Posted on 10/14/2004 1:55:15 PM PDT by areafiftyone
The Swift Boat Controversy: New Witnesses
October 14, 2004
John Kerry's service in Vietnam has become a campaign issue. The group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans for Truth alleges that Kerry has distorted the truth about what happened during the war and questions whether he deserved the medals he received. Tonight, you'll hear from eyewitnesses who have not spoken before: the Vietnamese who fought against him.
We've had the debates and the race is a virtual dead-heat. This is the part of a campaign when there are daily fires--issues that rise, flare, and then go away, only to be replaced by a new one the next day. But for a while, this campaign was dominated by Vietnam, a war that ended, at least the fighting, thirty years ago. John Kerry made his service in Vietnam a major part of his campaign. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth fired back. They have alleged that Kerry was not truthful about his actions in Vietnam. Then questions were raised about the group's connections to people linked to the GOP. And so the story just kept spiraling in different directions. But the polls clearly showed that Kerry was hurt by allegations that he was not candid about his actions in Vietnam.
Which brings us to an old expression: the fog of war. People, in general, are not always great eyewitnesses. Memories fade, especially as the years go by. Two people standing next to each other may have very different recollections of something that happened right in front of them. But in the whole Swift Boat controversy, there is one group that hasn't been heard from at length: the Vietnamese. Producer Andrew Morse went to Vietnam, to the coordinates taken from the U.S. military after-action report from Kerry's battle for which he won the Silver Star. And there Andrew found several people who had either witnessed the events of that day, or in some cases, had actually fought against the swift boats. And it is their accounts that you will hear tonight. Do their accounts favor one version or the other? Can these questions be definitively settled? You'll have to judge. One of the surprising stories we were told? One of the Vietnamese men in the area says he was visited by a man claiming to be a swift boat veteran and a cameraman. He says the veteran was disparaging towards Kerry's conduct in the war, and asked him in an interview about the events of that day. We do not know who that man is, or whatever happened to that tape.
Ted will be anchoring tonight, and he will be joined by John O'Neill, a leader of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the author of Unfit for Command, a book critical of Kerry. I hope you'll join us.
Leroy Sievers and the Nightline Staff,br> Washington D.C.
To say that Nightline found "the one group" who hasn't weighed in on Kerry's Vietnam service is total BS. While we've all heard ad nauseum from the 9-11 families and have heard all the press talk about how Bush has offended them by using the images of 9-11, WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN OF VIETNAM, who had to endure John Kerry's legacy of lies, both then and now, during this campaign?
I am one of those children, and had to endure teachers who censured me, people who told me (as a small child) "YOUR DADDY DESERVED TO DIE IN VIETNAM -- HE WAS A BABYKILLER". We watched our moms, young widows who were afraid to say what happened to their husbands because they never knew whether they might get sympathy or hate. All because John Kerry testified before the world that our fathers committed atrocities at every level of command. His lies based on hear-say hurt ALL of us, for years and years, and yet who's interviewed us?
Many of us kids of Vietnam participated in a huge rally on Capitol Hill on Sept. 12, hoping to explain how Kerry's actions impacted our lives, yet your ABC Washington bureau couldn't even walk downt the street to cover it.
And now you send people to Vietnam?!!!!
I am ashamed to have gone to journalism school. Ashamed to have been a journalist. I have NEVER been so disgusted with the news media in my life. ABC and other national news has been COMPLICIT in helping the Kerry campaign this year, diminishing the heartfelt testimony of American heroes and trying to demonize a group of valiant men who actually served with John Kerry. You call it the "fog of war" -- I call it "marginalizing our heroes".
How can we trust you to cover this war? The answer is -- we don't.
We are the sons and daughters of American fighting men. In many cases, we are now the sons and daughters who fight this war on global terrorism,or keep the home fires burning while our spouses, brothers and sisters deploy to keep America safe. WE earned the right to speak, yet you only seek those who might help discredit our heroic Swift Boat Veterans.
Just as ABC tries to marginalize the Swift Boat Veterans, you ignore us in order to interview people who might or might not be legitimate.
We will never forget this. Many of us will be working, even after this election, to make sure truth is known about our national "journalists" and their biased ABUSE of trust.
You, as well as John Kerry, hurt us then, perpetuating myths about our fathers, and you cannot admit that you were wrong today. That's just shoddy.
campfollower
Thanks for that link. What a great read about the parents of the soldier who was killed!
I had the honor of meeting and speaking to John O'Neill at the Kerry Lied Rally. He is, without a doubt, also one of the kindest men I have ever met. Just a NICE man. It is apparent from the moment you meet him.
The top of my post should have said:
TO ABC'S NIGHTLINE
I wouldn't expect a return call from ABC for an interview. ;-)
Great rant. We live in Alice's Wonderland right now. It's the only explanation for the fact that an obvious traitor is a contender for the Presidency.
.
Bias abuse =
DAVID SHAW: RATHER's work 'Shoddy, Slipshod' not LIBERAL
http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1227809/posts
.
Shoddy is a word that goes well with the Kerry campaign.
Especially if you're a Cheney daughter, a Vietnam vet, a paraplegic, a victim/soldier of the war, a 9-11 widow...
Can we think of any other "tools" of his campaign?
John O'Neill VS The EVIL Empire!!
Chief Evil-doer "Hillary" Predicts October Surprise!!
From Three Part Article About George Soros: By Richard Poe
Hillary Clinton told the New York Post’s Cindy Adams on March 30 that an October Surprise would likely decide the 2004 election.
"It will be outside forces – something unforeseen that suddenly happens – that tilts the election one way or the other," she predicted, with an odd note of certainty.
Was Hillary just guessing? Or does she know something we don’t?
.
Since the DEMOCRAT Party = Al Qaeda here in America...
...I have for the longest time fully expected a Nuke Strike on American Cities by Election Day 2004
.
The rumblings are in the air.
9-11 was meant to topple Bush.
What is the attack of 10-04 intended to do??
Certainly, the Democrats goaded Bush
during the debates to admit that the Iraq War
was successful because it has kept terrorists
"over there" instead of over here.
Now that the evil-egg heads "know" the strategy
all they have to do is bring the enemy here...
I really think a president should NOT debate
in a time of war. It is impossible to detail
his position without being forced to also show his hand.
...I have for the longest time fully expected a Nuke Strike on American Cities by Election Day 2004 <<<
And Hillary Clinton fully expects the same thing...
Hillary Clinton told the New York Post’s Cindy Adams on March 30 that an
October Surprise would likely decide the 2004 election.
"It will be outside forces – something unforeseen that suddenly happens – that tilts the election one way or the other," she predicted, with an odd note of certainty.
Was Hillary just guessing? Or does she know something we don’t?"
She believes the polls and thinks it's becoming too close.
The "October Surprise" will come from somewhere deep within the Clinton (ptooie) camp that will leave Kerry and co. dead in the water thereby clearing the way for her in '08.
All it takes is a read of "American Evita" to see just how ruthless Hitlery can really be. Just ask Vince Foster...
How about:
The "top two percent..."
The "common man"
The "disadvantaged" or "less fortunate"
All due respect elmore, my friend, some of us are tired of taking it with a grain of salt, and I think even after this election is over we won't stop trying to tell the truth of what they've done to swing this election.
Hoping 9 out of ten FReepers will help us out!
I found an address and phone number for Kyle Horst, the freelance producer mentioned in the story. If anyone would like it please PM me and I'll pass it along.
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.