Oh dear. America's most notorious war hero and presidential aspirant seems to have been caught out in another bit of self-serving, er, fibbing. According to a recent Washington Times news report, Vietnam combat records for the month of January 1969 -- posted on John F. Kerry's campaign website as evidence of his service aboard swift boat No. 94 -- describe heroic combat engagements that occurred before Kerry was skipper of that craft.
On the Kerry Web site, Kerry-Heinz is described as the skipper of Navy boat No. 94 during several actions in late January 1969.
However, according to the Washington Times, Edward Peck -- who was the skipper of the 94 before Kerry took over -- said combat reports posted by the campaign for January 1969 involve action that occurred when he [Peck] was the skipper, not Kerry. "Those are definitely mine," Peck said, referring to the combat reports that the Kerry campaign posted as representing Kerry's action. "There is no doubt about it."
Yet, in a summary of action that occurred on Jan. 26, 1969 -- posted online and e-mailed to the press by members of the Kerry election campaign -- the Kerry campaign claims that John Kerry Heinz served on boat No. 94 alongside another boat, No. 66. "PCFs 94 and 66 escorted troops up the Ong Doc River early in the morning when they were ambushed by gun and rocket fire from approximately 40 men on both sides of the river," the campaign summary says. "Two B-40 rounds hit close to Kerry's boat, while PCF 66 received 2 B-40 rocket hits. Three men on PCF66 were wounded. A junk containing South Vietnamese troops was also sunk, killing 11 South Vietnamese troops. Intelligence reports after the mission indicated that the Viet Cong troops may have planned the ambush in advance."
According to the Washington Times, Peck insists that he was the skipper of the 94 at this time, and that Kerry was not on the craft.
But that's not all, folks. In another report, the campaign summarizes action that took place on Jan. 29, 1969, this way: "While Kerry's boat and another [PCF72] were probing a canal along the river, Kerry's boat came under heavy fire and was hit by a B-40 rocket in the cabin area. One member of Kerry's crew -- Forward Gunner David Alston -- suffered shrapnel wounds in his head. His injuries were not considered serious and he was sent to the 29th Evac Hospital at Binh Thuy."
According to the Washington Times, Peck said he was the skipper on this day as well. And according to Peck, he was also injured in the ambush and was hospitalized. Which is when John Kerry Heinz took command of the boat, Peck told the Washington Times.
Does something smell rotten in the state of Massachussets? Kerry's commanding officer, George Elliott, said in a telephone interview with the Washington Post that he vividly recalls Peck's injury and hospitalization and Kerry's replacement of Peck. "I think somebody made a mistake who doesn't know" the timing of Kerry's service, Elliott said.
Hmmm. Maybe all those purple hearts should have gone to Edward Peck. But perhaps he just wasn't as egomaniacal, ambitious and well-connected in D.C. as was Kerry-Heinz.......
