SwiftVets.com

[ccwebb]

William Rood - a swift boat captain - now a journalist with the Chicago Tribune - today broke his silence and is backing John Kerry on the events of 2/28/69.

See two links:
http://news.myway.com/top/article/id/381249|top|08-21-2004::12:46|reuters.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/home/main100.shtml

Now I am naturally suspicious of the partisan media but can someone tell me what overall effect does this have on swiftvets efforts to set the record straight?

Thanks

Charlie

[amstanbury]

CBS article does not even resemble journalism. Would like to see Rood's entire article but I won't register with Chi. Tribune or any other "newspaper" requiring registration. CBS' selected quotations do not justify the hyperbolic, conclusory headline. They might just as well have said "End of Story", which, of course, it's not. Who are those for whom he purports to speak, i.e., those vets who are being "hurt" by the Swiftvet ads and statements? We'll never know because, like any hit-and-run artist, he's not going to say anything more about it publicly, let alone debate it. What's the score now? 254-2? 254-10? Whatever.
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http://home.earthlink.net/~amstanbury/

[jrsdad]

Neither of these stories say what Rood says actually happened.

There is not much there there. Of course the MSM will spin this as another proof; look at how this stuff is written about "Republican attacks", etc. It is all against the SBVFT. It's OK t slime SBVFT, but it is an outrage to ask Kerry to sign the 180.

[gilliam]

There is information here:

http://www.swiftvets.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3863

[efuseakay]

[gilliam]

Can anyone explain why he doesn't show up in the picture of officers taken on: January 22, 1969??

http://www.swiftvets.com/index.php?topic=SwiftPhoto

[efuseakay]

[The bandit]

Here is my 2 cents on Rood:

http://idexer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=67
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[ETEE]

1.At this time I'll go with Lt.jg.William Rood being the "mole". It is my opinion that he was a Kerry "Ace in the Hole" in the event the SwiftVets got this far. The Kerry Campaign apparently waited too long to use him and now the SwiftVets have access to major cash.
2.Kerry's Campaign is now shooting at ghosts. They are answering questions in the 1st. SwiftVets Ad, while the 2nd. SwiftVets Ad is condemning Kerry for his Anti-War antics.The campaign has lost it's balance.It has to spend time and money on Damage Control.

[jalexson]

Rood doesn't really add anything to the discussion other than suggesting that the VC Kerry killed was an adult rather than a teenager, although he doesn't appear to have been close enough to tell for sure. Rood doesn't even explain why he received a bronze star in the incident or what Kerry did other than beach the boats and kill a wounded VC.

I'm curious about what happened to Donald Droz's(OIC on third boat) boat later(April or May I believe). I saw a report that it was found beached and badly damaged with Droz dead. I'm wondering if Droz attempted the same stunt Kerry did for the silver star and Charlie was prepared and took advantage of the situation to destroy the boat.
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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."
-- Mark Twain

[Abbey November]

jalexson...on the day Don Droz was killed, he was not "attempting any stunt". Don had just returned from two weeks R&R in Hawaii with his wife and two month old daughter. His boat was loaded with both troops and also about 1,000 pounds of high explosives that were to be used to blow up some bunkers. The extra weight slowed him down and seperated him somewhat from the other boats. When the 43 boat ran through the ambush kill zone, they were hit by B-40 and small arms fire. Don was mortally wounded. The 43 boat was disabled by the hostile fire and moved towards the port bank which was the direction from which the ambush came. The other boats returned to assist. After the crew and troops were removed, then the high explosives detonated, thus destroying the boat. For an eye witness description of the incident that was written several years ago by a SEAL, go to the following link http://www.justasailor.com/43death.html My suggestion is that you let memories of Don Droz remain as they are. He was a good OinC.

Bandit and ETEE...Bill Rood's description reads just like other spot reports and after action descriptions. The construction of the ambush, the response and movement of the boats is the same as what typically happened to the swiftboats. Bill said that he spoke out for the record of his crew and the other crews. He did not want to see their service marginalized. He believed they performed admirably and wanted to provided his own eye witness account. Since writing the article, Bill has not said any more and returned to the background. His account and his subsequent behavior seem to bear out his stated intent.

[LewWaters]

Rood is unreliable. He didn't serve on Kerry's boat either
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Clark County Conservative

[chemical_boy]

Does anyone have a copy of Rood's Bronze star Recomendation or citation? for the incident in which kerry gets his Silver Star

http://www.nationalreview.com/kerry/kerryspot.asp

[ASPB]

Check to see if the Post got it and posted it.
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On Sale! Order in lots of 100 now at velero@rcn.com Free for the cost of shipping All profits (if any, especially now) go to Swiftvets. The author of "Sink Kerry Swiftly" ---ASPB

[PierreLegrand]

I posted a long rebuttal of his entire article on my blog. I hope that y'all enjoy it.

http://www.papadoc.net/2004/08/fact-checking-rood.html

Pierre Legrand
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Pierre Legrand
Owner Bouncer Pink Flamingo Bar Grill
www.papadoc.net/PinkFlamingoBar.html