What do "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" Have to Hide?

[UTAH]

What do Swift Boat Veterans for Truth have to hide? Plenty, apparently.

"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."
- WP

However, Thurlow had refused to authorize release of his own military records to back up his claims. Now, why would he do that? To bad for Thurlow that our Free Press pursued the matter:

"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."
- WP

See the link: Military Records Counter a Kerry Critic

Bill

[wacojoe]

Could it be that, as Thurlow suggests, it was Kerry and Kerry only who reported the enemy small arms fire during the incident, and which became the basis of the awards? I am sure that the Wshington Post will follow with added requests from the Pentagon and Sen. Kerry, which he has so far refused, for the complete supporting documents of these incidents - especially the battle reports. Inquiring minds want to know.

I am not much interested in minor players hiding facts, but am interested in why possible presidents hide facts at their disposal. Kerry is ultimately going to have to expose his full record as he once said he would do before he flip flopped on that and stiffed the press and public.

[Kevin]

The link questions the credibility of the accusers.

If Kerry released his records, there wouldn't be any need to worry about the credibility of accusers. We'd all know and be able to judge for ourselves.

[LawDog]

It's funny that the only boat to report heavy enemy fire when Kerry got his Silver Star was Kerry's boat. The other boats all just reported that a boat hit a mine, and there was no enemy fire, hence his Silver Star was not earned as there has to be enemy fire. Think about it, why would Kerry lie back then(we all know that answer), but why would all the other boats lie about being under enemy fire at the time? They wouldn't! Kerry did not earn the Silver Star, he wrote up a false report much as Frank Burns got his purple Heart for getting an egg fragment in his eye while peeling a hard boiled egg.

[LawDog]

MSNBC doesn't even have the award right, does it? I wa under the impression he got the Silver Star for this action. At least, that's what his campaign keeps saying.

[Billy_Rightwing]

Come Nov 2, lets pin all those stars on his butt and sent him down the road to starville France.

[LawDog]

Maybe they could keep them straight if he hadn't thrown them over the White House Fence.........no wait.............he threw someone elses...........what a putz!

[Terry]

Originally posted by LawDog
MSNBC doesn't even have the award right, does it? I wa under the impression he got the Silver Star for this action. At least, that's what his campaign keeps saying.

Actally, it was Michael Dobbs of the Washington Post who wrote the article. MSNBC didn't change it.....

[LawDog]

So they're both wrong.

[wacojoe]

He got the Bronze Star for the Rassman incident (this one), and the Silver Star for the finishing off the retreating, wounded loin cloth Cong incident.

[AZPSD]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5751284/

Thurlow and other anti-Kerry veterans have repeatedly alleged that Kerry was the author of an after-action report that described how his boat came under enemy fire.

Several vets word v.s. Kerry's word. Since Kerry appears to have enlisted for the sole reason of being the next John Kennedy and coming back a war hero, I tend to believe the vets.

[LawDog]

It's not just several. Although there are the few that are out front, over 250 have signed the list saying he is unfit. All of them are swift boat guys, many Democrats. Why would they lie?

[UTAH]

Originally posted by LawDog
... over 250 have signed the list saying he is unfit. All of them are swift boat guys ...

I have a problem with the basic math involved therein. There were only 5 swift boats involved in the incident. Just how big do you think those boats are?

Bill

[AK Gandy]

As in just about everything else, I'll bet the truth is somewhere in the middle. My gut tells me that Kerry got at least a couple of his medals with dubious justification.

My gut also tells me that the guys who are so outspoken against him have other than altruistic reasons to discredit his service.

The fact that some of the troops who served with Kerry are standing behind him should give pause to those who are automatically predisposed to believing that he didn't do anything to deserve them.

[AZPSD]

To make matters worse for Kerry one of the 2 guys that originally supported him bailed and now signed on with the swift vets.