SwiftVets.com

[kmudd]

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20040821_1657.html

Kerry also picked up support from Wayne D. Langhofer, who told The Washington Post he was manning a machine gun in a boat behind Kerry's and saw firing from both banks of a river as Kerry dived in to rescue Special Forces soldier James Rassmann, the basis for Kerry's Bronze Star.

[ETEE]

[kmudd]

Not only that he did it with a wounded arm and in pain.

[NavyChief]

This only suggests that either, Mr Langhofer didn't see what really happened, he is embellishing the story "Kerry dived in to rescue" or he is lying, or his memory is bad.

By the way Mr Langhofer: how could you be "behind" Kerry's boat? He took off 5000m down river. All the other boats supposedly went to the aid of PCF-3. Do you mean you were on PCF-43 before Kerry took off? Didn't the mine exploding cause you to unlease your guns into the jungle? According to Kerry's spot report, he went 5000m down river and then returned (time approx. 12 mins absent from the scene). If you saw him returning to assist and there was enemy fire going on after 12 mins, did you or did you not focus on firing against the enemy? How could Kerry dive in to save Rassman when he supposedly was wounded and bleeding? Rassman says Kerry leaned over the bow to pull him in.

Mr Langhofer: your version of the story doesn't jive

- instigator
_________________
Working with Senator Kerry four years in the POW/MIA Office left me thinking -- when did the man ever do any work?

[kmudd]

another version

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002012252_swiftside22.html

[HawaiianGecko]

I was wondering if I read that report correctly this morning. About Kerry diving into the water to save Rassman instead of reaching over the bow. I cannot imagine how or even why one would dive into the water to help a man up a rope web and into the boat.
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Use in a well ventilated area

[scraper3]

Give me a break!

This makes as much sense as a OOD of the Gridley jumping over board to fish out a sailor.

sheeeesh

[gkdechow]

I have tried to remember specific stuff that went on in my tour and don't see how any of theese guys remember any of this stuff. My guess he's remembering another incident when someond did dive in to save sombody. One month later this guy's boat was destroyed and his O in C and one other crewmate were killed.

[You GottaBeKidding]

Or he's remembering Thurlow, who did go into the water.

[rparrott21]

Fog of war....Kerry sucks...

[carpro]

Langhofer has not been doing a good job of memorizing his "talking points" or just remembers it totally different from Kerry and Rassman.
_________________
"If he believes his 1971 indictment of his country and his fellow veterans was true, then he couldn't possibly be proud of his Vietnam service."

[MarcB]

5000m = 3.10685596118667 miles what did Kerry do firewall it? I have noticed that all the media is printing the distance in Meters. I think it is because to the uniformed, or lazy, 5000 meters does not sound like a long ways.



Marc
_________________
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile hoping it will eat him last."

- Winston Churchill, on Neville Chamberlain

[Beldar]

The WaPo article, which the ABC article ciites as its only source, doesn't say that Langhofer dived in.

I think most likely this was just sloppy writing by someone at ABC who's seriously behind the learning curve and made a wrong assumption.

[stylin19]

Is it a co-incidence that Rood & Langhofer offer it up for Sen. Kerry on the same day ? Who else it left for Sen. Kerry to call ?
_________________
U.S.M.C. - 1969-1971
RVN- 1970-1971

[MassInd]

The AP story I saw this morning on yahoo news says he saw Kerry dive.

Where did the story start?