SwiftVets.com

[You Bic?]

These are 3 different versions of the Rassman incident from the Kerry camp, yet NONE of the Lying Liberal Media have noted this

Quote
Kerry Reunites with Fellow Veteran in Iowa
Veteran says Kerry saved his life in combat; has not seen him since 1969
For Immediate Release


Des Moines, IA - Former Lieutenant John Kerry was reunited today with fellow Vietnam veteran Jim Rassmann, who says Kerry saved his life during combat.

On March 13, 1969, Rassmann, a Green Beret, was traveling down the Bay Hap river in a boat behind Kerry’s when both were ambushed by exploding land mines and enemy fire coming from the shore. Kerry was hit in the arm, while a mine blew Rassmann’s boat out of the water. With enemy fire coming from both sides of the river and swift boats evacuating from the area, Kerry’s crew chose to turn their boat toward the ambush to save Rassmann.


john kerrys account from john kerry's web site.

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On March 13, 1969, John Kerry's courage and leadership saved my life.

While returning from a SEA LORDS operation along the Bay Hap River, a mine detonated under another swift boat. Machine-gun fire erupted from both banks of the river, and a second explosion followed moments later. The second blast blew me off John's swift boat, PCF-94, throwing me into the river. Fearing that the other boats would run me over, I swam to the bottom of the river and stayed there as long as I could hold my breath.


rassman's account from opinion journal.




Sen. Kerry's Statement On THe Senate Floor As a Eulogy For Mr. Thomas Belodeau.

"There was the time we were carrying special forces up a river and a mine exploded under our boat sending it 2 feet into the air. We were receiving incoming rocket and small arms fire and Tommy was returning fire with his M-60 machine gun when it literally broke apart in his hands. He was left holding the pieces unable to fire back while one of the Green Berets walked along the edge of the boat to get Tommy another M-60. As he was doing so, the boat made a high speed turn to starboard and the Green Beret kept going--straight into the river. The entire time while the boat went back to get the Green Beret, Tommy was without a machine gun or a weapon of any kind, but all the time he was hurling the greatest single string of Lowell-Chelmsford curses ever heard at the Viet Cong. He literally had swear words with tracers on them!'

[Steve Z]

So, we should ask Rassmann, was he in the boat behind Kerry's boat (introduction in Iowa) or in Kerry's boat (when the mine blew him into the water)?

Also, was Green Beret Rassmann knocked off a boat (which boat?) by a mine blast (first two versions) or by a sharp turn to starboard while Thomas Belodeau was struggling with his gun (third version)?

Maybe there's a fourth version in Kerry's after-action report--he could never keep his story straight!
_________________
The traitor will crater!

[AF366TFW]

According to the Wash Post, Kerry's boat was on the right side of the river. Correct?

If so, WHY would Kerry execute a "high speed turn to starboard"????????? In other words, he was making a high speed turn directly toward the bank only a few yards away!
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Aim High! The wife hates cleaning the floor!

[Steve Z]

Shhh!!! You wouldn't want Kerry to find out and change the Washington Post's drawing to put Kerry's boat near the left bank!
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The traitor will crater!

[AF366TFW]

There are already more versions of this "heroic" action than I can count!
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Aim High! The wife hates cleaning the floor!

[Navymomx2]

[AF366TFW]

"Beaching" is one thing. At high speed he would be GROUNDING it!
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Aim High! The wife hates cleaning the floor!

[lrb111]

Some of the newspaper accounts also mentioned hitting a "log or something" rather than another mine.
"Kerry gunning the boat" forgets that Kerry wasn't at the helm, the boat was already going full speed.

Rassman swam to the bottom, and only came up for quick gulps of air. How did they see him bobbing in the water?

There are more inconsistencies in these stories, than a 10 year old can come up with about missing cookies.
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said Democratic Chairman Terry McAuliffe. "It is inexcusable to mock service and sacrifice."
well, when even the DNC can see it,,,,, then kerry is toast.

[JimRobson]

Hmmmm... Port or starboard Hmmmm... Red right returning? Hmmmmm... Port wine is red? Hmmmmmmm... Darn, I've only been an OIC for 2 months. How do they expect a guy to learn it this quick?
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ETN2 PTF2 (Littlecreek Underwater Demolition Unit 2 1963)

http://www.thewebplace.com/

[kmmpatriot]

[MarkRock]

My question is why are these stories inconsistent.

I know that the Kerry folks are lying. But do the inconsistencies in these stories tell us something about why the Kerry people were unable to stick to a single account (besides just being sloppy)?

For example....

Is the reason why they can't make up their minds as to whether Rassmann was originally on PCF-3, PCF-35 (?) or PCF-94 (Kerry's boat) because they need to explain (1) why Rassmann fell out of the boat (perhaps a mine explosion, so let's put him in PCF-3 because we know a mine hit that boat) and (2) how Kerry got injured (let's have a mine strike Kerry's boat and maybe that should also explain how Rassmann ended up in the river, because he's in Kerry's boat) and (3) how Kerry's boat was able to tow PCF-3 after being hit by a mine.

Perhaps their stories keep changing because they can't come up with a single story that would satisfy all of these "requirements" for heroism.

Or maybe it really is just as simple as "they were sloppy and didn't settle on a single story before they spoke to the press."

[integritycounts]

Add to that Number 4

Kerry is now directing the "convoy". Note the Washington Post article refutes this claim reported by the LA Times

from Kerry's site
http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0819.html

Eyewitness account from James Rassmann also details the fact that PCF-94 and other boats were under fire . In March of 2004, Rassmann, a registered Republican who had not seen Kerry in more than 30 years before their reunion in Iowa this year, recalled the following: “Viet Cong snipers fired at him, and Rassmann submerged over and over to avoid being hit. The bullets came from both banks, and Rassmann had nowhere to go. He began thinking his time had come, but the fifth time he came up, he saw the convoy had turned around. Kerry had ordered the boats back to pick up the man overboard. Kerry's boat, under heavy fire, sidled up to the struggling soldier. Rassmann tried to scramble up a cargo net at the bow but was too exhausted to make it all the way. He clung to the net as bullets whizzed past.” [Los Angeles Times, 3/13/04]