SwiftVets.com

[magliano]

After graduating from Yale in 1966, Kerry sought a deferment to study in Paris for a year. He also delivered a commencement address during which he advocated for immediate withdrawal from Vietnam and a reduction in our military presence overseas. After four deferrals to complete his undergraduate degree, his local draft board turned him down on his request for a fifth. He then enlisted in the Navy to avoid be drafted into the Army where there was a much greater likelihood of experienceing ground combat in Vietnam. After his time on the USS Gridley, he volunteered for coastal patrol duty only. Once assigned to the potentially dangerous duty of patrolling inland water ways, he complained and moaned so much that he was re-assigned to three different coastal divisions in his first month. Makes sense for a person who was against the war as early as 1966. In his contribution to a book "A War Remembered", Kerry said "They [swift boats] were engaged in coastal patrolling and that's what I thought I was going to be doing. Although I wanted to see for myself what was going on, I didn't really want to get involved in the war." The author of the book said"Kerry protested being transferred to An Thoi, arguing that he had only volunteered for coastal patrol? not the more dangerous duty of missions within the inland waterways? his objections were so strong that he was transferred out within a week."

So much for the BS, I volunteered to go to Vietnam to engage the enemyand fight for my country. The source of this information is an Op Ed in the Washington Times by John Dwyer and a February 18, 1970 article in the Harvard Crimson.