[Cboldt]

William Rood, the new Kerryite defender, says there was enemy fire coming from both banks of the river.

Rood was present on Feb 28, the day Kerry earned his Silver Star. The point of contention that day is whether Kerry attacked a numerically superior enemy force while under intense fire (when he beached).

The incident where most observers assert there was no enemy fire, other than a mine, was on March 13. That is when Kerry earned his Bronze Star (put in for it by Rassmann).

Back to Rood for a second, his version of events seems to support the Swiftees point of material contention, that there was NOT a numerically superior enemy force when Kerry decided to turn into shore and beach his boat. Rood raises a diffference of recollection on an irrelevant point, the condition, clothing, armament and/or age of the single VC dispatched by Kerry.

[dawn53]

But, but, but...Rood wasn't in the boat with Kerry, so he's not credible. Isn't that what they said before when the other Swifties tried to tell their version. (end/sarcasm)

[Mo1]

Rood raises a diffference of recollection on an irrelevant point, the condition, clothing, armament and/or age of the single VC dispatched by Kerry.

I haven't seen the actually text of Rood's statement

But according to this article .. it seems Rood said that it wasn't Kerry who beached his boat

The Boston Globe said it was Kerry that beached his boat and rec'd a silver star for it

Rood also confirms that it was another of three swift boats touring together that day that actually beached at the ambush site, not Kerry's boat. It was Doug Reese and other troops, not Kerry, who disembarked, killed some Viet Cong and captured some weapons