SwiftVets.com

[gilliam]

This is what Brinkley told Britain's The Telegraph:

"He said: 'Kerry went into Cambodian waters three or four times in January and February 1969 on clandestine missions. He had a run dropping off US Navy Seals, Green Berets and CIA guys.' The missions were not armed attacks on Cambodia, said Mr Brinkley, who did not include the clandestine missions in his wartime biography of Mr Kerry, Tour of Duty.

'He was a ferry master, a drop-off guy, but it was dangerous as hell. Kerry carries a hat he was given by one CIA operative. In a part of his journals which I didn't use he writes about discussions with CIA guys he was dropping off.'"

Did SEALS use Swiftboats for transportation? Did the CIA?

[Navy_Navy_Navy]

As has been pointed out, Swifts are about as clandestine as a Mac truck at 80 miles an hour.

I think most of us are laughing our butts off at these secret missions. Who hasn't run into someone who couldn't tell you what they were doing in Vietnam?

Sooper sekrit decoder rings all around! LOL!
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~ Echo Juliet ~
Altering course to starboard - On Fire, Keep Clear
Navy woman, Navy wife, Navy mother

[scotty61]

Hugh Hewitt looked into this in yesterday's column, www.hughhewitt.com. His info shows most of the insertions were by helocopter but points out that no info on swift boats does not mean they were not used and needs investigation. A good attitude to take.

[low26]

Good point Navy. A swift boat is not stealthy at all. There is an article written by our(the U.S.) liaison to Cambodia at that time saying basically no way! We at that time had just secured the release of American military personnel two days prior to Christmas who made a navigational error and strayed into Cambodia on a supply barge earlier that year. This forced the U.S. to guard the border harder with PBR's (smaller patrol boats) and anchored gun barges. Do you really think that the U.S. government, two days after the prisoner release of a tense political situation. Would take the chance of a big load Swift boat crossing the border and being discovered or even captured or sunk! Ridiculous it did not happen it is a Kerry tale lol.Members of his own crew say they never went to Cambodia.The Kerry camp is trying to cover for J fing Kerry's delusional fantasies

[mr_mechanical]

Check this out -- just posted:

Monday, August 16, 2004
SEALs & Swift boats
Apparently, the latest version of Kerry's Cambodia Chronicles includes the insertion of Navy SEALs by Swift boat into Cambodia in the early part of 1969. Well, I am a former Navy SEAL that served in the 1990s, my father in law is a former SEAL and he served in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam in 1970. I spoke with him about the likelihood that this story could be correct. My contention was that Swift boats were too large to be routinely used as an insertion platform for SEALs.

SEALs typically used the Medium SEAL Support Craft (MSSC) or the LSSC. My dad's platoon, had one of each assigned. These boats were designed by SEALs and specially built for the Teams to use on clandestine riverine insertions at night of usually no more than 8 operators. Swift boats operated in groups as independent entities, and not as insertion/extraction platforms for small units.

Jim Rassman's ODA was probably on there because SF A teams don't have organic boat assets and were using the Swifties because they had no other means of getting where they needed to go. Also, it is my understanding that the engagement with Kerry getting the Bronze Star took place during the day, which leads me to believe the insertion mission was either a large infantry force led by the SF guys, or a civic action type mission for which SF is well known.

Waterborne infiltrations done illegally into a "neutral" country if performed would be done by small groups of operators (less than , at night, in a small tributary, by a boat with a very shallow draft and jacuzzi, not propeller drive. To do otherwise, would be ridiculous.

SEALs also did not trust anyone outside of their immediate peer group. They developed their own intel by snatching high ranking VC out of their beds in the middle of the night. They did not share this info outside the platoon, boat guys, and Seawolves helo crews (close fire support assets). They learned early on that passing intel up the chain was a sure way to be compromised on future operations.

In order to get permission to conduct an illegal incursion into Cambodia by Swift boat the following must occur: 1. Extremely fresh intel of a high value target (think U.S. POW, or VC chieftain). 2. Take that intel outside the group and up to intel at a higher level (risking compromise) in order to obtain boat support from the Swifties to go into Cambodia. That is extremely unlikely to the point of absurdity.

Furthermore, neither myself or my father in law knows anyone who was inserted anywhere by a Swift boat during Vietnam. It just wasn't done. It wasn't something SEALs wanted, and it wasn't something Swifties did.

Bottom Line......Kerry is a liar.


posted by Matthew Heidt @ 14:00


Posted at: http://froggyruminations.blogspot.com/2004/08/seals-swift-boats.html

[hanna]

I read an article, I'm sorry I forgot where, but the writer was able to get info/records of helicopter missions ferreting people into Cambodia, but there are no such records for swift boats doing the same. The writers point is, if you can easily get those records for helicopters, couldn't you just as easily get them for swift boats.

[low26]

all I can say is EXCELLENT I have been trying to make that point exactly Kerry's version defies not only military sense but COMMON sense

[Doc Jerry]

Low26:

Hugh Hewitt referenced you and your site on his site today. Reiterated exactly what you said. Nice work!!!




Admin note:

Doc...is this space for rent or something?











Medics, we're there when you need us.

[low26]

Do you have a link .I am excited what did he say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[producehawk]

Kerry would be funny if this was not all so sick

[Scott]

[manofaiki]

Think about it.

By now claiming, not that Kerry was in Cambodia illegally ONE time on Christmas Eve, 1968, but instead FOUR OR FIVE times in January or February 1969, Brinkley has sunk John Kerry's campaign.

If Kerry told Brinkley to claim that, then it's Kerry himself that just sank his own campaign.

Because changing the story from being illegally in Cambodia one time to being illegally in Cambodia four times or more only EXCABERATES the problem.

NOT ONE of Kerry's officers up his chain of command says he was in Cambodia even ONCE.

STEVE GARDNER, a member of Kerry's boat crew during this time, swears they were never in Cambodia.

Due to the nature of the creek mouth entrance to Cambodia, which was highly guarded and wired, an instertion could only be done at high tide.

This story will NOT FLY.

Kerry is going to try to say since the missions were TOP SECRET, of course his regular chain of command would not know about it, so this solves his problem as to why they have never been talked about before - THEY WERE TOP SECRET!!!

I call on every high ranking former SEAL, Green Beret, Army Ranger, and other special forces from this time-frame of the Vietnam Era to rob Kerry of this last, desperate dishonest tactic to keep from having to admit he lied: show there is no way in Hell John Kerry was the 'ferrymaster to the Special Ops' in Cambodia.

manofaiki
_________________
"If any man has not the stomach for this fight, let him depart from us.! We would not die in that man's company!"

You bugged out in Vietnam - so we don't need you commanding us in the War on Terror!

So get lost, John Kerry!!!!!

[low26]

A Swift boat in Cambodia is simply ludicrous. Any sane person with any sense will see that. Insertion teams are stealth and small and avoid exposure at all costs

[Me#1You#10]

Someone just got a call in to Laura Ingraham on the unlikelyhood that Swifts were involved in Seal insertions. Great call whoever!

She's all over Matthews now for his (cough cough) interview of O'Neill.

[redneckvet]

Wouldn't Admiral Hoffman be aware of any "top secret" patrols?
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