SwiftVets.com

[concerned_voter]

Nixon's famous "we are not in Cambodia" speech was in 1969. It was approximatly 6 months later, on April 30, 1970 that Nixon announced a full scale attack on Cambodia.

I can also guarantee to you that it wasn't CIA operatives that had been in Cambodia prior to April 30. It was special forces (GB and RB) that had been in Cambodia for almost a year. At the time that all this was going on my best friend, who was in the special forces, was listed as missing in action, while he was on assignment in Cambodia.

Regretfully, Jeff was one of many vets, especially special forces vets who came back after the war with severe emotional scars, and felt displaced by a country that seemed to not care about what he had accomplished in an extreme tour of duty. In the 1970's people didn't know about PTSD, and how many Vietnam vets were effected by it. Although those of us around Jeff knew about his horrible nightmares, and his mood swings (especially when he self medicated by getting drunk every night), we didn't know how to help him. It wasn't until after July of 1977 did we know more about PTSD and the demons that plagued Jeff. It was after he shot himself after baracading himself in his house for 6 hours, while the police surrounded his house and must have created a scene that to Jeff must seemed like he was back in the jungle. Jeff's last audible words were "you gooks will never take me alive". Then all that was heard was a single shot. The newspaper coverage? "Crazed Vietnam Vet Shoots Self after Six Hour Standoff"

And unlike Kerry, this wasn't some fantasy. I was there, with Jeff's wife, being held back by the police while the whole incident occured. Despite our requests that they call in someone with the V.A. to help, Jeff's final hours were another war zone created by cops that did not understand.

[Bob Chamberlain]

I just read that article on the John Kerry official website where, at the end of the article, he vaugely hints that he had been on CIA black ops in Cambodia - and apparently always carries a bush hat around in his briefcase to remind him of it. That is all so unreal that I have to ask myself if someone on our side got in and hacked the Kerry site. Even if Kerry said what was reported, I can't believe that one of his handlers didn't try to "correct" the story before it was printed - much less posted on the website. I mean, Kerry sounds like he is delusional! If all of this really isn't some kind of a bad joke, the guy is even worse off than I had ever imagined.

[djv]

[tpenn]

I agree with Ord33, The no spin zone turned into "I'll turn my back zone". O'rielly coped out as he has been doing over the last 4 months. I do believe he is turning into part of the Liberal media. Hats off to John O'Neill for the courage and intestinal foritude to stand up to Alan. I will be getting his book as soon as I can get it ordered. We have got to defeat Kerry and his cronies and keep a strong leader (GW) in the CINC post. I have volunteered on the Bush/Cheney website site and would request that everyone else do the same.

[Richard Christiansen]

Thanks for all the useful information in this discussion. I just read the John Kerry website link provided in the first comment listed. After reading all the emotional garbage about Kerry liking wind surfing or whatever, I obtained not a clue about what he really believes in. Upon review of his history, I worry that if we really knew what it was, we could be more worried than we are now. I hope reason trumps emotion in the election or our beloved country is in real trouble.
_________________
Big Red One & 25th, Lai Khe, Etc - 69-70

[Reg]

I posted this reply in the SW forum. Thought you would find it of interest.
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A few questions to the folks here who have more knowledge than I--especially the vets who may have direct knowledge on these matters.

My Background:
Just so everyone is clear on where I am coming from... I was 2 years old in 1969. I never served in the military. I am not a Kerry supporter.

Kerry's "Sa Dec" story:
I think Kerry's X-mas 1968 "in" or "near" Cambodia/Sa Dec story has been proven to be false beyond a reasonable doubt. Also I am not convinced that this Sa Dec story was just a confusion on dates. Kerry kept a journal on this specific mission. It just doesn't ring true that he confused major facts on his only Christmas in Vietnam.

What I really want to talk about:
As you no doubt know, the Kerry folks have largely given up on Sa Dec. This is the new story from Kerry advisor Michael Meehan:

“During John Kerry's service in Vietnam, many times he was on or near the Cambodian border and on one occasion crossed into Cambodia at the request of members of a special operations group operating out of Ha Tien."

And this today from Doug Brinkely author of "Tour of Duty" via London Daily Telegraph :

"Mr. Brinkley rejected accusations that the senator had never been to Cambodia, insisting he was telling the truth about running undisclosed "black" missions there at the height of the war. 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."

After looking in to this new story a little bit while I don't know about the CIA/"Black mission" angle I cannot dismiss this story as being untrue. Could it be false, yes. But it is "consistent" with the facts as I--an amature-- know them.

Facts as I understand them:
Kerry was operating his PCF-94 with a new crew in late Jan,1969. At this point PCF-94 was under the command of CD-11 at An Thoi. (I know Kerry and PCF-44 are moved to CD-13 on 12/13/68 but somehow Kerry and PCF-94 appear in the command history of CD-11 at least by Feb. 1969.)

Now, as I understand it, CD-11's area of operations included Ha Tien, the Rach Giang Thanh River, and the Vinh Te Canal all of which are very near the Cambodian border. CD-11 command history's "basic narrative" talks about how "Costal Division ELEVEN constantly mantains units at Ha Tien to interdict enemy infiltration along the Rach Giang Thanh...[unreadable]".

For a useful map of the area in question here's an interesting map:
http://www.nexus.net/~911gfx/mapnc4806.html

Ok, so what about Kerry's PCF-94? I looked at the ""Spot Reports February 1969" from johnKerry.com. Here's the link:

http://www.johnkerry.com/pdf/jkmilservice/SpotReports_February1969.pdf

Now I have no previous experience reading these types of reports. However on the first "report" or page I see the following [w/ edits]:

"FEB 69"
....

"RACH GIANG THAN/KINH VINH TE PATROL"
"MARKET TIME Spot Report..."

....

"4. (C) CTE 194.5.4 , PCF 50, PCF 94"
"5. (C) M/T RAIDERS INTSERTED SEAL TEAMS AND PROVIDED SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT TILL EXTRACTION BY PCF'S-- MEANWHILE CONDUCTING NORMAL RIVER PATROL..."

What does this mean? Can someone read the report and determine the specific date in Feb.? My overall interpretation is that somewhere on the RACH GIANG THAN/KINH VINH TE water way PCF-94 and PCF-50 inserted and extracted a group of SEALS (CTE 194.5.4?). Not clear to me as to whether SEALS penetrated Cambodian border or not.

Now page down to the next spot report. Still Feb. 1969. Still seemingly on
"RACH GIANG THAN/KINH VINH TE PATROL". But now it seems that PCF-94 is the only PCF involved? And let's quote the next line in full"

"5. (C) WHILE ON PSYOPS/PAO MISSION TO VS 530553 MADE THRUST UP RIVER TO VS 518565 WHERE OBSERVED MAN CARRING RICE SACKS INFIELD. WOMAN IN AREA SAID SHE HAD JUST BEEN TAXED BY THAT MAN, AND SHOWED OINC THE RECIEPT.CONDUCTED CHASE BUT CROSSED BOARDER BEFORE CAPTURE. AREA A KNOWN V.C. EXTORTION STATION. INTEND RUN SEAL OPERATION IN AREA IN NEAR FUTURE."

My amature interpretation is that Kerry in PCF-94 is respecting the Cambodian boder here but knows he can get a SEAL team on a later mission to penetrate border. Is that a reasonable interpretation?

Next Spot Report.Still Feb 1969. Still RACH GIANG THAN/KINH VINH TE PATROL. Now we have PCF-50 and PCF-94 with CTE 194.5.4.5 and ATC 131.9. Can someone tell me what CTE and ATC mean?

"5. M/T RAIDERS INSERTED SEAL TEAMS AND PROVIDED PROTECTION [unreadable] CONDUCTING RIVER OPERATION REPT., EVAL. 32 , THAT V.C. WERE DUG IN AND WAITING TO AMBUSH PCF's AT VS 478515 SO GAVE AREA GOOD PREP FIRE AND ATC 131.9 SPRAYED BANKS ON K

CE INSERTED ATC 131.9 RETURNED TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION FOR VNN REACTION TEAM TO AREA OF POSSIBLE ENEMY INITIATED FIRE FIGHT POSITION. NEG CONTACT, NEG FRI. CAS.."

OK, so you get the picture. I have not gone through all the Spot reports from Feb or March but at least on some of the reports we seem to have verification that he was close to the Cambodian boder and with SEAL teams [although I do not see it documented that he took his PCF or the SEAL team went across the border... maybe that is in the Jan.'69 spot reports not on the Kerry web site... or maybe CD-11 deliberately kept it off the books... or maybe it never happened].

Questions:
1. Am I wrong in the interpretation of these Spot Reports?
2. Side issue... Can anyone clear up the transfer back to CD-11 from CD-13? Was PCF-44 transfered also or just PCF-94? When?
3. Re-read the Kerry campaign statement again. Notice that it says,..."on one occasion crossed into Cambodia at the request of members of a special operations group operating out of Ha Tien." So his superior officer in CD-11 didn't give him the order to cross the Cambodian border. If true was this common for PCFs in CD-11? Is it possible for a PCF given the geogaphy for the RACH GIANG THAN/KINH VINH TE waterways? What would be the fallout if the CD-11 found out about PCFs going across the border?
4. Were these SEAL missions really clandestine or just a typical Market Time mission? Were they "classified" at a differently level?
5. Who was in overall command of the mission: the officer in charge of the SEAL team or the officer in charge of the PCF?
6. Who led PCF-50 in CD-11 during Feb. 1969?