SwiftVets.com

Dwight Callaway · Ensign Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 71 Location: Boise, ID.

Dear Forum-

I would like to know more about why the seven loyal Kerry crew members support his version of events, in the face of overwhelming disagreement from hundreds of other Swift Boat Veterans. It is vitally important that we get to the bottom of this dispute, because if we do, we will learn the truth about John Kerry in Vietnam and the John Kerry who would be President.

I do not believe the support and the stories of these seven former crew members are simply a matter of loyalty to a pompous and self-centered junior officer they served with for 3 months - or less, 35 years ago. Kerry isn't that charismatic or charming!

Have Steve Gardner, Van Odell (or anyone else) ever discussed Kerry's making attempts to buy or win their support - or the support of any other guys on the boat, either in Vietnam or later?

Does anyone know how long these 7 guys have been Kerry backers? Has Kerry taken pains to "keep them close" and loyal for decades? I have read articles to the effect that Kerry calls Swiftvets on the phone and smoozes and flatters them and tries to influence them. Did any of these 7 "flip" recently?

Have any of the Kerry backers ever publicly debated anybody from Swiftvets or faced a tough cross-examination on talk radio? Such a debate could really help reveal the truth.

Unless these guys are staying out of sight and not talking to anyone, it should also be possible for Navy veterans to find them, talk to them and get a sense of their genuine motives and feelings. I realize here that the DNC and the Kerry people may be keeping these guys locked down tight. That in itself is damning evidence against all of them.

Dwight
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We have the Government and the Institutions that we deserve. If you want better government then YOU want to be a better citizen.

U S Army EOD · Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2004 5:16 pm Post subject:

Unfortunately I can not remember the names, but I got in a discussion with an individual once who was friends with a crew member on Kerry's boat. The crrew member stated, "We got a pre-madonna over here that is trying to make a name for himself. This guy's a real joke".
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Wootten A. York

CO
8th Ord Det (EOD) ROK 68-69
542 Ord Det (EOD) CONUS 70-71
99th Ord Det (EOD) RVN 72-73

Navy_Navy_Navy · Admin Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 5777

The former enlisted crewmembers on Kerry's boats could not have served more than about 2 months with him, according to RADM Hoffman.

They will not answer questions except through the campaign, according to messages posted here near the time that the bulletin board began.

One of the officers who used to support Kerry has recently changed his mind and now believes he is unfit for command. He has issued no public statements that I know of.
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Altering course to starboard - On Fire, Keep Clear
Navy woman, Navy wife, Navy mother

U S Army EOD · Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2004 6:57 pm Post subject:

Well, I still don't believe we are pushing hard enough on Kerry's actions after he came back or on who the Vietnam Veterans Against the War really were.
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Wootten A. York

CO
8th Ord Det (EOD) ROK 68-69
542 Ord Det (EOD) CONUS 70-71
99th Ord Det (EOD) RVN 72-73

Dwight Callaway · Ensign Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 71 Location: Boise, ID.

ASPB · Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2004 7:57 pm Post subject:

U S Army EOD · Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2004 8:00 pm Post subject:

Sure I would love to see that happen. If it did, "loyalist" would try to claim that they are being picked on. If they are being protected and controlled by the DNC, I would bet that one of them will defect or screw up in some way. I would love to be, a fly on the wall, near Kerry and see the look on that guys face when it does. Its a long time till November, lets wait and see.
_________________
Wootten A. York

CO
8th Ord Det (EOD) ROK 68-69
542 Ord Det (EOD) CONUS 70-71
99th Ord Det (EOD) RVN 72-73

silenthunter · Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2004 9:14 pm Post subject: It'll happen...

I was Navy from '67 to '71, 2 yrs at NSD Yokosuka, 2 years on the Oriskany, CVA34. We sent a lot of ordinance off the "Big O," which was actually a small deck carrier. But we launched and recovered at a clip equal to the big decks. I think you can buy parts of her in the fishing department at Walmart now.

Kerry has so much stacked up against him, and so publicly, that it's just GOT to start coming out in a torrent. There are clearly some severe rips in the seams that are being covered up by a slavish press and the extraordinary financial power of the upper echelon Dems. At least Clinton was a little smart about it all, but it just seems Kerry gets his wacker stuck in his fly every time he turns around. It's good to see.

I believe this whole thing settles down to judges, I really do. The Supremes are very possibly looking at 4 retirements (Rehnquist, O'Conner, Stevens and Ginzberg) within the next 4 years. A couple of them may just up and die before then. And the courts are the prime operator for the liberals. Their courts do dirty work the legislature knows better than to even try.

Kennedy knows he's an old, dying ogre who wants to die knowing that he has helped put the final slit in the throat of this nation. Daschle sees that he has a MAJOR challenge in South Dakota. The rest of the power players see that, to finish their job on America, they have to get a president in THIS TERM who will nominate the kind of judges they need to get things done that would never ever make it through the very public legislative process.

The work being done by SwiftVets is phenomenally important and effective. Couple that with Unfit for Duty and the Cambodia lies--this guy's gonna nose in, hopefully by October, and carve himself and his dirty little tribe a real long gouge in the ground.

I look forward to that.

RE Gleason, YN2
Staff, Rear Admiral James D. Ramage
COMCARDIV7
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R.E. Gleason, YN2
Navy '67-'71
Staff, Rear Admiral James D. Ramage,
COMCARDIV7, '70-'71
USS Oriskany, CVA34, '69-'71

"The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it won't be needed until someone tries to take it away." -- Thomas Jefferson

RIslander · Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2004 9:16 pm Post subject:

Unless these guys are all independantly wealthy, with all the galavanting around they do, they have to be getting money from somewhere. As they say, money talks.

Tad Belknap · Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2004 9:43 pm Post subject:

You certainly have a way with words silenthunter.... Very Happy

...I like your style !
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27th M.A.S.H. Chu Lai
95th Evac. Hosp. Danang
"71"

jalexson

Dwight Callaway · Ensign Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 71 Location: Boise, ID.

gator60 · Seaman Recruit Joined: 09 Aug 2004 Posts: 36

Follow the money B.W. Gustofik-USN -river section 533- pbr132 MY THO 1967&68

jalexson · Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2004 7:25 pm Post subject:

I hate to say this, but someone has to. John Kerry says he committed "war crimes" in Vietnam. It's unlikely he either walked to the sites where these "crimes" were committed or took the boat out by himself. Could it be that his crew participated in these crimes and are supporting him as "partners in crime."

The various changes in their statements about events indicates they are covering up for something.
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"That awful power, the public opinion of a nation, is created in America by a horde of ignorant, self-complacent simpletons who failed at ditching and shoe making and fetched up in journalism on their way to the poor house."
-- Mark Twain

You GottaBeKidding · Rear Admiral Joined: 08 Aug 2004 Posts: 692

Dwight,

I'd like to know if the people who pulled the other two (three?) crew members out of the water got medals? If not, why not? (Hmmm. Maybe there wasn't a fire right after all.)

Is there any information on that? (Might be in the book, but I haven't gotten a copy of the book yet.)