SwiftVets.com

cedarford · Former Member Joined: 26 Aug 2004 Posts: 22

I just had a chance to read the Dick Cavett 6/30/71 transcript. Much has been brought out, but I noticed another possible Kerry Whopper in the transcript.

MR. KERRY: ......(regarding free fire zones and other activities Kerry said violated the Hague and Geneva Conventions) The fact of the matter is that the members of Coastal Division 11 and Coastal Division 13 when I was in Vietnam were fighting the policy very, very hard, to the point that many of the members were refusing to carry out orders on some of their missions; to the point where the crews started to in fact mutiny, say, "I would not go back on the rivers again;" the point where my commanding officer was relieved of duty because he pressed our objections to what we were doing with the captain in command of the entire operation.

MR. CAVETT: The man above you was relieved of duty?

MR. KERRY: That is correct. The man above me was finally relieved of duty.

So, can anyone here who is actually a SBVT member (or - please help me with this question, ADMINISTRATOR staff!!! To pass the question on to the appropriate parties) know who Kerry's CO was, and if he was relieved of command for protesting atrocities? Or, if mutinous Swift Boat crews existed???

And, as an aside, it looks like O'Neil blew one thing in his Cavett appearance. Kerry was ready to haul Scott Camil, author of the VVFW Congressional assassination plot, on stage, to vouch for Kerry's assertions and read a statement of the war crimes he committed. O'Neill said have your buddy read it after the show, but he was there to be one on one in a TV debate with Kerry, and not involve others. Pity Camil didn't get his Kerry-sponsored moment of (dis)credit.

GoophyDog

Snipe · Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2004 9:32 pm Post subject:

Well there was this little hint of mutiny back in 1966. It kinda went
along the lines of the Caine Mutiny in that the CO of the USS Vance
DER 387 got relieved of command after the ship's officers complained
about his antics on Market Time Patrols off Viet Nam. You can read
all about it in "The Arnheiter Affair" by Neil Sheehan, Dell, 1974. It
really went over big time in the letters section of Navy Times.
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Tin Can Sailor

Arty Guy · Seaman Joined: 20 Aug 2004 Posts: 190

I read the book "The Arnheiter Affair" many many years ago when it came out. There was an uproar about the skipper's conduct and the objections of the officers and crew had nothing to do with alleged atrociities or a policy towards atrocities. It certainly has nothing to do with the time or place that Kerry is quoted as talking about on Dick Cavett show. O'Neill probably could not respond to that point either since the events claimed by Kerry would have taken place prior to O'Neill's presence in the division.

Snipe · Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2004 12:09 am Post subject:

I read it when it came out too. Then I chucked it in a bookcase, did
several moves and walked over to my basement bookshelves and
there it was! How's that for the ultimate packrat.

When Kerry was on the Gridley, it was probably the hot wardroom
topic as this stuff was pretty new then. He had to be exposed to it.
Only needed a bit of dusting off and tuning up and hey! We have a
real live mutiny over atrocities. The actual problem was that Arnheiter
wanted to be a real life John Wayne and gave false position reports
when he went haring off looking for action in places where he wasn't
supposed to be. Stuff like firing at the shore claiming that he was
"under fire" and screwing up the gunfire of the real fire support ships.
You didn't fire a round in the south without someone on the ground
asking for it.
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Tin Can Sailor

Robert McDaniel · Seaman Recruit Joined: 28 Aug 2004 Posts: 2

I am an Air Force Vet. Crew chief on KC 135 Tanker. I did not serve in Vietnam, but I feel the need to speak with others about John Kerry, and his run for the Presidency.

After watching Mr. Oneil and the others dispute what Kerry has said, I get that gut feeling, that John Kerry had planned, and scripted his duty in Vietnam, in order to promote his political agenda . If any of you agree with me please respond. ( What bothers me is that, he, Kerry, actually went back and reenacted several incidents
as well as filmed them for later on in his political career).I feel that he had alot more help with this than we now know. Lets keep digging and see what evidence we can find.

Robert McDaniel

jwbarden · Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2004 1:53 am Post subject:

This is ridiculous.

It is a matter of record that the commander of COSDIV11 was LCDR G. M. Elliot from 14AUG68 to 6MAY69. The commander of COSDIV13 was LCDR J. W. Streuli from 16AUG68 to 3NOV69. CAPT Elliot retired in 1985. CDR Streuli retired in 1972. So, exactly which coastal division commander was relieved during Kerry's tour in RVN? Kerry is caught in another blatant lie denigrating a fellow officer.

rb325th · Admiral Joined: 21 Aug 2004 Posts: 1334

Kerry Lied? Say it aint so!! Rolling Eyes

One more example of his lack of credibility if anyone is looking for ammunition to use in letters to the editor or any MSM outlet.
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U.S. Army 1983-1995, 11C1P/11H2P NBTDT

cedarford · Former Member Joined: 26 Aug 2004 Posts: 22

Thank you jwbarden, for your response to my question! I don't know what the Arnheim Affair was about, but it didn't involve Kerry and his Swift Boat "mutiny" or "Co relieved of command over atrocity protests" allegations. Some tangent.

If Kerry had only 2 CO's, both kept in Command with exemplary careers, and not relieved, it appears Kerry made a particularly grave lie regarding one of them. - Removal from command in wartime. Maybe something both COs might want to clear their reputation over.

And perhaps some person in the group of Kerry-backing Swift Boat Veterens, or the anti-Kerry contingent, can address his 1971 allegation that Swift Boat crews mutinied and defied orders.