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Me#1You#10
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Joined: 06 May 2004
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 Posted: Thu May 13, 2004 7:19 am Post subject: Kerry's Vietnam Units |
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I'm trying to fill in a few gaps in my understanding of Kerry's duty assignments. Thus far...
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Nov 17, 1968 - Coastal Division 14, Cam Ranh Bay - Kerry is transfered from this unit within 4 days of presenting himself to an incredulous CO as a prospective Purple Heart recipient.
Dec 6, 1968 - Coastal Division 11, An Thoi - Kerry is transfered from this unit after only 6 days? purportedly for "indiscriminate use of weapons in a free fire zone."
Dec 13, 1968 - Coastal Division 13, Cat Lo (Vung Tau)
Date Unknown - Coastal Division 11, An Thoi
January 29, 1969 - Kerry takes command of PCF-94 replacing Edward Peck who was hospitalized for wounds received
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1. Why was Kerry transferred from his original unit, Coastal 14, after only 18 days? Was that a training assignment only? Or could his Purple Heart request 4 days prior to transfer have had more of an impact on his tenure there than we might be aware of?
2. When and why was Kerry re-assigned from Coastal 13 back to Coastal Division 11 when a superior officer, whose objection to Kerry's performance, purportedly, had been instrumental in his initial transfer from that unit, was STILL serving in that unit?
3. Why isn't the date of Kerry's FOURTH transfer from Coastal 13 BACK to Coastal 11 documented? Wouldn't his military records contain orders assigning him to that unit on a specific date?
4. Why aren't, AFAIK, his various transfer orders been made public?
5. For any Swifty Officers out there, was this rather frequent unit changing common in the Swift Boat service? Can someone suggest a rationale for 4 re-assignments in 4 months? Was it also common to see boats transferred between divisions?
I'll edit this as I learn more info.
Last edited by Me#1You#10 on Sun May 16, 2004 3:49 am; edited 16 times in total |
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kate
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Joined: 14 May 2004
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Location: Upstate, New York
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| Posted: Fri May 14, 2004 1:50 am Post subject: |
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http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2004/04/23/discrepancies_noted_in_kerrys_record/
Boston Globe--
WASHINGTON -- Vietnam combat records posted on John F. Kerry's campaign website for the month of January 1969 as evidence of his service aboard swift boat No. 94 describe action that occurred before Kerry was skipper of that craft, according to the officer who said he commanded the boat at the time.
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On the site, the Massachusetts senator is described as the skipper of Navy boat No. 94 during several actions in late January 1969.
However, Edward Peck, who was the skipper of the 94 before Kerry took over, said combat reports posted by the campaign for January 1969 involve action when he was the skipper, not Kerry. Peck, who was seriously wounded in fighting that took place on Jan. 29, 1969, said he believes Kerry campaign aides made a mistake in claiming Kerry as skipper of the 94 at that time.
On the Kerry website, the report of the combat on that day on the 94 boat is posted as occurring during Kerry's time as skipper of the boat. Peck said Kerry replaced him after the Jan. 29, 1969, event.
more at link |
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Me#1You#10
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| Posted: Fri May 14, 2004 1:58 am Post subject: |
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Thanks kate...that fills in a few blanks  |
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CJ
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Location: Boulder, CO
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mikest
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Joined: 11 May 2004
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| Posted: Fri May 14, 2004 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Funny. In one thread people blast the Boston Globe for being the rag that it is. Yet in other threads, the Globe is the end all be all of reportage virtue. |
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coffee
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Joined: 07 May 2004
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| Posted: Fri May 14, 2004 4:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Nov 17, 1968 - Coastal Division 14, Cam Ranh Bay
Dec 6, 1968 - Coastal Division 11, An Thoi - Kerry is transfered after 6 days? purportedly for "indiscriminate use of weapons in a free fire zone."
Dec 13, 1968 - Coastal Division 13, Cam Ranh
January 29, 1969 - Coastal Division 1, Vung Tau? Kerry joined his 5 man crew on PCF-94 replacing Edward Peck who was hospitalized for wounds received |
I think I answered this question in the other place that you posted it. Coastal Division 13 was at Cat Lo. In January Kerry returned to Coastal Division 11. Boats were moved around depending on operational needs and the monsoon season. Hope this clears it up for you--there was nothing unusual in these moves. |
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CJ
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Location: Boulder, CO
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| Posted: Fri May 14, 2004 5:17 pm Post subject: Probably Unbeknownst to Kerry |
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For those who don't want to spend the day clicking through:
...It got to a point where Wright told his divisional commander he no longer wanted Kerry in his boat group, so he was re-assigned to another one. “I had an idea of his actions but didn’t have to be responsible for him.” Then Wright and like-minded boat officers took matters into their own hands. “When he got his third Purple Heart, three of us told him to leave. We knew how the system worked and we didn’t want him in Coastal Division 11. Kerry didn’t manipulate the system, we did.”
from http://www.americanthinker.com/articles.php?article_id=3539 |
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Me#1You#10
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| Posted: Fri May 14, 2004 10:07 pm Post subject: |
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| coffee wrote: | | Quote: | Nov 17, 1968 - Coastal Division 14, Cam Ranh Bay
Dec 6, 1968 - Coastal Division 11, An Thoi - Kerry is transfered after 6 days? purportedly for "indiscriminate use of weapons in a free fire zone."
Dec 13, 1968 - Coastal Division 13, Cam Ranh
January 29, 1969 - Coastal Division 1, Vung Tau? Kerry joined his 5 man crew on PCF-94 replacing Edward Peck who was hospitalized for wounds received |
I think I answered this question in the other place that you posted it. Coastal Division 13 was at Cat Lo. In January Kerry returned to Coastal Division 11. Boats were moved around depending on operational needs and the monsoon season. Hope this clears it up for you--there was nothing unusual in these moves. |
Thanks...this is becoming more clear now...I "think".
Kerry's website has it wrong. Coastal 13 (Kerry's THIRD assignment) was at Cat Lo (which is near Vung Tau), NOT Cam Ranh as his website states.
This also helps to understand the facility of the "meeting" with Zumwault and Abrams in Saigon on 22 Jan 69. Saigon was within relatively easy driving distance of Cat Lo. Six days after this meeting (which I've heard Kerry imply that HE and an ad hoc committee of Swift Boat Skippers engineered and his website highlights), Kerry gets transfered...AGAIN!
His FINAL assignment appears to be sending him BACK to Coastal 11 in An Thoi, which makes the "American Thinker" article MUCH more understandable. See my other post on "Coastal 11". I'll have to re-visit this subject s'more.
Now, is this website error another "mistake", or is there something else afoot? |
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Me#1You#10
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Joined: 06 May 2004
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2004 3:31 am Post subject: |
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Damn...I still don't have this right. Kerry had ALREADY been re-assigned to Coastal 11 when he took over PCF 94 on 29 Jan '69, according to the following from Brinkley's book:
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The aide (Adm. Zumwault's) started quoting Winston Churchill, telling us Coastal Division Eleven was doing the most important work in the U.S. Navy," one of Kerry's fellow officers, Larry Thurlow, later recalled.
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That meeting was on 22 Jan 69, so sometime prior to that date, Kerry was re-assigned from Coastal 13 back to Coastal 11.
Again, Kerry's timeline...
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November 17, 1968 – Coastal Division 14, Cam Ranh Bay
December 6, 1968 – Coastal Division 11, An Thoi
December 13, 1968 – Coastal Division 13, Cam Ranh Bay (sic)
Late January, 1969 – Kerry joined his 5 man crew on PCF-94
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Now, here's what I believe to be accurate thus far...
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November 17, 1968 – Coastal Division 14, Cam Ranh Bay
December 6, 1968 – Coastal Division 11, An Thoi
December 13, 1968 – Coastal Division 13, Cat Lo (Vung Tau)
Date Unknown - Coastal Division 11, An Thoi
January 29, 1969 - Kerry takes command PCF94
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Why isn't that reflected in the service timeline on the Kerry website? Is there something about the when or why of the transfer from Coastal 13 back to Coastal 11 that Kerry doesn't want to focus on? |
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