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The sky calls to us ...
Super Moderator
Location: CT
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Deceptions by "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" are surfacing
Quote:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...erry_critic_dc
Records Contradict Kerry Critic's Charges -Report
Thu Aug 19, 5:56 AM ET
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Military records contradict a critic's charge that U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry (news - web sites) did not come under fire during the battle that resulted in military honors for Kerry, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.
Larry Thurlow, who commanded a Navy boat alongside Kerry in Vietnam, has disputed that the Massachusetts Democratic senator was shot at during the March 1969 raid that resulted in Bronze Stars to both men.
But Thurlow's military records, partially obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by The Washington Post, contain references to "enemy small arms and automatic fire" directed at "all units" of the five-boat flotilla, the newspaper says.
Kerry has made frequent references to his Vietnam war experience during his campaign to make the case for his aptitude as a military leader. Thurlow is a member of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group that has sponsored a television commercial questioning Kerry's war record.
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Quote:
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB9ATWE2YD.html
WASHINGTON (AP) - Military records appear to contradict claims by a vocal critic of Sen. John Kerry that the Democratic presidential candidate lied about coming under gunfire during a mission in Vietnam, according to The Washington Post.
The newly obtained records of Larry Thurlow show that he, like Kerry, won a Bronze Star for the same engagement and that Thurlow's citation said he came under "constant small arms fire," the newspaper reported Thursday.
Thurlow, also like Kerry, commanded a Navy Swift boat during the war. Thurlow swore in an affidavit last month that Kerry was "not under fire" when he rescued Lt. James Rassmann from the Bay Hap River.
Thurlow's records, obtained by the Post under the Freedom of Information Act, include references to "enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire" directed at all five boats in the flotilla that day. In his Bronze Star citation, Thurlow is praised for helping a damaged Swift boat "despite enemy bullets flying about him."
Thurlow is a leading member of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a public advocacy group of Vietnam veterans who have aired a television advertisement attacking Kerry's war record.
Kerry has described how his boat came under fire from the river banks after a mine explosion disabled another U.S. Swift boat. Kerry and members of his crew say the firing continued as Kerry leaned over to fish out Rassman, who was blown overboard in another explosion.
Thurlow described Kerry's Bronze Star citation as "totally fabricated," saying "I never heard a shot."
Thurlow, a registered Republican, said he is angry with Kerry for his antiwar activities after his return to the United States, especially his claim that U.S. troops committed war crimes with the knowledge of their officers up the chain of command.
Thurlow told the Post that he got the award for helping to rescue the boat that was mined.
"This casts doubt on anybody's awards," he said. "It is sickening and disgusting."
He said he believed his award would be fraudulent if it was based on coming under enemy fire.
"We weren't under fire," he insisted.
Thurlow said he lost his Bronze Star citation more than 20 years ago. He said he would not authorize release of his military records because he feared the Kerry campaign would discredit him.
Members of Kerry's crew have said Kerry is telling the truth. Rassman said he has vivid memories of enemies firing at him from both banks.
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Quote:
http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID=231
note: This is a long article, click the link for the rest of it.
Summary
A group funded by the biggest Republican campaign donor in Texas began running an attack ad Aug. 5 in which former Swift Boat veterans claim Kerry lied to get one of his two decorations for bravery and two of his three purple hearts.
But the veterans who accuse Kerry are contradicted by Kerry's former crewmen, and by Navy records.
One of the accusers says he was on another boat "a few yards" away during the incident which won Kerry the Bronze Star, but the former Army lieutenant whom Kerry plucked from the water that day backs Kerry's account. In an Aug. 10 opinion piece in the conservative Wall Street Journal , Rassmann (a Republican himself) wrote that the ad was "launched by people without decency" who are "lying" and "should hang their heads in shame."
And on Aug. 19, Navy records came to light also contradicting the accusers. One of the veterans who says Kerry wasn't under fire was himself awarded a Bronze Star for aiding others "in the face of enemy fire" during the same incident.
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I added some bold for emphasis in this next one
Quote:
http://news.findlaw.com/ap_stories/a...000007_11.html
Military Documents Contradict Kerry Critic
WASHINGTON (AP) - A Vietnam veteran who claims Sen. John Kerry lied about being under fire during a Mekong Delta engagement that won Kerry a Bronze Star was under constant fire himself during the same skirmish, according to the man's own medal citation, a newspaper reported.
The newly obtained records of Larry Thurlow show that he, like Kerry, won a Bronze Star in the engagement and that Thurlow's citation said he also was under attack, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
Thurlow, also like Kerry, commanded a Navy Swift boat during the Vietnam War. Thurlow swore in an affidavit last month that Kerry was "not under fire" when he rescued Lt. James Rassmann from the Bay Hap River.
Thurlow's records, obtained by the Post under the Freedom of Information Act, include references to "enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire" directed at all five boats in the flotilla that day. In his Bronze Star citation, Thurlow is praised for helping a damaged Swift boat "despite enemy bullets flying about him."
The records said Thurlow's actions "took place under constant enemy small arms fire," which Thurlow ignored in providing immediate assistance to the disabled boat and its crew.
Thurlow is a leading member of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a public advocacy group of Vietnam veterans who have aired a television advertisement attacking Kerry's war record.
Kerry has described how his boat came under fire from the river banks after a mine explosion disabled another U.S. Swift boat. Kerry and members of his crew say the firing continued as Kerry leaned over to fish out Rassmann, who was blown overboard in another explosion.
Thurlow described Kerry's Bronze Star citation as "totally fabricated," saying "I never heard a shot."
Thurlow, a registered Republican, said he was angry with Kerry for his anti-war activities after his return to the United States, especially his claim that U.S. troops committed war crimes with the knowledge of their officers up the chain of command.
Thurlow told the Post that he got the award for helping to rescue the boat that was mined.
"This casts doubt on anybody's awards," he said. "It is sickening and disgusting."
He said he believed his own award would be "fraudulent" if it was based on coming under enemy fire.
"We weren't under fire," he insisted, speculating that Kerry could have been the source of at least some of the language used in the citation.
Thurlow said he lost his Bronze Star citation more than 20 years ago. He said he would not authorize release of his military records because he feared the Kerry campaign would discredit him.
Members of Kerry's crew have said Kerry is telling the truth. Rassmann said he has vivid memories of enemies firing at him from both banks.
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For the record, I don't support Kerry and I don't support Bush.
I think I can sum this up pretty well in just a couple of sentences. The organization, while calling themselves "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth," would more accurately describe themselves with the name "Swift Boat Veterans for Bush." |