SwiftVets.com

The bandit · Commander Joined: 15 May 2004 Posts: 349

See:

http://idexer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=873#873
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Ladyhawke · Seaman Recruit Joined: 22 Aug 2004 Posts: 14

This seems to verify that Kerry killed a wounded guy.

Tom Poole · Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 12:00 am Post subject:

Maybe that's the atrocity he's been hollering about. Seems to me that if you've been shot in the leg with 50-cal, you fall down very soon. If he shot a boy lying down, that's an atrocity isn't it?
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Navy_Navy_Navy · Admin Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 5777

If he shot a wounded and fleeing soldier in the back, it may have been eligible to be prosecuted as a war crime, depending on the circumstances.

I don't fault Kerry for shooting this soldier if the soldier was armed and preparing to fight back.

Only two people that I know of claim to have seen that particular action, first-hand (Kerry and Medeiros?) and they deny that Kerry shot the guy in the back - they say that the enemy soldier was preparing to fire the rocket at them.

But, there are many stories of that day, even right here on this site. And as with the Bay Hap incident, there are as many versions as there are witnesses.
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Me#1You#10 · Site Admin Joined: 06 May 2004 Posts: 6503

Here's a link to a page containing a video commentary by Mark Hyman of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.

Select "The Kerry Killing" from the top of the "archive" list.

This is from a Baltimore affiliate.

http://www.foxbaltimore.com/thepoint/editorial.shtml

Thanks to BANDIT! for the alert and MISTY! for finding this website and video.

http://www2.swiftvets.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=68729#68729

Moving this to main forum for a bit of exposure.

Billman · Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 1:55 am Post subject:

financeprof · Seaman Recruit Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 3

Finally--I've been wondering about this report for a couple of weeks. Where did you find it?

Several things stand out. First, there is no basis in this report for the claim made in the 3d Silver Star citation that Kerry led an advance agains superior numbers--he was chasing one guy. (The SS citation is actually a little vague on this point, specifically as to when the assault on superior numbers took place--at the initial engagement or later. In any event, it's clear that there were no superior numbers involved when Kerry capped the VC with the B40.) Second, this report confirms that the VC was in fact woulded in the legs by the M60 gunner. Third, it is similar to what Rood described re the beaching tactic. Fourth, it contradicts Kerry's 1996 statement that he never went behind the hootch, and had never even heard anyone ever suggest that he had gone behind the hootch.

cipher · Vice Admiral Joined: 10 Aug 2004 Posts: 902

An M-60 is a 7.62x51, and NOT a .50 caliber.

Which reminds me. Kerry in his Senate testimony said that .50 caliber machine guns were their ONLY weapon for people. He seems to have forgotten (conveniently) that the Swifts mounted a pair of M-60s.

.50s are NOT supposed to be used against people, except if they happen to be in the way of an armored target the .50 is supposed to be taking out. The Geneva conventions are a bit vague on the exact application, except they are not supposed to be used on soft targets.

Of course, the whole point is rather moot, since dead by 7.62 and dead by .50 is still dead, regardless.
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NonLinear · Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 3:31 am Post subject:

Just in case you need a back-up location.

http://www.newscentral.tv/thepoint/attachments/attachments.htm

bergstrom79 · Ensign Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Posts: 66

Don't go after Kerry for killing a man (or kid) armed with a grenade launcher, for God's sake. Any one of us would have done the same thing, assuming we have the courage.....and if it's life and death, you'll find the courage.

Anyone with a grenade launcher in their possession HAS to die.

Billman was right. The only problem here is Kerry being awarded a SSM for that day.

Let's not hurt our cause by knocking Kerry for doing his job (killing the enemy). Let's hang him for what he deserves to exposed on.

llano · Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 4:04 am Post subject:

Unfortunately, Kerry's site has a summary of that days action and it reads very similar to the actual report.
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the0point · Lt.Jg. Joined: 22 Aug 2004 Posts: 140

The KEY here is that Kerry wrote the report. THIS is the main contention the media have been thwarting the Swift Boat Veterans with, by saying that official Navy records support Kerry, and no one could say for sure that Kerry wrote the after action reports. THIS after action report will vindicate the Swift Boat Veterans. Kerry wrote this report...and it is therefore plausible that he wrote the other reports. Maybe then if Kerry ever pulls his head out some reporter might ask him to sign a 180.

tvaughan · Seaman Joined: 08 Aug 2004 Posts: 182

Kerry did the right thing shooting the VC.

But he was clearly not alone, which was the story for years. And Kerry did not overrun a unit of men.

Read the Silver Star citation.

I think Kerry did the right thing, but hardly a heroic act of bravery. At least not in the Silver star sense. How do you get a Silver Star for killing a wounded guy when you substatially outnumber him? (A numerically superior force, as the citation says)

I think this is most important:

1. It backs up what the Swift Vets have said.

2. Kerry wrote the after action report, lending more credence to the charge that he wrote the 3/12 report as well.
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ARW3A · Seaman Recruit Joined: 23 Aug 2004 Posts: 18

Did anyone see Kerry kill the VC? or the body afterward?

Besides, the important thing is to compare the report to the Zumwalt SS Citation.

MJB · LCDR Joined: 14 Aug 2004 Posts: 425

I don't know if this helps, but I found it on another site -

http://itznewstome.blogspot.com/2004/09/silver-star-after-action-report-found.html

Silver Star After-Action Report Found!
Backs up Swift Vets story...written by John Kerry!

One of my local television stations, Fox - Baltimore, just broadcast a breaking news item: they have received a copy of the After Action report from the US Navy Archives and have posted it online. According to the commentary, they say that the after-action report was written by John Kerry.

The After-Action Report Can be Found Here:

Page 1
Page 2

I'm no expert on after-action reports, so at this point I turn this over to the milibloggers and other experts in the field to further analyze.

NOTE: If you link to this post, please make sure you leave a TrackBack so that I can make sure to follow any additional information you develop. If you cannot leave a TrackBack, e-mail me using the link at the top of the sidebar to keep me up-to-date.

Happy hunting, fellow bloggers!

MY SOURCING: I'm basing this post on the editorial/commentary on Fox - Baltimore. It was publicized on their regular commentary titled "The Point" - the link to which can be found on the right-hand side of their home page. Once you reach "The Point" page, use the drop down box to select "Kerry and the Killing - September 13, 2004 from their archives to view and/or read the commentary on which this post is based.
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