Injured, Angry, Determined, Swiftees Unite to Fight Kerry (Endgame, with checkmate imminent)

The Washington Times ^ | October 11, 2004 | Stephanie Mansfield

[quidnunc]

Midnight in South Vietnam, and the river is black. Past the rice paddies and shacks, small fires are burning by the shoreline as Lt. John H. Davis' 50-foot aluminum swift boat — PCF 19 — makes its routine patrol through the reeds.

In a split second, rocket fire shatters the silence, and through a plume of oily smoke, the boat sinks to the river's bottom.

"My whole crew lost their lives that night. I was the only one who survived," Lt. Davis says.

Lt. Davis, now 62, lost his left eye. The bones in both legs were shattered. But the scars of war are nothing compared to the demons that wake him from his sleep, leaving him drenched in sweat and trembling with fear.

"My latest nightmare was that I was pulling my crew out of the water. When it came to the last body, it was me."

Lt. Davis has come to Washington at his own expense, along with 89 other Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, to tape the eighth 60-second TV spot questioning Sen. John Kerry's fitness to be commander in chief.

They come from Oshkosh, Wis., and Orlando, Fla., San Francisco and Virginia Beach. One is on crutches. Others, former prisoners of war, walk stiffly, a result of being bound and tortured. Some wear their medals. Two are in cowboy boots.

Snow-haired Bud Day, a 79-year-old former POW, stands at attention. He is wearing a brown leather flight jacket befitting an Air Force major, complemented by the Medal of Honor around his neck. Others have donned "Swift Boat" baseball caps.

-snip-

[Dr. Scarpetta]

I have a lot of respect for these Swiftboat guys who were disregarded by O'Reilly.

They need a lot of money for their TV ads.

Swiftboat Veterans for Truth c/o Weymouth Symmes, Treasurer P.O. Box 26184 Alexandria, VA 22313

(They ask you to include your occupation and employer, along with your donation)

[Chieftain]

You've been working overtime and doing a fine job, too!

[Seadog Bytes]

THANK YOU, Sir.

[Smartass]

THANKS FOR  THE PING



GOD BLESS THE SWIFTEES

[bitt]

'kerried'.

now added to my lexicon.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

His (Col. Day's) wife was able to let him know of his promotion by very clever means. The Vietcong torturers who held him would not let this news come to him openly. So, his wife sent him a care package. The Vietnamese raided it and ate many of the items, but left the packaging. The packages his wife sent all had a reference to an eagle. Eagle milk, eagle toothpaste, eagle nail clippers.

Great story! Where's the movie of Col. Day's heroics, Hollywood?

[village idiot]

Saw this on powerlineblog.com today. I made a donation to the Swiftees recently, nothing huge, but glad to help them along! Finished "Unfit for Command" and passed it along to my brother. Why hasn't Kerry been tried for war crimes,or at least treason?

[CarryaBigStick]

I think you had it right the first time, FOX has been slipping to the left for a couple of months now.

[jim35]

"...Now let's see.... should I vote with Bud Day or with Michael Moore?..."

Oh man, if only the MSM was honest, and this kind of choice was presented to the public at large, GW would win by the biggest landslide in history. You have summed it up very succinctly, LH.