SwiftVets.com

[Art GArrison]

I was in the Army Security Agency; stationed at Bien Hoa from Sept 67 to April 69; finished my final 2 years at Ft. Meade with NSA working with my former unit so I lived and breathed enemy order of battle in III and IV corps for almost 4 years. Then I went to schoool, endured the anti war bull**** while getting a degree and got on with my life. I was lucky to have had a good assignment and no mind searing memories. I visit the wall and think a prayer. Then along comes the "Hero" wannabe!!
This is not just a politics as usual thing; To me what John Kerry has done by (a) volunteering for (Vietnam) service and then performing as he did and coming home in 4 months (b) getting involved with the anti-war groups to the extreme that he did and then (c) flaunting his "heroics" with a film (how many of you that served have movies of any action you were in?? Give me a break) of him being a badass in flak jacket and M-16 is sacrilege and an insult to the memories of the 58245 guys whose names are on the wall as well as the other hundreds of thousands who served. His trip across Boston Harbor, his "I said take me!!" and the "war movie" at the convention was outrageous. So he served ..... Big Deal!! A lot of us did and some died and the rest came home to an unfriendly world, and most of us have put it behind us and gone on with our lives. Now here comes John Kerry 35 years .....later 4 months in country.
I had... and still have a hard time with the anti-war mentality that we came home to but have come to respectfully disagree especially with those that served. This quote from Lewis Puller Jr. book "Fortunate Son" is stark contrast to Kerry; this his sums things up pretty well...(when he was asked by vvaw to participate in the medal-throwing ceremony):

[Navy_Navy_Navy]

It's great to have you all with us - thank you for sharing your stories.

You make me smile, laugh and cry - and sometimes, even pray.

Welcome aboard from this peacetime "squidette."
_________________
~ Echo Juliet ~
Altering course to starboard - On Fire, Keep Clear
Navy woman, Navy wife, Navy mother

[geotilman]

It also feels good to see the guys for a change .As I stated in my profile I was an E-6 En up in I Corp 1965-1967 knew a lot of Swifftees up in Danang spent my first year at Camp Fay I met Commander Fay he was great Officer .I spent my last year mainly at Cauviet attached to Engine Shop .I came home before Swifts & PBR's came that far North we saw Swifts once in a while when they brought POW's in for transfer .I am dammed Proud to be a Vietnam Veteran.

[BuzzCreek49]

Sorry I got there late guys. Missed out on Kerry and the 1968 mess. The tin can Navy closed out the war near the DMZ in the last months of 72 and in Jan of 73. I was CommOfficer for our DE, just an Ensign and not one of the best the Navy ever produced. There were virtually NO US ground troops by late 72. It was nearly Vietnamized by then and our gun support went to S.Viet Marines mainly. I have to say, it was probably more dangerous coming through LAX airport in America and in uniform than it was being on the gunline off the DMZ because of all the anti-war sentiment. I guess we can thank Kerry for that, along with Fonda et al. Nixon was shutting the war down for USA as fast as he could and leave some semblance of security (obviously not enough) for S. Vietnam. The deaths of millions after our hasty exit might fairly be placed on the shoulders of those peace loving ... so called ... "anti-war" protestors. Keep up the good work Swifties!
_________________
Vic
vic@grade-a.com

[tonkingulfyachtclub68_69]

I spent 3yrs on a destroyer in the Navy from
'66-'69 as a Gunners Mate, GMG3.
USS CORRY DD 817 '68-'69 Gulf of Tonkin Yacht Club Member.
http://www.uss-corry.com/
Home port was Norfolk Virginia
and sailed with her in the North Atlantic,
Caribbean,(dealt with Cuban gunboats off of Havana in Jan 1968)
thru the Panama Canal, across the Pacific to Viet Nam and back.

I was there the same time Kerry was.
I was there Oct'68-Apr'69 on the destroyer USS Corry DD-817
which supplied PCF's and PBR's
and provided gunfire and gunfire support
in North AND South Viet Nam.

My ship may have even supplied
Kerry's boat in the Mekong Delta

Although there are many similarities between naval gunfire support
and Operation Sea Dragon (which ended Nov 1968), they differ in two important areas:
naval gunfire support is normally fired at the request of troops ashore,
while Sea Dragon's mission is the interdiction of supplies and destruction
of military targets; and naval gunfire support is always conducted in South Vietnam,
while Sea Dragon missions are fired only above the demilitarized zone.

29 US Navy ships received gunfire from Viet Cong shore batteries.
My ship DID not get hit by the VC.

In Feb '69 my ship was part of Operation Bold Mariner
which was the largest amphibious assault since Korea.
_________________
USS CORRY DD 817
'66-'69 GMG 3
Vietnam Oct'68-Apr'69

http://stophanoikerry.150m.com/

There is a backup site
if the 1st url is unavailable.

http://tonkin.spymac.net/hanoikerry1.html

[OEF Vet]

Hi All,

My ACDU service is brief, three years right out of college. I spent a year in flight school, then DOR'd and went SWO. After six months of a "Stash" job, I did six months of SWOS. Then I was stationed onboard a "fig", FFG-61, from July 01 until my release from ACDU in Aug 02. We left for a deployment just after I reported and were in the Arabian Sea on 9-11. I was actualy on the USS CARL VINSON, CVN-70, during the attacks and was "drafted" to support the battle group staff, as our size had doubled (the ENTERPRISE group got turned around and joined us).

During the course of operations, our force swelled to 4 battle groups and 1 amphibious readiness group. My job was to provide 24 surface surveillence for each Carrier Group/ARG.

I was released in Aug of 02 and now am in the MMR branch of the IRR. I have done two weeks reserved duty each year since then.

My ultimate goal (and reason I DOR'd) is to get my seminary degree and return to the Navy as a Chaplain.

OEF Vet
LT, USNR

[diehard68]

I live in Midland, Texas and was a LTJG/LT in the Navy on PBR's.
I served in Viet Nam assigned to the Naval Advisory Group in Saigon from Dec 1970 to Dec 1971. My duty stations included Cat Lo (boy could I tell you some stories we heard in the Wardroom about some LTJG who staged his own movie War Footage and Medals count) and I served at PBR MoBaseII on the Vam Co Tay river near Tan An in 1971.

I don't belong to such a prestigious group as SwiftVets, but I lost men while Kerry was giving aid and comfort to the enemy that was killing them and will do whatever I can to support SwiftVets. I have already made a $$$$ contribution.

[commo]

I joined the Army Reserves when in '88 at 17, went active duty in '89, served 3 yrs in HHC Berlin Brigade Commo Platoon, and 6 months at MCC Zakho in Iraq in '91. Got out in '92 when I was pregnent(spent too much time in the field to stay in with kids) Joined the National Guard last year, figure my kids are old enough to understand if I get deployed. My unit was activated for federal duty June 1st, and is currently at Dix awaiting deployment to the middle east. I am one of appx 75 not going this rotation, and wish with all my heart that I was with my unit.

My mother(retired after 23 yrs with a combination of active and reserves), father, step-father(retired with 20yrs), and 3 out of 5 of my uncles served in the Army during vietnam, the other two were too young. Two of my uncles served in country, one served two tours as a gunner on helicopters, survived two crashes and 5 months as a POW. Realizing (thanks to SBVT) that Kerry glorified his time there when he served less time in country than my uncle was a POW nausiates me, him bragging about his questionable medals, when my uncle barely speaks about his time there, and his reception by protesters when he got back, much less about any medals he may have recieved, angers me. Thank you SBVT for taking a stand, and having the courage to go against Kerry.

[djdedeo0]

Hi, My name is Greg Dedeo and I just finished my 4 year tour in the Navy. I was with Sea Control Squadron 30 (VS-30, Diamondcutters). I was stationed out of Jacksonville Florida. I did two 6 month Deployments on the USS George Washington (CVN-73) based out of Norfolk Virginia. I signed up for this site to show my appreciation and support for what you are doing. I'm not here to show support for a political party. Thanks and I hope to speak more with everyone. I look forward to learning about what those before me did for my country are gonna do about Mr.Kerry. Thanks for shedding light on the subject of his Vietnam Record. I want an honest person being the embassador of my country.

[openfish24]

I am Pete Bartow. USMC 75-80. I was a marine musician. No laughing. I was stationed in Little Creek Virginia, 29 Palms California and New Orleans Louisiana.

[UT2Woody]

US Navy Boiler Technician 2nd Class Petty Officer 1985-1991
Great Lakes RTC & NTC Jun85-Apr86
Served onboard USS Knox(FF-1052) Jun86-Jul88
San Diego FTC Aug88-Nov88
Served onboard USS Jouett (CG-29) Nov88-May91
Took Terminal and got out Jun91
Spent 10 years aimlessly trying to forget the Navy then Joined the Naval Reserve Seabees Jul01 changed rate to a Utilitiesman 3rd Class attached to NMCB-22 in FT Worth,TX
Made 2nd again Jan04
Content in being in the Seabees ready to go whenever and wherever sent.
_________________
Construimus Batuimus

[UT2Woody]

I just wanted to say something else to all you Vietnam Vets who served honorably. You always have been and always will be heroes in my book. I was just a kid when vietnam was winding down but there never was any antiwar crap in my house my Dad was a WWII Navy Vet and I respected anyone in the military that is what I wanted to do when I got old enough. You guys got a bum rap and were treated dishonorably by those bastards in the media and Kerry's ilk. Thank You for your honorable service.
_________________
Construimus Batuimus

[jim_pem]

Thanks for your service and thanks for being willing to go under fire while bringing the truth out about candidate Kerry.

I'm a younger vet. I was still shedding my diapers when we were hot in Vietnam. My dad tried to volunteer for Vietnam, but he has a glass eye and no branch would enlist him. His dad was a Pearl Harbor vet - a CPO who worked in the engine room. I joined the Marines in '87 as a trombone player. I was with the 2d MAR DIV Band when we reverted to a security unit and were deployed to the Persian Gulf for Desert Storm/Sheild (the easy war). I finished my tour as a Tank Commander in 1995 after I'd had enough of Clinton.
_________________
-Jim "Vlad" Pemberton
Frmr Sgt. USMC

[LewWaters]

[UT2Woody]

I was in Desert Shield also on the USS Jouett (CG-29). We were the first battle group in the Persian Gulf after Iraq invaded Kuwait. We spent Aug-Nov '90 sailing around until everybody else showed up. We left the gulf in Nov '90 and went back to San Diego. I was on leave watching CNN when the war started, back then CNN was all we had. Wouldn't be caught dead watching it now. I missed out on both wars. I was in Port Hueneme on AT when the war started in '03. In April they activated the Air Det of my battallion I was on the list and got the letter but I was taken off because we had a newborn baby. The Air Det went to Port Hueneme for training but the war went so fast they didn't need them so they were deactivated. I am on the Uss Knox Member list and the Uss Jouett member list and also a new american legion member and also a drilling reservist with Naval Mobile Construction Battallion 22 in case anyone questions my status.
W04
_________________
Construimus Batuimus