[Bob J]

1. Of course these men weren't on Kerry's boat, they were contemporaries, peers, senior officers and fellow swiftboat captains who were commanding their own boats and men alongside Kerry during the time of the events in question.

2. Collectively these men have 375 years of experience in Vietnam and on their swift boats, compared to the 16 total months of Kerry and his nine enlistees.

3. These men were in boats yards away from Kerry and were witnesses to what happened. They were well positioned to observe the events in question.

4. Many of the Swift Boat Vets are decorated war heroes themselves and not only have earned the right but have a duty to expose thos who they believe received honors fraudulently.

5. The Swift Boat Vets who signed the petition collectively earned (Insert total of medals and honors) Saying these men do not have the right to speak out or claiming they are lying is an abomination and insult to all soldiers who served their country honorably during the VietNam war.

6. Saying the Swifties have no right to give witness to these events because they were not in the same boat as Kerry is like saying Ron Goldman (if he survived) has no right to testify against OJ because he wasn't wearing Bruno Magli shoes.

[Mike Darancette]

The doctor who stated that Kerry did not deserve the purple heart for his wound should clarify why the report (being waved around by DNC operatives) was signed by someone else (HM-1 Corpsman).

This was probably standard peocedure for minor Boo-Boos.

[hchutch]

Re: The funding.
Isn't it odd that comparisions of Bush to Hitler get a pass, but when we dispute, it is seen as a bad thing?

Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth has a long way to go before they even match the donations form Peter Lewis and George Soros to MoveOn.org.

Re: Kerry's claims
They fought and bled in Vietnam much longer than John Kerry did. They have as much right to present their case as Senator Kerry does.

[RobRoy]

In answer to the claim, "they didn't serve on the same boat as him."

"Do fighter pilots on an aircraft carrier have to fly in the same plane together before you can say they worked closely with one another and knew each other?"

[tophat9000]

IF vets that never served on Kerry's boat can’t comment on Kerry service the 4 mo. in his small area he was Vietnam? (even thought they were in the boat next to him, on shore next to him, camped next to him)

Then how could Kerry in his antiwar activaties comment on and make charges of atrocity before the U.S. Senate about others in there years of service all over Vietnam because they "never served on Kerry's boat" so how could Kerry know

If they are lying about Kerry because they weren’t on Kerry's boat

Then Kerry was lying for years about ever other Vietnam Vet that did not serve in Kerry boat

You can’t say that because you weren’t in my boat you can'n know or say any thin about me … but I can say anything about even other Vietnam Vet even thought they weren’t in your boat

EVERY “LYING DIRTBAG” comment made about the Swifties by Kerry camp based on “they didn’t serve in my boat”... Must BY LOGIC be reflected a ten thousand fold on Kerry and his camp because all the other Vietnam Vet Kerry degraded for years “didn’t serve in his boat”

[OldCorps]

Post Your Girlie Man Kerry Photos Here

[Sprite518]

Here is the one I like. Its from today's Wall Street Journal reader response.



Let's See Kerry's Service Records
John Russell - Washington

Mr. Rassmann can help Sen. Kerry out of this mess by urging his hero to fill out a standard Form 180 and authorize the Defense Department to release all of Mr. Kerry's military records from A to Z.

If Mr. Rassmann and the ranks of Kerry apologists believe the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth have lied, release the records and prove them wrong.

The saying "put up or shut up" applies here. Over 250 Swift Boat veterans have stepped forward to denounce John Kerry. They have nothing to gain by such actions.

I maintain that if the book "Unfit For Command" were aimed at Swift Boat Commander George W. Bush, the veterans coming forward to tell their story would be hailed as "real American heroes" and would be the toast of the TV talk shows.

I believe the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Their charges deserve to be examined in detail.

[Honcho]

I personally think the Swift Boat Vets have made a huge mistake. By framing the arguement the way they have, to a lot of people, they just look like political hacks.

They need to focus on what Kerry said after returning from Vietnam (Marines cut off heads, etc). These are the men that served with and along side of Kerry. Voters need to understand that when Kerry said that he witnessed Marines randomly killing people, commiting war crimes etc. that these are men who he served with and esentually these are the men that he was accusing.

By making the focus about Kerry lieing about he own service, the response is easy for the Kerry camp, they can just question the creditibily of the accusers (in this case the swift boat veterans) and talk about how outraged the Kerry camp is, this is just political...Bush should denounce blah...blah...blah...blah

The Swift boat Vets have failed to articulate the fact that Kerry lied about THEM, about the men who he served along side of. They need to turn the tables by making Kerry the accuser, the man who accused THEM of killing women and children. This makes them sympathetic to the public, the press has ignored them for 30 years and only now is the press allowing them to respond to Kerry's lies. So long as they do that Kerry is forced to choose between two undesirable responses:

a. Kerry can dig up old wounds and reassert that he saw these things happen in Vietnam. (If he does this he's now hippy, dope smoking, peace-loving Kerry and not Swift Boat captain hero, Lt. Rambo Kerry)

b. Kerry can waffle about it and say that he never say these things happen, he just heard about them. Now he's waffler, lier Kerry.

[snooker]

Just Ask Kerry to sign the form 180 and release his full military record. Might shed some light on who is telling the truth.

[Pharlap]

While Clinton's lies about sex went to his fitness as a husband, Kerry has lied about being in Cambodia (e.g, on Christmas Eve with his swift boat and on a CIA secret mission) in wartime. Kerry's lies go to his fitness to be Commander-in-Chief in wartime.

[A Navy Vet]

Haven't read the entire thread, but just in case:

Kerry was a war hero, before he was a war criminal (by his own Congressional testimony), before he was a war hero.

[Chode]

i'm trying to find an electronic copy of Form-180 to send him

[A Navy Vet]

Think I read somewhere, but can't seem to find it.

"No one ever heard of someone receiving a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, and 3 Purple Hearts within only 4 months in country".

Also, at the time Kerry volunteered for Swift Boat duty, it was considered fairly safe as they only patrolled the coastal waters. The mission was changed (Operation ?)to the more dangerous inland waterways AFTER Kerry became a Swifty.

Who gets a Silver Star for shooting one fleeing injured enemy?

[A Navy Vet]

Somewhere I read (maybe on the Swifties forum) that the top North Viet Namese commander, in his memoirs, had been considering a truce '68 - '70 because he was losing every major battle. Watching what was happening in the USA with the public opinion and groups like VVAW gave him the idea he would eventually win and continued to fight at the cost of more Americans. I'll see if I can find it.

[EdReform]

BTTT

[A Navy Vet]

For photos of the close proximity of these Swift Boats in the canals, go to Swift Boat Pics

[A Navy Vet]

Here are more talking points: Answering Democrat Attacks

[Intolerant in NJ]

The centerpiece of Kerry's candidacy - the he "defended this country as a young man and will defend it again as president" - is bogus and offensive...when Kerry protested against the war in Vietnam the charge was not only that it was "immoral" and "illegal", but also that it was a "civil war", that it had "nothing to do with the US", and that we "had no business being there"...suddenly when it becomes necessary, Kerry not only ignores his antiwar history and highlights his service, he also trumpets that service as being noble and praiseworthy...he has no shame.....

[americanmother]

Why was Kerry not court marshaled for doing the same thing that Lt.Callie served time for? Burning villages and so forth.

[concerned about politics]

"All John Kerry has to do is release his military and military medical records like President Bush did and this whole thing could be cleared up over night."

[concerned about politics]

"Let's bring the subject back to John Kerry and what the Swift Boat Veterans have to say. That's the issue here. We need to investigate this further to see who's being truthful and who is not."