Records Counter a Critic of Kerry

Washington Post ^ | 8/19/04 | Michael Dobbs

[Callahan]

Newly obtained military records of one of Sen. John F. Kerry's most vocal critics, who has accused the Democratic presidential candidate of lying about his wartime record to win medals, contradict his own version of events.

In newspaper interviews and a best-selling book, Larry Thurlow, who commanded a Navy Swift boat alongside Kerry in Vietnam, has strongly disputed Kerry's claim that the Massachusetts Democrat's boat came under fire during a mission in Viet Cong-controlled territory on March 13, 1969. Kerry won a Bronze Star for his actions that day.

But Thurlow's military records, portions of which were released yesterday to The Washington Post under the Freedom of Information Act, contain several references to "enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire" directed at "all units" of the five-boat flotilla. Thurlow won his own Bronze Star that day, and the citation praises him for providing assistance to a damaged Swift boat "despite enemy bullets flying about him."

[cyncooper]

Damn. This is definitely the biggest hit the Swifties have taken so far.

Really? My, you're easy.

I'm going to bet my house that this is a distortion. I'll now read Freeper comments that demonstrate it.

Buck up. The Swift Vets haven't lied, but the LSM is being exposed as hounding like the hounds of hell any good and decent person (Swift Boat Vets and President Bush, etc) and leaving the despicable, perhaps even evil, liars alone.

Now, off I go, confident that I am right and you need to know who is on the side of right and not to believe the likes of the WaPo.

[Ron in Acreage]

I,m pretty sure it was his own. I believe it fell off his belt as he was climbing aboard the helo. Ann Coulter wrote about it a few months ago.

[Steven W.]

you have it exactly right here:

Has anyone considered that Thurlow got his award because of the same report that Kerry filed to get his own?

Thurlow didn't know what Kerry was doing behind his back & that's exactly what he & they have all said is at the heart of this matter!

Note the Compost is directed to this particular record and given misleading they spin they to propogate with this article rather than any acknowledgment that Alston has admitted he wasn't there for these same incidents as he led folks to believe when he appeared on ABC and the DemoncRAT National Convention.

[CedarDave]

Damn, I missed out getting any medals because I didn't shoot myself in the foot (or ass), and never wrote up any medal reports after returning fire from the river banks. Should have taken lessons from JFnK; hell, I was at the same base as he was for part of the time.

[Viet-Boat-Rider]

READ POST 78

[Texasforever]

V Device: The bronze "V" identifies the award as resulting from an act of combat heroism or "VALOR", thus distinguishing it from meritorious achievement awards.<

If Kerry's medals do not include the "V" device it would appear that he was no "hero" according to the regulations.

[NavySEAL F-16]

Yes, you are correct. Thurlow thought his was awarded for bringing the grounded boat back to base, which leads me to believe he never even read the citation and if he did thought that it was for another action. A V has never been mentioned that I am aware of.

If they were able and interested enough to get Thurlow's records, why haven't they even tried to get Kerry's.

They could just ask him to sign the 180.

[what's up]

And what about Kerry's Christmas in Cambodia hoax(es), debunked 5 ways from Sunday??

Has this been mentioned in the Washington Post yet?

[cyncooper]

Just as I thought...distortion.

Clymers

(thank you for highlighting, I was too lazy to go read the whole thing, figuring it was bs anyway)

[MJY1288]

Correct, The damage report for this incident is in "Unfit for Command" and there is no mention of Bullet holes, it says there was two windows blown out, electrical damage to the radio and damage to the hydraulic steering to John Kerry's boat..... YET it was John Kerry's boat who towed the crippled Swift Boat away from the scene

[Rokke]

Where'd you go? Are you reading this thread? Are you starting to understand why the WP story is just so much more crap?

[SuziQ]

If Kerry wrote the after action report, and said they were fired on, but no one else remembers them being fired at, than either Kerry remembers something they don't, or Kerry lied.

On Brit Hume's show, John O'Neill was asked about this because of the 'official military records' regarding the action. O'Neill said that, as the Commander, John Kerry likely wrote the action report up and sent it up the line. Of course the citation for the other folks would mention enemy fire because that's what the action report, written by Kerry, said, and it is all the guys in the offices had to depend on when awarding the citations.

[Steven W.]

(I believe) Kerry's medals got "V"'s as I recall hearing from O'Neill

[Viet-Boat-Rider]

DAVE,

THERE WASN'T ANY MEDALS LEFT BY THE TIME YOU GOT THERE, KERRY & HIS CREW TOOK THEM ALL.

[cyncooper]

Yeah...but you know what...

The media just confirmed that these guys served with Kerry.

Oh, yes...good point.

[sarasmom]

Ding Ding Ding!#50
I think we have a winner!

[CedarDave]

Hmmm. You're probably right. In any event, it went off when Cleland reached down to pick it up.

[rolling_stone]

Some enterprising blogger might follow the Compost example and file for other relevant docs via FOIA:

The Post filed an independent request for the documents with the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, which is the central repository for veterans' records. The documents were faxed to The Post by officials at the records center yesterday.

[Texasforever]

Yes I just looked up his Bronze Star citation. He was awarded the "V".

[P-Marlowe]

Thurlow did not author his own document

That's the key. Kerry did.