The truth about the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth

Post-9/11 Era Forum

There are still some ignorant people who believe that the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth told the truth about John Kerry. The fact is that members of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth did not serve alongside Kerry during the incidents that led to Kerry's Purple Hearts, Bronze Star and Silver Star (not even Steve Gardner, who is the only member of SBV who actually served with Kerry on Kerry's boat). Of those who actually served with Kerry, 11 out of 12 fully supported Kerry. The Swifties such as Roy Hoffman are simply malcontents who have never forgiven Kerry for his actions in speaking out against the Vietnam War.

John O'Neill, the co-author of "Unfit For Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry", accused Kerry of lying about being Cambodia. He claimed that neither Kerry or any other US crewman were in Cambodia, yet an audiotape of O'Neill meeting Richard Nixon reveals that O'Neill told Nixon that he was in fact Cambodia on a swift boat. Either O'Neill lied to Nixon or he's lying now.

The fact is that John O'Neill has zero credibility. He has been a Republican functionary for 30 years. He was (and still is) Richard Nixon's patsy. He was a pawn of Charles Colson, who was one of the Watergate conspirators. Nixon was anxious about the impact Kerry, a decorated war hero, would have on public opinion. He instructed his chief counsel, Charles Colson, to find someone to discredit Kerry. John O'Neill fit the bill despite the fact that he had never met Kerry in Vietnam. One night he was sent to face off with Kerry on The Dick Cavett Show. Kerry mopped the floor with O'Neill that night. O'Neill tried to complete his mission he failed to accomplish in the 70s by writing "Unfit for Command".

The following link shows that John O'Neill is a liar:

http://www.mediamatters.org/items/200408250004

Larry Thurlow claimed that Kerry didn't receive any fire in the incident that led to his Bronze Star. His claim is a lie. Thurlow obtained a Bronze Star as a result of the same incident and a citation of Thurlow's own record shows that there was fire from the enemy. Here's the citation of Thurlow's record:

http://www.factcheck.org/UploadedFi...%20Citation.pdf

The following document also shows that all Thurlow's (and Kerry's) actions took place under constant enemy small arms fire:

http://www.factcheck.org/UploadedFi...ward%20Recc.pdf

The fact is that portrayals of Kerry's actions during the incidents that led to his Purple Hearts, Bronze Star and Silver Star in "Unfit for Command" are inconsistent with the statements made by men who actually served alongside Kerry.

Here are some facts about the incident that led to Kerry's first Purple Heart:

"Unfit for Command" claims that John Kerry's wound was self-inflicted. The accusation was based on William Schachte's statement. Bill Zaladonis and Pat Runyon were with Kerry during the first Purple Heart incident and they said William Schachte was not on their boat that night and that Schachte's claims were false. Zaladonis and Runyon said that no one apart from them was with Kerry that night and both Zaladonis and Runyon believe that their skimmer received enemy fire. Both also doubt the crew even carried an M-79 (the weapon with which William Schachte claims Kerry was injured) on boat that night.

Bill Zaladonis said John Kerry deserved a Purple Heart. He said that Kerry's wound wasn't self-inflicted. Zaladonis said in an interview that, "I don't see how he possibly could have been accidentally hurt". Here's the interview:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5843180

In a New York Times article Pat Runyon expressed resentment at how the Swifties had distorted his version after he sent the group a statement describing the skimmer incident. He said in another interview that, "He (John Kerry) was a nice, quiet guy who knew he was in command and didn't flaunt it. He could make a decision, and he made the right one because we got out of there alive". Here's the interview:

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artm...nter_5079.shtml

"Unfit for Command" claims that Kerry's Silver Star came for "facing a single, wounded young Viet Cong fleeing in a loincloth", but the accusation is a blatant lie. William Rood commanded one of the 3 swift boats that came under fire from Viet Cong forces on February 28, 1969. He said portrayals of Kerry's actions in "Unfit for Command" are wrong and smear the reputations of men who served alongside him. Rood said that the guy wasn't a teenager in a loincloth and that he wasn't alone. He said, "He was a grown man, dressed in the kind of garb the VC usually wore. There were others who fled. There was also firing from the tree line well behind the spider holes and, at one point, from the opposite riverbank as well. It was not the work of just one attacker".

Here's an article by William Rood:

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/082204Y.shtml

Other vets such as David Alston, Fred Short and Greg Thorson who actually served with Kerry on February 28, 1969, fully supported John Kerry. According to William Rood, immediately after the attack Roy Hoffman sent a message of congratulations to the 3 swift boat. Hoffman wrote that the tactics developed and executed by Kerry, Rood and Donald Droz were "immensely effective". But now Roy Hoffman claims that Kerry's attacks against the ambushers showed his tendencies to be impulsive. In short, either Roy Hoffman lied 36 years ago or he's lying now. George Elliot is the officer who recommended Kerry for the Silver Star. Elliot said Kerry was "calm, professional and highly courageous in the face of enemy fire". However, in a TV ad George Elliot trashed Kerry. In short, either Elliot lied 36 years ago or he's lying now.

This is what I know for fact.
John Kerry met with North Vietnam Communists while serving as a Navy Reservist. This is illegal and he was less than honorably discharged thanks to Ted Kennedy. He should have gone to Levenworth like any other non-silver spoon fed vet would have. Under that law, you cannot run for public office.
Because Kennedy did this and Carter pardoned all the Vietnam conciensous objectors, Kerry fell into this catagory some how. Just because the scumbag Kennedy got this done, doens't make it right in eyes of veterans such as myself.

John Kerry is a lying scumbag and doesn't deserve what he has. I am in support of any organization who will expose this traitor for what he is. I would also go as far as pulling his stauts as Senator. The Navy JAG who is pursuing this has my support as a Vietnam Veteran. In saying that, I support the Swifties in anything they can do to bring this scumbag to his knees.

Including lie?

Way to go usa 1 ... another example of the doctrine of the right.., apparently the ends justify the means.... how sad.

Somehow you prefer the rich daddy's boy we have in office who dodged the war altogether?

Kerry did his duty... was profoundly affected by what he saw and then became a protester ... isn't this an admiral quality then blindly taking one side or the other? The right has long vilified those who dodged the war { except Bush} yet here is someone who served and fought and protected the men under his command. Does he not have the right .. after that to speak out on his perception of the conflict?

But instead of percieving Kerry as being honourable AND principled they call him names. Service should not be blind.

I still don't get how right wingers, out of party-lining, can keep blaming someone who has been granted 3 medals for his actions in time of war. These accusations reek, plain and simple.

Obviously , Louie, Ky and ripper here can't believe what's right in front of thier eyes.

You are right, you still don't get it.
Granted 3 medals by who? Do you know? These aren't accusations, it's thruth and if Kerry had an ounce of patriotism, he'd sign the Form 180. He is a self serving, money grabbing, lier who won't allow his own followers like you to see his record.

Instead of just stuffing your, "I don't get the right wing" thing in everyones face, why don't you just look at the facts and decide for yourself. The problem is that the left have no facts to feed you and you surely won't believe anything that would be against the left wing king, John Fonda Kerry. So you are stuck, just like Kerry, nothing to say but, "It's a right wing thing".

Just like Louie here I can pound out a hundred things that point out Kerry as a traitor and a coward who decieved his commanders to get his medals and then threw them away, only to have those very medals hanging in his office.
He's a nut and anyone who would think he should be COmmander in Chief needs their head examined.

USA
I really don't get it - maybe I am misinformed, and I couldn't ask better than being faced to facts proving that Kerry is a liar.
Right now, what I would like to understand is how a guy can deceive that much his commanders and fellows and be granted 3 - THREE - medals. If he is such a nut and liar then he is a genius of sort, isn't he ?

While all the time he admits to atrosities. This is Ok with you? You think this is leadership quality? Those are his words, not mine. Then he has the gaul to say I did such things. He's a liar for his own politcal career. He doesn't care about how he got his medals, he cares about what it would mean to his career in politics. Show me another soldier who spent 3 months in combat and got 3 purple hearts. Why is it that his commanders don't remember such a momentous occasion. Because Kerry himself applied for the medals. Normally the commander submits the request.

Add to this the fact that he is a traitor by meeting with the enemy. His words and actions, not mine. Is this leadership quality? Who would follow him? Surely not me or many like me.

Your defence of this man is futile at best. It's over and the last word for Kerry is 'Loser'. Thank God and the Swifties for that.

There are plenty of Vietnam veterans that remember Vietnam in exactly the same way Kerry did and felt exactly as he did when they came back. If you can't acknowledge people's real responses to something as horrific as war, that's your problem.

Vietnam was one monumental disasterous mess. If you're going to blame anyone then blame the people who started it and continued it for so long, not those that were there and saw it for themselves.