewman] Ken Tryner, on his first real river expedition, was kneeling dazed in the doorway with a small trickle of blood down his face, aimlessly firing his M-79."
Thurlow had maneuvered his PCF-53 over by this time, and he hopped aboard PCF-3 to offer assistance. The boat was a shambles, but they were still shooting too hard to assess the damage. "Someone on the fantail must have noticed Jim swimming in back of us, ducking against the fire that was trying to pick him off because I suddenly heard the yell of 'man overboard' and looked back to see the bullets splashing in the water beside him," Kerry reported. "We turned around with the engines screaming against each other -- one full astern, the other full forward -- and then charged the several hundred yards back into the ambush where Jim was trying to find some cover. Everyone on board must have been firing without pause to keep the sniper heads down."
bookmarked
The truth is always easy to remember, a lie changes with each retelling.
I’m just baffled by the lack of media scrutiny and failure to investigate the various discrepancies and contradictory accounts given. The associated press, however, has managed to call into question Bush’s Service in the TANG, but their coverage of Kerry’s Service has been McCain’s condemnations, Washington Post using Kerry’s after action report, and so on.
sowed=showed
I think I saw the map in the article written in the Washington Post......about 2 weeks ago (possible an article written by Hentoff??)....not sure, can't search right now, but it gives someone who can a place to start!! EXCELLENT research on your post, BTW!!!!!!
Anyone interested in viewing the Swift Boat Ads click the link.
http://swift1.he.net/~swiftvet/index.php?topic=Ads
Is this the map you are referring to?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/graphics/swiftboat_082104.html
The "Band of Brothers numbering 11" have five different versions of one action.
While the other four crews involved and actually hit by the mine, have but one version. Where might the Truth be found, dare one suggest the other four crews, for usually the Truth
is much more easily discerned, a major premise Our entire Judicial System is based on.
AGREED!!!
Yes, Thank you so much, it does support my contention that Rassman was on the starboard side of the boat. So for Kerry to turn starboard would mean he had to do a 360 around Rassman.
More importantly if he turned Starboard(right) by that graphic it explains what the bump was, the canal bank.
Another good point
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