Posted on 10/10/2004 11:19:46 PM PDT by quidnunc
Midnight in South Vietnam, and the river is black. Past the rice paddies and shacks, small fires are burning by the shoreline as Lt. John H. Davis' 50-foot aluminum swift boat — PCF 19 — makes its routine patrol through the reeds.
In a split second, rocket fire shatters the silence, and through a plume of oily smoke, the boat sinks to the river's bottom.
"My whole crew lost their lives that night. I was the only one who survived," Lt. Davis says.
Lt. Davis, now 62, lost his left eye. The bones in both legs were shattered. But the scars of war are nothing compared to the demons that wake him from his sleep, leaving him drenched in sweat and trembling with fear.
"My latest nightmare was that I was pulling my crew out of the water. When it came to the last body, it was me."
Lt. Davis has come to Washington at his own expense, along with 89 other Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, to tape the eighth 60-second TV spot questioning Sen. John Kerry's fitness to be commander in chief.
They come from Oshkosh, Wis., and Orlando, Fla., San Francisco and Virginia Beach. One is on crutches. Others, former prisoners of war, walk stiffly, a result of being bound and tortured. Some wear their medals. Two are in cowboy boots.
Snow-haired Bud Day, a 79-year-old former POW, stands at attention. He is wearing a brown leather flight jacket befitting an Air Force major, complemented by the Medal of Honor around his neck. Others have donned "Swift Boat" baseball caps.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
To tell you the truth, if it wasn't for Free Republic, I never would hear about the Swiftboat. Oh sure, Fox News will do an interview once-in-awhile and run their ads...........once-in-a-while.........but not enough for the general public to really get a grasp on this.
This worries me.
He has no trouble denigrating fellow soldiers who are REAL heroes--the Swiftees.
"To tell you the truth, if it wasn't for Free Republic, I never would hear about the Swiftboat"
Stop $upporting the liberal TV media machine and start listening to TALK RADIO!
It is an insult to every veteran that this opportunist is even being considered to be CIC. This is not political, it is personal.
"If he's a war hero, why not release the missing information?" their thinking goes.
"Good question," Navy Lt. Paul Galanti says. "Everybody in this group wants to find out the truth about his service record. I think there's a lot more there."
Shot down over North Vietnam in 1967, Maj. Day suffered numerous injuries, managed to escape from his prison, walked for two weeks through the jungle eating live frogs before he was recaptured.
He then spent the next six years as a prison cellmate of John McCain, who would become a Republican senator, at the prison the Americans called, with bitter irony, the "Hanoi Hilton." Maj. Day's presence in the room is palpable. Even in a group of decorated war veterans, he stands out as a living legend.
The others sheepishly introduce themselves and are honored just to shake his still-firm hand.
"Kerry betrayed us by telling the people we were committing atrocities," Maj. Day says. "A man who does that is not fit to lead. It's impossible to let this man masquerade as a war hero and someone who has leadership. To imagine this guy who betrayed us becoming president and him being the leader of our armed forces is just unthinkable."
Standing next to the major, 57-year-old Jim Hoffman from Oshkosh, Wis., said Mr. Kerry was never a leader.
"He was an arrogant snob," said Mr. Hoffman, an engineman 2nd class on the swift boats, adding that he felt afraid and alone for many years, but now feels buoyed by his Swiftee peers and their mission.
Mr. Gardner says Mr. Kerry used to boast to his fellow servicemen that he would be the next JFK.
Says Sgt. LaCivita: "JFK must be rolling in his grave."
*******
I wonder what Col Day thinks about John McCain's behavior?
BTTT
I also blame the RNC for not going after Kerry's antiwar activities. We have a self-admitted war criminal running for President. He met with the Vietnamese Communists in Paris twice, he slandered his fellow veterans giving aid and comfort to the enemy, and he was a high ranking member of the VVAW, an extremely radical group infiltrated by the Communist Party and engaged among other things in discussions on assassinating USG officials. The MSM is no longer just bias, it is partisan.
1. A person who is a coward, traitor, liar, opportunist or acts in an otherwise dishonorable fashion.
2. In military parlance, a person who recommends himself for awards based upon fictitious events. See 1. above.
3. A person who will always put his own well being before that of his fellow sailors and is thus not fit to lead.
This is how he came across in the debate last week as well.
God bless these veterans for having the courage to come forward and cast a spotlight on Kerry's deceptions. It's bad enough that these heroes had to deal with the repercussions of those lies 30 years ago, but now they have to relive the pain of those experiences while the Democrats denigrate them all over again. It's despicable.
John Kerry should be prosecuted because of his wartime activities, not promoted to Commander in Chief.
Thanks for the ping!
Great article.
You are one of the 2004 heroes. We thank you.
McCain sure doesn't adhere to the 11th commandment. However, in defense of McCain (shudder), he has said that Kerry's behavior after he got back from Viet Nam is fair game. He objects to questioning what Kerry did in Viet Nam--the fog of war thing.
A seaman I know served with Kerry on his swift boat in Viet Nam. He was wounded and medically discharged in this service. Spoke with him recently regarding his personal experiences with the candidate.
Mr. Lee has chosen not to participate with Swift Boat as he still works and has now lives a quiet peaceful life on his north Georgia horse farm. He affirms the swift boaters have it right. "JFK" in his opinion was a glory hound and a lying S.O.B. who falsified after action reports. Details available on request.
I know in my heart the Swift Boat Veterans will have their vindication come November 2nd. Knowing they were a major factor in totally wrecking Kerry's chances for the White House has got to make them feel good. I will be incredibly happy for those heroes when that day comes.
ping
Sounds like Sen Bob Grahm from Fl.
Anyone know in which states the Swifties are advertising? Please tell me they include WI, OH, NM and FL!!
Liberals don't read the Washington Times, so I hope the Swiftees get their ads as ASAP!
Thanks for your kind words, but please don't even use that word regarding me. There were no bullets flying my way. I am just trying to help support those who have the intestinal fortitude to stand up to Hanoi John.
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