Kerry's Flying Dog

The Washington Times ^ | 08/25/2004 | John McCaslin

[Hawk44]

VC surfaces

A new four-legged angle — actually a dog named "VC" — has suddenly materialized surrounding Sen. John Kerry's swift boat service in Vietnam.

In a 2004 presidential candidate questionnaire for Humane USA, Mr. Kerry was asked whether any pets have had an impact on his life.

"I have always had pets in my life, and there are a few that I remember very fondly," Mr. Kerry replied. "When I was serving on a Swift Boat in Vietnam, my crewmates and I had a dog we called VC.

"One day as our Swift Boat was heading up a river, a mine exploded hard under our boat," he continued. "After picking ourselves up, we discovered VC was MIA (missing in action). Several minutes of frantic search followed, after which we thought we'd lost him. We were relieved when another boat called asking if we were missing a dog."

Said Mr. Kerry: "It turns out VC was catapulted from the deck of our boat and landed, confused but unhurt, on the deck of another boat in our patrol."

[johnny7]

"One day as our Swift Boat was heading up a river, a mine exploded hard under our boat,”

Jeesis H.! Them darn mines were thick as turds in a dog pound!

This guy saw more action than 'Bull' Halsey!

What... an... asshole.

[jongaltsr]

Right on.
One can never catapult a dog any more than one can dogapult a cat.

[Bryan24]

Well, now Mr. Kerry's own words confirm the fact that the swift boats operated so closely together that a dog could be blown from one boat to another and be completely unharmed.

So, when some idiot tries to argue that the other boats couldn't see him, we can always ask, "Were they out of dog-flight range"?

[Aquinasfan]

"One day as our Swift Boat was heading up a river, a mine exploded hard under our boat," he continued. "After picking ourselves up, we discovered VC was MIA (missing in action). Several minutes of frantic search followed, after which we thought we'd lost him. We were relieved when another boat called asking if we were missing a dog." Said Mr. Kerry: "It turns out VC was catapulted from the deck of our boat and landed, confused but unhurt, on the deck of another boat in our patrol."

That seals it. He's delusional.

[The Toad]

Hmmmm. Let me see if I understand this. A mine blew up under the boat and catapulted the dog unto the deck of another boat. I find this difficult to believe and improbable. Were the boat's cruising side-by-side? Doesn't seem like a smart patrol technique. It they weren't how far was the dog "catapulted"? 50 meters? 100? And then the dog landed unhurt? Yeah, right......

[GailA]

I see the cop killer mumia has endorsed hanoi john the self professed baby killer.

[GailA]

As small as these 50ft boats are a mine would have destroyed it and probably killed all or most aboard.

[blanknoone]

I love the "Were they out of dog-flight range"?

But other than his unsubstantiated claim of a mine blowing Rassmann off his about (as opposed to his rapid accelerations away from his brothers in need), has there been any evidence of a mine damaging Kerry's boat? Surely a mine close enough to dogapault VC would do enough damage that it would have to go in for repairs.

[Gritty]

This story sounds like complete bullshiite to me.

Surely a moment like this would have been remembered by a lot of Swiftees, especially as there was no damage to the boat or personnel. Is there any independent confirmation by others this is true - even by those on Kerry's boat? Maybe by those on the "receiving" boat?

[silent_jonny]

On March 13, 1969, when a mine exploded under one of Kerry's fellow Swift Boats, the boat was so damaged that it was rendered immobile and the other boats had to circle-the-wagons to protect it. Lt. Kerry didn't know this, apparently, because he hit the gas and was half a mile down the river before he realized he was alone (Forrest Gump: "...and being alone was a very bad thing."), so he turned his boat around and the hero rescued Rassman. Now what I'm wondering is, if a mine exploded under Kerry's boat ("exploded hard", as the senator said, hard enough to catapult a dog into the air), then why wasn't HIS boat rendered immobile? Seems like if that were true, we would have heard about it before now--and not in a dog story context.

[Oztrich Boy]

It they weren't how far was the dog "catapulted"? 50 meters? 100? And then the dog landed unhurt? Yeah, right

Dogs always land on their feet. If you loved animals as fondly as John Kerri, you would remember that.

[blanknoone]

Well, I'm not sure that the VC claim has ever been associated with a date, especially this particular date. The question I have is what mine blew VC onto another boat?

Was it during the Rassmann incident? Another incident? Where are the damage reports?

[vetvetdoug]

I wonder if Kerry has any stories about epileptic prostitutes that he encountered in the RVN?

[usmcobra]

**Breaking News**

VC to appear in The next Swifties ad.

Recalls tails of how he was kicked by Kerry off of the 94 boat and saved by his fellow swifties.

PETA denounces Kerry for french kissing Licorice the hamster

[GailA]

Why would any one call their dog VC in enemy country..Can you imagine him calling VC to come here and the men in his diving for cover?

[pabianice]

Oy gavalt! Reminds me of a FITREP written about an officer in the Royal Navy: "This officer started in a hole and has continued to dig."

[pabianice]

I believe Kerry abandoned the dog in his haste to leave Vietnam.

[Taliesan]

If it wasn't all so darn funny it would be maddening.

There are reporters out there who actually bought that line with a straight face -- the one where if you weren't ON the boat, you weren't really there.

So now, Kerry says the other boats were within a dogapault. How far exactly does a dog fly through the air before landing "unhurt" on another boat?

The reason Kerry put in the "unhurt" comment is that he wants everyone to be clear that the dog has no claim on one of his Purple -- rather, Periwinkle -- Hearts.

[New Perspective]

[snapperjk]

Cats... That's cats that land on all fours; not dogs. Unless, of course, you are John Kerry.