The Democrats in a Nutshell
Balloon Juice blog
It appears clear that the Democratic response to the Swift Boat commercial is a three-pronged front, consisting of personal attacks, legal attacks, and flat-out lies. I touched on this last night in a late-night post, but much of this is worth further discussion.
For the record, I don't know what to believe about the commercial. In the past, I have been willing to give Kerry the benefit of the doubt, and I will continue to do so until the story shakes out. However, I find theDemocratic attempts to silence these men despicable. They may be wrong, they may be lying, but these men served out country just like John Kerry, and far more so than former President Clinton, so their side deserves to be checked.
The personal attacks have been well-documented, as have been the legal challenges. However, what has not been challenged, at least other than here, is the big, fat, whopper of a lie that the Democrats are currently peddling. It is clear the talking points have been handed out- let's review them.
The first I saw of the talking points appeared in the Miami Herald:
The Kerry campaign has denounced the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, saying none of the men in the ad served on the boat that Kerry commanded. The leader of the group, retired Adm. Roy Hoffmann, said none of the 13 veterans in the commercial served on Kerry's boat but rather were in other swiftboats within 50 yards of Kerry's.
Media Matters, the wholly owned subsidiarity of the DNC, funded by George Soros, has been quick to pass out the talking points:
Despite the ad's claim, members of the group did not serve with Senator John Kerry on his swift boat in Vietnam. Not only did the programs ignore that fact, but FOX News Channel hosts Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes went so far as to call them Kerry's "fellow crewmates."
You see where this is going, don't you? They were not on the actual boat with Kerry, so therefore they have no idea who the man is or what he was like during the time in question. Except, of course, this defies reality. As I stated last night, you almost have to admire the brazenness and the audacity of those willing to make this statement, because it is so misleading and stupid that surely they must be afriad of being caught.
To the facts:
1.) Kerry, according to his own biography, served with the following UNITS:
- November 17, 1968- Upon completion of his training, Kerry reports for duty to Coastal Squadron 1, Coastal Division 14, Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam.
- December 6, 1968- Kerry moved to Coastal Division 11 at An Thoi on Phu Quoc Island
- December 13, 1968- Kerry moved to Coastal Division 13, Cam Ranh Bay
This is important information, because right away, you should understand that the nonsense the Kerry campaign and its surrogates are peddling is nonsense. While the Kerry campaign may hope that everyone thinks Kerry's Swiftboat experience was much like the long, solo journey portrayed in Apocalypse Now, this is not the case. Kerry was stationed with his crew and all the other men in his repsective units at their bases.
2.) A decription of Cam Ranh Bay:
While the concentration at Cam Ranh Bay of Market Time headquarters and forces during the summer of 1967, the demand for base support became extraordinary. Accordingly, the Naval Support Activity Saigon, Detachment Cam Ranh Bay, was redesignated the Naval Support Facility, Cam Ranh Bay, a more autonomous and self sufficient status. A greater allocation of resources and support forces to the shore installation resulted in an improved ability to cope with the buildup of combat units. In time, the Cam Ranh Bay facility accomplished major vessel repair and dispensed a greater variety of supply items to the anti-infiltration task force. In addition the naval contingent at the Joint Service Ammunition Depot issued ammunition to the coastal surveillance, river patrol and mobile riverine forces as well as to the Seventh Fleet’s gunfire support destroyers and landing ships. Seabee Maintenance unit 302 provided public works assistance to the many dispersed Naval Support Activity, Saigon detachments.
As a vital logistic complex, Cam Ranh Bay continued to function long after the Navy’s combat forces withdrew from South Vietnam as part of the Vietnamization of the war.
A description of An Thoi on Phu Quoc Island:
Of all the Navy’s bases in South Vietnam, An Thoi, on the southern tip of Phu Quoc Island in the Gulf of Siam, was the most isolated. Almost 1000 miles from Subic Bay, it taxed the seventh Fleet’s mobile logistic support force during the Vietnam War. Still naval leaders recognized early the strategic value of the site: from there the naval forces could readily interdict sea infiltration of communist men and supplies from Cambodia. Another favorable consideration was the availability to American units of real estate near the Vietnamese Navy’s existing compound.
These were bases. There was billeting (naval vessels, billet barges, on-shore billets, etc.), supply depots, docks for repair, etc. In other words, John Kerry was not sitting on a boat with only five crewmen for the entirety of his stay. Instead, he was staying with his entire UNIT.
3.) A description of a typical Swift Boat Unit:
The Division is now comprised of twenty-three officers and one hundred and twenty enlisted men divided into boat crews. A crew is comprised of one officer and five enlisted men who are trained as a team so that if the need arises one man can step in and do the other's job. The crews must be constantly alert 24 hours a day for they never know when the VC will strike.
4.) A description of a combat mission:
During the early hours of 1 March, four SWIFTS of Coastal Division 14 and several RVN Coastal patrol craft located an enemy steel-hulled ship attempting to infiltrate guns and ammunition to the VC. In what has been since described as "the greatest sea engagement of the Vietnamese conflict" PCFs 46, 47, 48 and 43 destroyed the 120 foot enemy trawler. The murderous .50 caliber machine gun and 81mm mortar fire enabled victory after a 15-minute battle. As in all victories some prices must be paid; two men aboard PCF-48 were wounded. ENFN Galliher suffered a minor leg wound and GMG2 Ulmer, a shoulder wound. today Galliher is back on the job and Ulmer recuperating in Japan. We all give Thanks that it was not more serious and wish Ulmer a speedy recovery. All personnel involved have been recommended to receive medals for their heroic actions.
5.) Descriptions of combat from Kerry's OWN website:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with Coastal Division ELEVEN engaged in armed conflict with Viet Cong insurgents in An Xuyen Province, Republic of Vietnam, on 28 February 1969. Lieutenant (junior grade) Kerry was serving as Officer in Charge of Patrol Craft Fast 94 and Officer in Tactical Command of a three-boat mission.
Lieutenant (junior grade) Kerry was serving as Officer in Charge of Patrol Craft Fast 94, one of five boats conducting a SEA Lords operation in the Bay Hap River.
Is this enough? Still don't believe me? Go watch the Kerry videos- count the boats.
In short, it is an absurd notion that because these men were not on the same exact boat they did not serve with Kerry. They fought together, slept together, bled together, ate together, and drank together. Pretending otherwise is the mother of all whoppers, and serves only to diminish Kerry's credibility.
As I stated yesterday, I am shocked that they would attempt a lie this big. But then again, Kerry is aware that the press is in bed with him, and his base would not know any better. After all, while Kerry was running around the Mekong Delta torching villages in the latter part of 1968 (and that is his own testimony, and not just unfounded some slur I made up), the core of his supporters were also busy burning things- albeit ROTC buildings, draft cards, and bras. It is not surprising that they should have no understanding of the military.
The idea that they can lie to the rest of us like this is obscene. Mind you- none of this means that the story of the Swift Boat Vets for Truth is accurate. Nor does it diminish Kerry's service- this was not a stay at the Hilton. It does, however, shed some light on the Kerry campaign and their surrogates.
*** Update ***
Via Brian Carnell, a transcript of last night's Hannity and Colmes. Susan Estrich, who never met a Massachussetts liberal she did not like, uses the talking points against Swift Boat Veteran for Truth Van Odell:
ESTRICH: I have to interrupt you for one second. I think...
ODELL: Another boat...
ESTRICH: Sir -- Sir, I think it's my turn to ask you a few questions. You weren't a crew mate of Senator Kerry's, were you?
ODELL: I was not.
ESTRICH: You were not a crewmate of his. Right. All of the men on his boat are supporting his bid for the presidency, aren't they?
ODELL: No, that's not true.
ESTRICH: One is deceased, but all the rest are...
ODELL: Steve Gardener (ph) is not supporting him at all.
ESTRICH: But as I understand it all of the men on his boat...
ODELL: When I was in Vietnam -- when I was in Vietnam, the people there on his boat crew did not have the same take on what he is like now.
ESTRICH: So all but one who were on his boat are supporting him. Is that right? And you weren't on his boat. Is that right?
ODELL: I was in close proximity. I was right behind his boat.
ESTRICH: You were half a football field away; is that right?
ODELL: Oh, no, it's closer than that. Sometimes we laid alongside many times. We were close together.
The press 'Kerrying' the water for Kerry/Edwards. You really had to see the clip to fully appreciate Estrich's vicious tone.
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