Posted on 08/13/2004 3:36:49 PM PDT by Jewels1091
Fox news just reported there are questions now about where Rassmann actually was. He said he was on Kerry's boat when it got ambushed, but Kerry's web site says Rassmann was on the boat behind his. Just more questions about kerry's seemingly faulty memory.
The author of Tour of Duty, Douglas Brinkley, has the five Swift boats skippered by:
John Kerry - PCF 94
Rich McCann - PCF 24
Skip Barker - PCF 3
Don Droz - PCF 23/ (April '69 casualty list has him as skipper of PCF 43)
Larry Thurlow - PCF 53/ (interview in reply 66, preceding, has Thurlow as skipper of PCF 51)
Immediately prior to the first command detonated mine explosion, the boats were in column of two.
The right column, lead boat was PCF 94
The right column boat no. 2 was PCF 24
The left column, lead boat was PCF 3.
The left column, boat no. 2 was PCF 23
The left column, boat no. 3 was PCF 53/51
Larry Thurlow, in the interview in reply 66, defined the columns and the reason; because while they had been up-river, a fishing wier had been set, leaving channels, in effect, along the left and right banks when heading back down-river.
Presumably the channels were set to direct the boats over the pre-positioned command detonating mines, one left and one right.
Larry Thurlow also states in the interview, reply 66, that his boat was PCF 51.
According to the author of Tour of Duty, PCF 24 had some sort of powerplant difficulties on this mission, enough to cause the combat troops and equipment aboard it, to be transferred to PCF 94 prior to all the boats heading up-river, beyond this same point of confict, earlier in the day.
Don Droz died on April 12, 1969 while skipper of PCF 43. (http://www.swiftboats.net/extras/casualties.htm)
HE WAS IN SERVICE WHEN HE MARCHED AGAINST THE WAR!!!!! WHY WASN'T HE COURT MARSHALLED????????
I thought Rassmann was on Kerry's payroll.
I would love to see this guy's phone records since he said he was not contacted by Kerry and just decided to "surprise" him at the Iowa primary.
If you check Kerry's released military records, you will notice that Kerry amended his DD214 with a DD215. Among other things, Kerry burnishes his Vietnam Service medal by adding four bronze service stars to reflect various campaigns. This was done in March 2001!!!
This is SO unbelievable! What is the explanation???
According to the swifties there was only one command detonated sub-surface mine. There was no hostile enemy fire from the river banks. There are conditions under which the Bronze Star is awarded, especially for a combat "v" distinguish device. If you take away enemy fire and just have Kerry picking up a man overboard, it is hard to use this as a justification for awarding a Bronze Star.
According to Unfit for Command, "Kerry's boat was on the right side of the river and the mine went off on the opposite side, under PCF 3. "According to Chenoweth, Odell, Pease, and Thurlow there was no other hostile fire and there were no other mines." "The boats had begun firing after the mine exploded, but they ceased after a short time when it was clear there was no return fire." "Chenoweth (who received no medal} picked up the PCF 3 crewmen thrown into the water." The PCF 3 was going around in circles with some dazed crewmen still on-board and Thurlow at some risk to himself tried to board it and fell into the water. It finally ran on to a sandbar and eventually the boat started to sink. "Indeed, several of the PCF sailors did not seek or receive Purple hearts.
So the guy {Chenoweth] who rescued three wounded crewmen from PCF 3 gets no medals and several of the crew from PCF don't get a Purple Heart. Yet Kerry who is on the opposite side of the river and runs away gets a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. Is it any wonder the SBVFT are pissed? They didn't know the details until they read Brinkley's Tour of Duty to learn of Kerry's perfidy.
He was getting ready to run for President. He needed to burnish his record even more. I think he is really nuts or obsessed. He must see himself as the incarnation of Audi Murphy. In reality, he is a fraud.
Tereza? :)
What were the nature of Kerry's wounds,
supposedly from the second mine? Did the wounds inflicted
by the supposed second mine require medical attention, if so, what?
Is there any independent (of Kerry and Rass.) evidence of the second mine?
That's inteesting. Barker is the only officer supporting Kerry. Unfit for Command has Dick Pease as the commander of PCF 3 when it is hit by the mine. Barker is not mentioned in the book at all nor is McCann. Chenoweth and his gunner Odell played a major role rescuing three of the crewmen from PCF 3. No boat number is mentioned. Sounds like Brinkley must be operating from Kerry's journal.
I posted the text of the action report for March 13 at the thread below, including actions, casualties (names), boat damage, etc.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1187560/posts?page=29#29
The combat action report showed the following boats that day:
4. (C) PCFS 94, 51, 23, 43, 3, MSF 1404 DET, UDT DET 12, RF/PF CAI NUOC.
Indeed.
As I have posted before, a person can throw away his physical medals (ribbons) all he wants, but he can't throw away the official, recorded citations.
Throwing away "medals" is a symbolic gesture..
The physical medals can be purchased at base or military stores. The citations are not "erased" if one "throws away" his physical medals, thus there is no need to "re-apply" for them.
There was no second mine. The proof of that is the PCF 3 is the only boat that suffered any damage nor was anyone else injured except those on PCF 3. If you look at Kerry's casualty report, Kerry used the wounds to his buttocks as being suffered due to the mine explosion. In fact, that was another incident. The only "wound" Kerry suffered from the mine incident was a contusion on his forearm when he took off.
This is so convoluted.
It is almost impossible for a liar to keep track of ever-modified lies. The truth WILL come out.
You can't buy all of the medals at the PX, e.g., the Silver Star. There are some commercial outfits you can buy replicas, but they are not the official medals in their case. You can apply for replacement medals. Your official records will show that you earned them.
The problem is that you really have to get into the details to understand what happened. It is tough to inform the public if you have to educate them at the same time. It is hard to do. The SBVFT would be wise to make up diagrams and timelines to show what happened and what Kerry put in his reports.
Lies Lies every where. My head is hurting trying to keep up with these Kerry lies. Hey John try telling the truth it is so much easier.
Interesting, because according to the reports on Kerry's website, there was extensive damage to PCF-94 that day. I reposted the text of that report at the thread below (See end for boat damage report). IMO, this sounds like the damage to PCF-3 instead, but the report clearly says PCF-94. A link to the combat report is also provided.
Another million dollar question!
Kerry would prefer be that the story is that
Rassman was on the second(last) boat in the
right column cuz; That would give Rassman only one motive
to stay part of the time on the bottom of the river...
enemy fire, , instead of the motive of wanting to
avoid being hit by the next boat.
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.