It is entirely possible that the people there shooting up the place are not aware of the true numbers of the other side. The place is overgrown, the VC hide very well and there is the general confusion of the shooting.
There are different specific locations of the action and while one part may have many VC, others may have less or even individuals. Because the area is so overgrown and there is a lot of fire from the Swiftboats, Nobody has a crystal clear view of what exactly is happening other than in their area. The after action reports and recollections relied on by Kerry, the Swiftboat Vets and others are entirely from the American point of view. Obviously they could not interview the VC as to their troop dispositions and perceptions at the time and what they say now is largely irrelevant to what went on in the awarding of the medal. Were most of these VC fighting or actually hiding? There was a lot of firepower comming at them fast and ducking in the bunker was a good idea. Several of the VC said they were doing that.
There is no way to know how exactly the citation including the "superior enemy force" was arrived at, or if that language was simply boilerplate added to make the citation look better. There were 3 versions of the citation. Why didn't Koppel ask about that?
Koppel was so smug, arrogant and sarcastic. He would not shut up and kept interrupting. When he finally did shut up, he flippantly acted like he never got the clear answers that he got. He ordered him to put all the books down, badgering him like a child! I am so glad he got exposed for the fool he is. He has been asking for it for a long long time.
I don't know what happened there but Druz and Rood won Bronze Stars at the same time so the Kerry Silver Star seems overblown if he landed where the one VC was and others took on the brunt of this supposed large VC army at hotter spots of battle.
Although I don't know what happened there, I don't accept the idea that these Viet Cong interviewed on nightline are reliable witnesses that should even be listened to.
When I consider how very little difference there is between the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, and Al Qaeda's attack on the Eastern US, and the deadly aims of both attackers, and then look at the reportorial aftermath, I shudder for what might have been.
It's way past time for an Old Media Shakedown. Too bad there isn't some sort of truthfulness in reporting commission the media have to answer to in order to keep their broadcast licenses. There are criminal penalities in all sorts of other industries for lying, and for lying with malice.