John O'Neill's statement regarding Nightline

Statement by John O'Neill on "Nightline" Appearance Author: Dated: Friday, October 15 2004 @ 08:00 AM PDT Viewed: 1485 times While I have a tremendous amount of respect for Ted Koppel and ABC News I was appalled to learn that ABC News would go to the lengths of traveling to Vietnam to interview three Viet Cong communists in yet a third attempt by ABC to corroborate John Kerry’s version of the events that took place on February 28th, 1969. I would only ask the American people: "Who do you trust more, three members of a communist regime that tortured and killed our American troops or a group of more than 280 highly decorated American veterans, who proudly served their country and are now responsible members of their respective communities?"

The number of veterans who support John Kerry’s accounts of his military service would not fill one Swift Boat. But instead of sitting down to interview some of the 280 plus members of our Swift Boat organization, ABC News chose to travel to Vietnam taking extraordinary and highly suspect steps to find someone to corroborate John Kerry's story.

ABC News Nightline has now dedicated three separate programs to this one incident while ignoring John Kerry's now discredited Senate testimony that he spent Christmas in Cambodia, his receiving a purple heart after all three of the officers required to approve such an issuance rejected his application, or his constantly changing account of the circumstances surrounding his remaining medal, a bronze star.

Further, one has to wonder why ABC News will not address the serious questions as to why John Kerry only received an honorable discharge through the act of then President Carter, seven years after his discharge, and had to have all of his military citations reissued, on the same day, when he became a United States Senator in 1985. And, finally, why has Nightline found it of no interest to permit any POWs to come on their program to explain why they believe John Kerry betrayed their nation, caused them to be incarcerated for an additional two years and caused them tremendous additional hardship and suffering.

Mr. Koppel

it was interesting watching you attempt to dismiss John O'Neill. I heard you say that the after action reports and the Navy citations support the assertion that there was a "numerically superior force" that Kerry faced on 28 Feb 1969.

In fact, the first version of the Silver Star citation makes no mention of a "numerically superior force." Neither does the second. It is only in the third version of the citation in which the enemy force miraculously expands. That the citations were twice re-written is itself an anomaly- which Nightline for some reason (wink, wink) saw as not important to report. It would be of considerable interest to know how the enemy force grew over time, as the third citation was re-issued (that's right, RE-issued, in 1985). They had to be re-issued for an undisclosed reason, which some assert was a less-than-honorable discharge.

You also made reference to the after-action reports of 28 Feb 1969 supporting the numerically superior force.

The Spot Report for 28 Feb 1969 reads this way-

PCF REMAINED AT ORIGINAL AMBUSH SITE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR TROOPS. PCF 94 AND 23 PROCEEDED TO VQ 984831 AND THEN TURNED TO RETURN TO PCF 43 LOCATION. AT V1 9843O A B-40 ROCKET EXPLODED IN WATER CLOSE ABOARD PCF 94 BLOWING OUT WINDOW FRAME. BOTH UNITS RECEIVED HEAVY SMALL ARMS FIRE AND OTC AGAIN CALLED UNITS TO TURN INTO FIRE AND CHARGE AMBUSH SITE. PCF 43 WAS CALLED TO AND MOVED IMMEDIATELY TO ASSIST. PCF 94 BEACHED IN CENTER OF AMBUSH IN FRONT OF SMALL PATH WHEN VC SPRUNG UP FROM BUNKER 10 FEET FROM UNIT. MAN RAN WITH WEAPON TOWARDS HOOTCH. FORWARD M-60 GUNNER WOUNDED HIM IN LEG. OINC JUMPED ASHORE AND GAVE PURSUIT WHILE OTHER UNITS SATURATED AREA WITH WITH FIRE AND BEACHED PLACING ASSULT PARTIES ASHORE. ONIC OF PCF 94 CHASED VC INLAND BEHIND HOOTCH AND SHOT HIM WHILE HE FLEED CAPTURING ONE B-40 ROCKET LAUNCHER WITH ROUND IN CHAMBER.

There is no mention of a "numerically superior force." It was written in 1969 immedately after the incident. Where exactly did you get your information? It is incorrect. Neither the Spot Report nor the first two versions of the Silver Star citations make any mention of a "numerically superior force." Only in reports written, or rewritten, much later do any of these interesting little facts appear.

The after-action report on Kerry's own website reads: 28 FEB 1969 Bay Hap River
Three PCFs were traveling up the Bay Hap River with 70 South Vietnamese Militia investigating an area where the boats were ambushed the previous night. During the patrol, the boats came under heavy fire from the shore. Kerry, serving as the Officer in Tactical Command of the mission, ordered the units to turn toward the fire and beach. As the boats approached shore, more than 20 Viet Cong troops stood up and ran. They were quickly overrun when the Marines troops reached the shore. While the Militia searched the area, PCFs 23 and 94 left to investigate another site where an Army advisor reported gunshots. Returning from the site, a B-40 rocket exploded close to PCF94, blowing out one of the windows. Kerry again ordered the units to turn into the fire and charge the ambush site. PCF 94 landed in the center of ambush and a man jumped up holding a B-40 rocket launcher and started to run. The forward M-60 gunner on PCF94 wounded him in the leg as Kerry jumped off the boat and chased him inland behind a hooch and shot him. Marines swept the area, and received fire from snipers and small arms that was suppressed with the assistance of mortars and gunfire from the swiftboats. The landing parties found vast stores of rice, ammunition and clothing. The boats were fired on one additional time as they were heading back down the river. The site of the second ambush was believed to be a major Viet Cong supply point. Kerry received the Silver Star for this operation.

Again, no mention of any "numerically superior force." You specifically said that the after action reports support your claim of numerical superiority. It does NOT. You lied, Mr. Koppel.

To suggest that the Communists of Vietnam do not have an agenda is patently absurd. John Kerry was the best friend the Vietnamese Communists ever had, and it is why his picture hangs today in the Hall of Heroes in Ho Chi Minh City, something you clearly did not want O'Neill to make known.

You broadcast an essentially false report. You accepted the word of the Vietnamese over that of the decorated Swift Boat vets and even that of John Kerry himself. You have omitted critical details that change entirely the perspective. It was totally dishonest.

Sincerely

We know what scum ABC is. Now, what are we going to do about it? Just send Emails to affiliates? NO we need action.
I hope if we win we will get a majority on the FCC commission and end the agreements that bind each affiliate to a network to get their programing. I think any independent station should be able to go to any Hollywood producer and get an agreement to carry any program. This would bypass the networks and render them obsolete.

The FCC should also charter several hundred new TV stations. According to there charter each station will be locally owned and cannot be sold to any owner who is not local.
If Bush does not win, then we should take action in those states that have initiative and referendum to put taxes on networks for each station they own in the state in question. Also e nee to put pressure on our legislators so that if the Dems's force taxes they will have to accept taxes on TV networks.
The networks and all of their affiliated studios and such should be considered extremely vulnerable. They do not live in the state and make a heck of a lot of money from it. They should be easy targets for tax increases.

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.