Kerry in Vietnam Redux
The debate over John Kerry’s attempt to delude America about his Vietnam service continues.
None but himself take seriously John Kerry’s unrequited ambitions to run again for president and very few, indeed, take much he says seriously anymore about anything. However, his political cohorts continue to defend the crumbled myth he created of his short service in Vietnam. Having built their entire Potempkin campaign around it, and all but a few of those he served with contradicting it with sound evidence, they cling to the pretensions and continue to try to rewrite history by pejoratively calling the Revolt of the Vietnam Veterans “swiftboating.”
According to the Charleston Post & Courier: “Television news veteran Marvin Kalb and his daughter are working through a Harvard-based grant to publish a book that will include commentary on the effectiveness and the credibility of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.”
Retired Admiral William Schacte, senior uniformed legal officer of the Navy, whose first-person command witnessing of the lack of merit of Kerry’s first Purple Heart has been questioned, who to now has been reluctant to be drawn further into the fray, is resolute and willing to speak out.
"I had to respond," Schachte recalls. "The truth was being trashed and others were defending me. I just couldn't let that go on." He declined to join the Swifties, opting instead for one nationally televised interview. There was no turning back; the admiral was squarely on the national campaign stage he had hoped to avoid.
Predictably, the Kerry campaign counter was immediate. In a swirling response, William Zaladonis, an earnest sounding former navy enlisted man, came forth to declare he was with Kerry that fateful night and Schachte was not. The Kerry camp seeded questions about Schachte's personal motivations.
In an April 12 e-mail inquiry to Schachte, Kalb characterizes the Schachte-Kerry disagreement as an "especially difficult issue." He told the admiral he had spoken to Kerry, Zaladonis and a second enlisted man. "All three state again and again they were the three men on board the Boston Whaler on that night," Kalb informed Schachte. "They say you weren't on that boat, but that you might have been on board the accompanying Swift Boat."
The admiral bristles at such a premise and wonders why Kalb does not insist that Kerry release his entire service record.
"The truth is not scattered, it's in John Kerry's records," Schachte contends. "This debate is so unnecessary, and Senator Kerry should end it once and for all and authorize release of all his military records. He owes it to America to do just that."
Billy Schachte has taken a stand. America will be watching.
Yes, indeedy, America will be watching. And, John Kerry and companions should watch out. History is not so easily skewed when there are so many credible witnesses. |
