I read in one sitting the book Unfit for Command. It was written by John O’Neill and Jerome Corsi on behalf of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

The book appears to be a sort of Rohrschach test. I called a guy I knew who was a naval officer stationed off the cost of Vietnam on a ship that worked with Kerry’s first ship to tell him about the naval officer statements in the book. His reaction was approximately, “I hate Bush! I have to vote for Kerry. Do not tell me bad things about Kerry.”

The TV debates are similar. Democrats screaming that it’s all “slime” and “smear.” “Neutral” reporters have revealed their leanings by repeating the slime/smear words. The non-politician swift boat vets have at least as much credibility as politician Kerry.

One author, John O’Neill, is an honors graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He succeeded Kerry as Officer in Charge of PCF 44—Kerry’s swift boat. After the Navy, he graduated from law school first in his class and became a clerk for the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

The other author is a Harvard Ph.D. who specializes in U.S. anti-war movements.

Kerry supporters denounce the book’s accusations as being of the he-said-she-said variety. It’s more like 50 guys against 15 guys. Even if you ignored the one-group’s-word-against-another’s accusations, you are still left with much that Kerry has either stopped claiming because of the disclosures or claims where Kerry has been proven false beyond dispute.

For example, Kerry originally said Nixon sent him to Cambodia on Christmas Eve, 1968. Either because such a mission would have been illegal or because it never happened, there are no written records. When challenged, Kerry modified his story. In any event, Nixon was not president on Christmas Eve, 1968. Johnson was.

Another beyond-dispute fact: Kerry has made his four months in Vietnam the centerpiece of his campaign. He started his acceptance speech by saluting and saying he was, “reporting for duty.” He frequently surrounds himself with his swift boat crew members who support him. But he refuses to sign a Form 180 that would allow the Navy to release his full military record.

I thought the swift boat vets were stretching a bit when they belittled Kerry’s single-handed killing of a Viet Cong by claiming the VC was a teenager and wearing only a loin cloth. As any Vietnam vet can tell you, neither being a teenager nor wearing a loin cloth proved that a Vietnamese male was not an active and dangerous enemy.

I was not there in the sense of being at the same place as he when I was in Vietnam, but I must say that I found the rest of the accusations against Kerry as likely to be true. 50 guys who were in the same vicinity and unit would likely know such things.

I also resent the fact that he got more medals for various things than the enlisted men who were standing right next to him on the same boat. What did he do that they did not—other than getting a commission years before?

I also find the refutations of many TV supporters of Kerry laughable. For example, they claim the purple hearts and silver stars that Kerry was awarded were unquestionably legitimate because they were official Navy documents signed by his superiors.

Ha!

You gotta be kidding me! His silver star citations were written by his superiors all right, but they were not present for the actions they describe. Who told them what to write? As far as I know, John Kerry did in his after-action report.

Similarly, purple hearts are awarded based on medical records which are probably accurate as to the description of the injury. But the doctors who sign them were not present at the time the injury was suffered so they are not in a position to comment on how it happened. How it happened is crucial to whether the purple heart should be awarded. Whether the injury was severe enough to warrant a purple heart is also a subjective matter.

The most damning part of the book covers Kerry’s anti-war activities. Because he was still an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve until 1978, virtually all of those activities violated either civilian federal law or the Uniform Code of Military Justice. FBI informants recorded it and those files have been released under the Freedom of Information Act.

I vote Libertarian, so I am not pushing Bush. Like most Vietnam vets, I resent Kerry’s “smearing” Vietnam vets to advance his political career. I was in Vietnam when he did that. But my interest in this debate arises mainly from my bemusement with the strange public and old media reaction to the Swift Boat Vets.

I appreciate informed, well-thought-out constructive criticism and suggestions.

John T. Reed

Link to information about John T. Reed’s Succeeding book which, in part, relates lessons learned about succeeding in life from being in the military

John T. Reed Publishing home page - John T. Reed military home page