[El Gato]

was he on the gridley longer than the four months he spent on the swifts?

Yes from June '67 to July '68. But as you said, he doesn't talk about it much, nor was there much in his book about that time. However the quotes above are from the "Kerry Page" on the USS Gridley site Needless to say his shipmates were not overly impressed, especially the enlisted, nor are they happy about his activities upon his return from Vietnam. Strangely enough, they think he lies the same way the SwiftVets do.

[smonk]

so, when, I wonder, did kerry become a war protester? He was “an aggressive, Ambitious young officer” in his fitness reports. He was itching for battle, to hear him tell it, when he transferred to the swifts, and he was only there for four months. When did such a young man that appeared to be so dedicated to croaking enemy combatants become such a hardened war protester? Did any of his ship mates in viet nam notice?

or is this something that came over him suddenly when he realized that war hero's didn't play well in Massachusetts politics?