As of May 17, 220 of the 229 Swift boat veterans
contacted by the group have agreed to sign an open
letter to Senator John F. Kerry that challenges his
fitness to serve as America's Commander-in-Chief.

Signers of the letter include the entire chain of command
above Lt. John Kerry in Vietnam: Lt. Commander Grant
Hibbard, Lt. Commander George Elliott, Captain Charles
Plumly, Captain Adrian Lonsdale USCG, and Rear
Admiral Roy Hoffman.

Hear what they have to say about John Kerry.

http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/st...40515063551324

Kerry would be described as devious, self-absorbing,
manipulative, disdain for authority, disruptive, but the
most common phrase that you'd hear is 'requires constant
supervision.'"
-- Captain Charles Plumly, USN (retired)

"In my specific, personal experience in both coastal and
river patrols over a 12-month period, I never once saw
or heard anything remotely resembling the atrocities
described by Senator Kerry. If I had, it would have been
my obligation to report them in writing to a higher authority,
and I would certainly have done that. If Senator Kerry
actually witnessed or participated in these atrocities or, as
he described them, 'war crimes,' he was obligated to report
them. That he did not until later when it suited his political
purposes strikes me as opportunism of the worst kind.
That he would malign my service and that of his fellow
sailors with no regard for the truth makes him totally
unqualified to serve as Commander-in-Chief."
-- Jeffrey Wainscott

"While in Cam Rahn Bay, he trained on several 24-hour
indoctrination missions, and one special skimmer operation
with my most senior and trusted Lieutenant. The briefing
from some members of that crew the morning after revealed
that they had not received any enemy fire, and yet Lt.(jg)
Kerry informed me of a wound -- he showed me a scratch
on his arm and a piece of shrapnel in his hand that appeared
to be from one of our own M-79s. It was later reported to
me that Lt.(jg) Kerry had fired an M-79, and it had
exploded off the adjacent shoreline. I do not recall being
advised of any medical treatment, and probably said
something like 'Forget it.' He later received a Purple Heart
for that scratch, and I have no information as to how or w
hom.

Lt.(jg) Kerry was allowed to return to the good old USA
after 4 months and a few days in-country, and then he
proceeded to betray his former shipmates, calling them
criminals who were committing atrocities. Today we are
here to tell you that just the opposite is true. Our rules of
engagement were quite strict, and the officers and men of
Swift often did not even return fire when they were under
fire if there was a possibility that innocent people--fishermen,
in a lot of cases -- might be hurt or injured. The rules and
the good intentions of the men increased the possibility that
we might take friendly casualties."
-- Commander Grant Hibbard, USN (retired)

"Lt. Kerry returned home from the war to make some
outrageous statements and allegations... numerous criminal
acts in violation of the law of war were cited by Kerry,
disparaging those who had fought with honor in that conflict.
Had war crimes been committed by US forces in Vietnam?
Yes, but such acts were few and far between. Yet Lt. Kerry
gave numerous speeches and testimony before Congress
inappropriately leading his audiences to believe that what
was only an anomaly in the conduct of America's fighting
men was an epidemic. Furthermore, he suggested that they
were being encouraged to violated the law of war by those
within the chain of command.

Very specific orders, on file at the Vietnam archives at Texas
Tech University, were issued by my father [Admiral Elmo
Zumwalt] and others in his chain of command instructing
subordinates to act responsibly in preserving the life and
property of Vietnamese civilians."
-- Lt. Col. James Zumwalt, USMC (retired)

"I served with these guys. I went on missions with them,
and these men served honorably. Up and down the chain
of command there was no acquiescence to atrocities. It
was not condoned, it did not happen, and it was not
reported to me verbally or in writing by any of these men
including Lt.(jg) Kerry.

In 1971, '72, for almost 18 months, he stood before the
television audiences and claimed that the 500,000 men
and women in Vietnam, and in combat, were all villains
-- there were no heroes. In 2004, one hero from the
Vietnam War has appeared, running for President of
the United States and Commander-in-Chief. It just galls
one to think about it."
-- Captain George Elliott, USN (retired)

"During the Vietnam War I was Task Force Commander
at An Thoi, and my tour of duty was 13 months, from the
end of Tet to the beginning of the Vietnamization of the
Navy units.

Now when I went there right after Tet, I was restricted in
my movements. I couldn't go much of anyplace because
the Vietcong controlled most of the area. When I left, I
could go anywhere I wanted, just about. Commerce was
booming, the buses were running, trucks were going, the
waterways were filled with sampans with goods going to
market, but yet in Kerry's biography he says that our
operations were a complete failure. He also mentions a
formal conference with me, to try to get more air cover
and so on. That conference never happened..."
-- Captain Adrian Lonsdale, USCG (retired)

worth considering--

http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnkerry.com/