Swift boat skipper: Kerry critics wrong

Chicago Tribune ^ | August 21, 2004 | Tim Jones

[palmer]

The commander of a Navy swift boat who served alongside Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry during the Vietnam War stepped forward Saturday to dispute attacks challenging Kerry's integrity and war record.

William Rood, an editor on the Chicago Tribune's metropolitan desk, said he broke 35 years of silence about the Feb. 28, 1969, mission that resulted in Kerry's receiving a Silver Star because recent portrayals of Kerry's actions published in the best-selling book "Unfit for Command" are wrong and smear the reputations of veterans who served with Kerry.

...

[goldstategop]

Nope. Rood is not even rebutting the central charges in the Swiftees' account. He is just taking issue with a peripheral incident. Then again the passage of time can play tricks on one's memories. I don't know if Rood saw what he saw or if its a DNC talking point he's parroting.

[squirt]

Was Rood ever in Country?

[NonValueAdded]

Well, then Rood can release all the paperwork associated with his medal including the name of the officer that submitted the recommendation, right?

[TN4Liberty]

Wow, a pro-Kerry journalist. Who'da ever imagined?

[Cboldt]

Yes, its a disagreement over the details. Rood contends there was enemy fire. The Swiftees insist there wasn't. I'm inclined to side with the majority view.

You are mixing up details of two separate incidents. The "no enemy fire" incident involved Rassman falling out of a boat, and occured on March 13, 1969. Kerry was awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his action in that incident.

The incident Rood is recollecting occured on February 28, 1969. Kerry was awarded a Silver Star for "attacking a NUMERICALLY SUPERIOR enemy while under intense fire." In this incident, Kerry also dispatched a single VC, but that point is irrelevant, as are details surrounding the age, condition, etc. of that single VC.

[palmer]

(continued from above)...

The three craft saturation the area with gunfire and placed assault parties ashore in pursuit of the fleeing enemy. Lieutenant (junior grade) ROOD led one of these assault parties and conducted a sweep of the area while the Patrol Craft Fast continue to provide fire support.

After the enemy had been completely routed, all personnel returned to the Patrol Craft Fast to withdraw from the area. While backing off the beach these craft again came under a hail of enemy fire, this time from the opposite river bank.

Again the three Patrol Craft Fast poured withering fire into the enemy positions and then cleared the area. Later after disembarking personnel and while exiting from the Bay Hap River, the Patrol Craft Fast were again taken under enemy fire.

The three craft returned fire and silenced the enemy. As a result of this operation, ten Viet Cong were killed and one wounded with no friendly casualties. In addition numerous sampans, structures and bunkers were destroyed as well as confiscation of substantial quantities of combat essential supplies.

Lieutenant (junior grade) ROOD's devotion to duty, courage under fire and exemplary professionalism significantly contributed to the success of this operation and were keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Lieutenant (junior grade) ROOD is authorized to wear the Combat "V".

For the President

[signed]

E. R. ZUMWALT, JR.

Vice Admiral, U. S. Navy

Commander U. S. Naval Forces, Vietnam

[Drango]

What does Rood think about Kerry's behavior after the war? Attacking the brave military who served in Vietnam, besmirching their honor and character?

[prairiebreeze]

If there was enemy fire why were there no bullet holes in any of the SwiftBoats or other crewmen shot? Or were the VC just extremely poor shots that day??

As another poster mentioned earlier up the thread, has Rood signed a sworn affadavit?

Prairie

[EllaMinnow]

http://slate.msn.com/id/2105245/


kf Alert: Watch out for a big Sunday paper** pro-Kerry eyewitness hit (on the Silver Star incident--that's the one with the beached boat and the fleeing VC) ... Timed to vindicate Kerry right before the Republican convention. ... P.S.: Even more reason to have a press conference! ... **Update: Chicago Tribune, where the eyewitness works. ... 6:13 P.M.

(Unless there are 2 employees at the Chicago Trib who were eyewitnesses, this has gotta be it.)

[JennysCool]

There is a "Bill Rood" who posts stuff like this on Usenet:

Funny, I was one of the 200,000 or so on the Mall on January 18. I didn't
see a single Iraqi. All I saw were Americans, and maybe a few Latin
Americans. I saw young, old, middle class and poor. I saw white, black and
brown. I saw a banner from the Rochester, MN, Mennonite Church that read,
"War is not pro-life."

Before I went, I read an article claiming ANSWER is a front for Workers of
the World Party. Now we're hearing they're Iraqi spies. Which is it? Oh,
I get it. Any slander is OK in attempting to discredit and fragment your
enemy.

[Cboldt]

Thank you for the transcript of Rood's citation.

*bump*

[palmer]

A key quote from the article:

Rood's account also sharply contradicts the version currently put forth by the anti-Kerry veterans. Rood, 61, wrote that Kerry had personally contacted him and other crew members in recent days asking that they go public with their accounts of what happened on that day.

[financeprof]

Whole lotta nothin'. Basically disagrees with O'Neill's view on the right tactics to follow when under fire. O'Neill criticized Kerry's beaching the boat. Rood agrees with the tactic. Rood disputes that the VC that Kerry capped was "young"--Rood says he was a grown man. BFD.

[soozla]

Rood, I'm sure is an honorable man, though I'd like to know about the "personally contacted by Kerry" to "speak out" claim he makes...................I'm sure we'll never know what was said, but the Kerry spin machine is working overtime........and why didn't Mr. Rood tell Kerry just to sign the Form 180, release the records for ALL to see?????? Why put people like Rood on the hot seat for an account of something Rood has chosen NOT to bring up for 35 years, by the man's own admission??? It still makes Kerry out as a manipulator, in my mind, going so far as to manipulate people for his OWN best interests....and that's really not that hard to believe, is it????

[tobyhill]

New slogan for all those inserting themselves;

"Insert Self, Bring Documents"

[NavySEAL F-16]

Here's another thread. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1196271/posts?page=23

ROOD WILL NOT GIVE INTERVIEWS!

[tbpiper]

My father is a Purple Heart recepient, and when I think of how this story might make other people wonder whether or not its legitimate

And another thing. How's your father's character? I bet it supports his purple heart. Your father knows the truth and I strongly suspect he has the character to withstand any doubts.

[inkling]

I've been Googling William Rood and am shocked that a veteran journalist with three+ decades experience has so few hits. My wife worked as a journalist at an Arizona business newspaper for three years and her massive Google search nearly chokes my modem.

Of the links I found, Bill Rood (apparently he usually goes by "Bill") is quoted in Kerry's puff-piece bio "Tour of Duty" in an innocuous way (in 'Nam, he called Kerry "Ichabod") Link

This link discusses interviewing Bill Rood for an anti-Vietnam war documentary that apparently Kerry was involved with.

More interestingly, one link (search for "Rood") leads to a letter wrote by a Bill Rood to antiwar.com, equating Iraq with Vietnam

Another link is an anti-Rumsfeld posting that quotes MoveOn.org as a news source.

If these are all the same Bill Rood, this certainly shows partisanship and motive.

[Recovering_Democrat]

William Rood, an editor on the Chicago Tribune's metropolitan desk, said he broke 35 years of silence...

Imagine that...a friend of Kerry's as an editor of a major metropolitan newspaper. I'm shocked. Shocked, I say.

[palmer]

I think the last link is a different Bill Rood (middle initial J instead of B).

Rood seems like a completely milktoast middle manager to me. His previous job was VP at a regional paper. I have no idea of his politics, but it's probably negligible based on his negligible resume.