SwiftVets.com

[Boundless]

At the time Kerry was considering requesting a transfer
from the Gridley to Swift Boats, just how dangerous was
a Swift Boat assignment?

My impression is that Swift duty became significantly
more hazardous in late 1968, as SEALORD ramped up, but
prior that, it was largely coastal interdiction, that
might have seemed like a relatively low risk way for an
ambitious person to get some "PT-109" time on his resume.

In other words, is there any PCF casualty rate info
leading up to Kerry's transfer? I know his supporters
are fond of quoting rates for the period after Kerry
left Vietnam, but I'm interested in what he knew when
he volunteered. Would he have even known about SEALORD
and it's implications for combat risk?