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JDNor · Seaman Recruit Joined: 19 Aug 2004 Posts: 19

Did Lambert "refute" Thurlow on the incident of "taking fire?"

Thanks in advance and keep up the good work.

This was the response of someone who said O'Neill was wrong about have nothing refuted.

baldeagl · PO3 Joined: 07 Aug 2004 Posts: 260 Location: Texas

First of all, Lambert was the coxwain that day. He was in the pilot house when the 3 boat, which was directly in front of him, went 2 or 3 feet in the air. Imagine what he was focused on and what he had to be doing - trying to keep from hitting the 3 boat, back his own boat down, steer, etc., etc.

Now, with that context, Lambert has said he "thought" there was fire, he "believed" their was fire and "they always got fire" in those situations.

Did Lambert refute Thurlow? No. Plain and simple. Too complex for the buffoons in the press, mind you, but obvious to plain old Americans like yourself, I'm sure.
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ord33 · Rear Admiral Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 670 Location: Ohio

The stupid rationale of the Kerry Campaign they spread around was that Lambert was the Witness on Thurlow's Bronze Star. The Bronze star citation mentioned hostile fire (or something along those lines), so they said this conflicted their story. Kerry is the one who wrote the spot report though, and the award citations directly reflect the language used within the spot report.

ncoic6 · Seaman Recruit Joined: 08 Sep 2004 Posts: 11

Plus, Lambert supports Thurlow on everything else, in particular, that the bullet holes in Thurlow's boat came the previous day when Lambert was wounded.

jalexson · Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2004 7:17 pm Post subject:

If the .50's began firing after the mine explosion I doubt that Lambert would have been able to hear enemy fire unless it hit close to him. He would likely have assumed there was enemy fire because his boat was firing.

The real issue should be effective enemy fire -- fire that was actually a threat to hit someone. I suspect that if there was any enemy fire it was likely a VC sticking his AK-47 out from behind a tree and pulling the trigger without looking to see it he was coming close to hitting anything.

Charlie's SOP in this situation would have been to come out, or up, from cover and fire only if he wasn't receiving fire from the boats.
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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."
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Eric Rasmusen · Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 7:34 pm Post subject: Lambert's bronze star

It's important to remember that Lambert also got a Bronze Star that day-- apparently for pulling Thurlow out of the water under fire (i haven't seen his citation, and have posted previuosly asking if anybody has seen it). That's the same kind of action that got Kerry his star. Thus, Lambert's Bronze Star lives and dies with Kerry's. This makes Lambert's testimony a bit suspect.

FF1047 · Lieutenant Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 222

I not sure that Lambert got any medals that day. Thurlow got a Bronze not Lambert.
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Eric Rasmusen · Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2004 1:40 am Post subject: Lambert's Bronze Star

See
http://www.rasmusen.org/x/archives/c/archives/000157.html

...Retired Chief Petty Officer Robert E. Lambert, of Eagle Point, Ore., got a Bronze Star for pulling his boat commander -- Lt. Larry Thurlow -- out of the Bay Hap River on March 13, 1969. Thurlow had jumped onto another swift boat to aid sailors wounded by a mine explosion but fell off when the out-of-control boat ran aground.

This, taken from a newspaper report, is the only detailed reference to it that Iv'e seen, though I think other places do mention taht Lambert got a Bronze Star.