[Marano NYC]

Does anyone know the genesis of this Christmas in Cambodia story ? I checked and the first reference to it I see was a movie review for Apocalypse Now.
If Kerry really were there he would have used it at the Senate Hearings in 1971 or at any of the protests. This story reappears in the Contra aid debate.
He should be ashamed of bad mouthing Gardiner. Gardiner also served with him longer than any other crewman.

[Oztrich Boy]

Does anyone know the genesis of this Christmas in Cambodia story ? I checked and the first reference to it I see was a movie review for Apocalypse Now.

That's exactly where it cme from.

In the published accounts of Kerry's contempraneous journal, he began Dec 24 at one of the Mekong mouths (In the South China Sea!), proceeded up river, on one engine to conserve fuel, reaching Sa Dec (55mniles = as the flying dog flies - from the border) around midday. After refueling, "wasted" half a day at Sa Dec, moving out in the early evening. This doesn't give enought time, even at flank speed, to reach Cambodia and return to Sa Dec. (The return, in time to close the jounal entry - still on the 24th - in noted in Kerry's account written at the time.