Chicago Tribune: Swift boat skipper: Kerry critics wrong

[Tarheelhombre]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-040821kerry,1,7582568.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Published August 21, 2004

The commander of a Navy swift boat who served alongside Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry during the Vietnam War stepped forward Saturday to dispute attacks challenging Kerry's integrity and war record.

William Rood, an editor on the Chicago Tribune's metropolitan desk, said he broke 35 years of silence about the Feb. 28, 1969, mission that resulted in Kerry's receiving a Silver Star because recent portrayals of Kerry's actions published in the best-selling book "Unfit for Command" are wrong and smear the reputations of veterans who served with Kerry.

Rood, who commanded one of three swift boats during that 1969 mission, said Kerry came under rocket and automatic weapons fire from Viet Cong forces and that Kerry devised an aggressive attack strategy that was praised by their superiors. He called allegations that Kerry's accomplishments were "overblown" untrue.

"The critics have taken pains to say they're not trying to cast doubts on the merit of what others did, but their version of events has splashed doubt on all of us. It's gotten harder and harder for those of us who were there to listen to accounts we know to be untrue, especially when they come from people who were not there," Rood said in a 1,700-word first-person account published in Sunday's Tribune.

Rood's recollection of what happened on that day at the southern tip of South Vietnam was backed by key military documents, including his citation for a Bronze Star he earned in the battle and a glowing after-action report written by the Navy captain who commanded his and Kerry's task force, who is now a critic of the Democratic candidate.

Rood's previously untold story and the documents shed new light on a key historical event that has taken center stage in an extraordinary political and media firestorm generated by a group calling itself the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

[JI7]

1. this is a very good and powerful statement

"The critics have taken pains to say they're not trying to cast doubts on the merit of what others did, but their version of events has splashed doubt on all of us. It's gotten harder and harder for those of us who were there to listen to accounts we know to be untrue, especially when they come from people who were not there," Rood said in a 1,700-word first-person account published in Sunday's Tribune.

it's not just about Kerry, but they are attacking all who ACTUALLY DID serve with Kerry.

[Sparkly]

2. Oh Thank You, William Rood!!!

:D

Get thee to the talk shows, Mr. Rood!!

[Bush was AWOL]

3. That was a great read

Thank you Mr. Rood for telling the truth, even though the sleeze of Mr. O'Neill has forced you to re-visit events you would like to forget.

[Tarheelhombre]

4. But will we capitalize on it with Heavy Rotation, Potent Ads?

[PA Democrat]

5. What WE can do

Contact the media and DEMAND they cover this story. I've already sent this story to several CNN anchors with a message that it would be irresponsible reporting on their part NOT to cover this after they gave so much air time to the smear ads without checking the veracity of these guys' claims.

We have to hold these media whores' feet to the fire and force them to do their jobs.

[Inland]

6. Right on! This makes it EASY for the media to fix the mess they made

giving the scum boat vets for bush the time of day and repeating their ads!

[Walt Starr]

7. The Smear Boat Vets are distracting from real issues

and a comparison of the service of Bush and Kerry, like this:

Kerry

Kerry' s




Dubya*

BBBBBBBBBBBBB


I have verified the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and Air Force Small Arms Expert Marksmanship ribbon only via the photograph of George W. Bush. Other Air Force awards can only be verified if Bush releases his DD214. The two Texas Air National Guard Medals were verified via Bush's ANG22.

[enough]

8. A powerful story.

I recommend reading the entire article, even though you have to register.

snip>

In February 1969, Rood was a lieutenant junior grade commanding PCF-23, one of the three 50-foot aluminum swift boats that carried troops up the Dong Cung, a tributary of the Bay Hap River. Kerry commanded another boat, PCF-94 and Lt. j.g. Donald Droz, who was killed in action six weeks later, commanded PCF-43. Ambushes from Viet Cong fighters were common because the noise from boats, powered by twin diesel engines, practically invited gunfire. Ambushes, Rood said, "were a virtual certainty."

Before this day's mission, though, Kerry, the tactical commander of the mission, discussed with Rood and Droz a change in response to the anticipated ambushes: If possible, turn into the fire once it is identified and attack the ambushers, Rood recalled Kerry saying. The boats followed that new tactic with great success, Rood said, and the mission was highly praised.

snip>

After the attack, the task force commanding officer, then-Capt. Roy Hoffmann, sent a message of congratulations to the three swift boats, saying their charge of the ambushers was a "shining example of completely overwhelming the enemy" and that it "may be the most efficacious of dealing with small numbers of ambushers," Rood said.

snip>

But more than three decades later, Hoffmann, now a retired rear admiral, has changed his story. Today he is one of Kerry's most vocal critics, saying the attacks against the ambushers 35 years ago call into question Kerry's judgment and show his tendency to be impulsive. Rood challenges that criticism, recalling that the direction for the actions they took on the river that day came from the highest ranks of the Navy command in Vietnam.

more>

[iwantmycountryback]

9. Amazing article

A very truthful account to shoot down a bunch of scumbag liars. Their fall from grace is very sweet.

[K8-EEE]

10. KICK!!! THANKS FOR POSTING THIS!

I would LOVE that whole Swift Boat Liar thing to blow up in their faces right before the convention.

That guy Gardiner on Joe S....WHAT A YAY-HOO!! God he looked like a lying fool. I loved the part where he had a totally unrelated piece of paper and he's waving it around and they're saying, Is that regarding this incident? He's like...well,...no. MorAn!

[vickie]

13. This is very powerful. Hopefully the press will interview Mr. Hood.

Since he's not connected to the Swift Liars and is bound by actual journalistic standards. This is a huge development. Hopefully this is up on the Kerry website.

It's even more powerful since it's unsolicted from scum like the despicable John O'Neill.

Vickie Carter

[Sparkly]

11. Now on Yahoo -- rate it up!!

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040821/ts_nm/campaign_kerry_dc

[Lakerstan]

12. A nominee for the home page to be sure. n/t

[American liberal]

14. it's about time

According to the story, Rood will NOT be granting interviews, not even to the Tribune, which is where he works. He says he wants to set the record straight, then put it behind him.

The tables have turned, thank God! Rood's statement, the complaint filed with the FEC, the NYT story from yesterday, which is cited in the linked Trib article, and the icing on the cake...there is now a direct connection btw. those stinking swift boat assholes and the Bush campaign!!!

We will NOT be seeing a repeat of the Dukakis debacle, ladies and gentlemen! It's about time those sleazebags get theirs!

Congrats to the Kerry campaign for turning the tables in the media! Keep it up! Drive that message home hard--especially in those states in which the ads were shown.

The Truth will prevail!

Peace,
AL

[American liberal]

15. If you liked the Tribune story...

read this account from the Friday NYT:

Friendly Fire: The Birth of an Anti-Kerry Ad

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/20/politics/campaign/20swift.html

It's quite enlightening and shows the many ties between the swift boat assholes and the Bush camp. It's worth registering.

Peace,
AL

[Sparkly]

16. Have Leeds and Cueva said anything publicly

either way?

[bklyncowgirl]

17. A powerful statement from someone who has nothing to gain

Rood has said he will speak out on this once and only once. This is not a publicity hound.

Thank you Mr. Rood.

[American liberal]

18. kick

[KharmaTrain]

19. Credibility Plus...Get Ready For The Blowback

First...this isn't some "librul" paper like the New York Times, this is the bedrock, cloth-coat "Dewey Beats Truman" CHICAGO TRIBUNE we're talking about here. This is a well-respected editor who is "old school"...plays it down the middle and leaves the editorializing to the op/ed pages. Hopefully he'll make some TV appearances...next to a SwiftFreeper...and watch the worm really start to turn.

Hardball is gonna come out real hard on Monday and I hear Matthews is ready to blow the lid off a lot of what's going on here. Plus he's got this as additional verification on Kerry's stories along with the latest Freeperboat scum contradictions. The long has gotten a lot longer and the blowback is starting.

Hate radio and Rove controlled-media went over the top here and it could mean the beginning of the end for both as the links of this network is going to start un-ravelling in public view. Thanks to the many DU'ers here who have chronicled this during the darkest of days and soon the light will shine on us all.

Sidenote: I spoke with a long-time friend...a Vietnam Green Beret who voted for Bunnypants in 2000. He decided to vote Kerry last March after he found out to his satisfaction (and according to him...virtually all of his downstate Illinois VFW buddies) that Bunnypants was AWOL. He also strongly things this regime has destroyed the military and needs to be removed before his sons get dragged into the same mess he was pulled into.

We spoke about the Freeperboat crap and he sounded angrier than I did. He said "you don't know what bad memories this is dredging up in a lot of us...things we've tried to bury for all these years". He blames Bunnypants and his "machine" for pitting Nam Vet vs. Nam Vet and there's gonna be a big price to be paid.

He told me he had scanned a copy of the Slimeboat book and that made him even angrier as he started to relive his own days in the jungle and the courage it took just to head into that war. To question, especially after all these years, and now it's being refuted right and left, is a real insult to ALL Vietnam veterans and, now that it's being exposed that this is being orchestrated to help a draft-dodger, watch what happens.

He's more solid Kerry than ever, while he won't vote Obama. He's pro-gun and will go Liberatarian...but he says he speaks for a lot of silent, but very angry veterans. They'll do their talking not to pollsters, but at the ballot box, and it won't be a nice picture for the evil empire.

Cheers!

[in_cog_ni_to]

20. Rood is a true patriot.

For all these years he has tried to put the nightmares of Vietnam behind him, not ever talking about it and for John Kerry he told his story. Thank you Mr. Rood. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Now, O'Neill, you can kiss my Democratic ass!

[mzmolly]

21. GREAT! We need to get the truthful vets to do a counter commercial!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/specials/elections/chi-040821kerry,1,6814873.story?coll=chi-news-hed



Though, Rood says he wishes to put this behind him and never discuss it again. :(

[PROGRESSIVE1]

22. Mr. Rood is a good man.

[OKNancy]

23. Truthout link

for the whole article:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/082204Y.shtml

[Craig Roberts]

24. Thanks a lot for that link

I swear, the only thing these Swift Boat Veterans for Truth are accomplishing with me is they are forcing me to look more and more closely at Kerry's Vietnam record, and the more I look at it, the more impressed I am with the man's service. He truly is a war hero, and his record in Vietnam shows somebody with the courage, intelligence and innovative thinking we need in a Commander in Chief today. This whole story about his winning the Silver Star should be central to his campaign. It shows a guy who decides to stop being an easy target for the enemy, improvises a new plan to more aggressively challenge the enemy and catch them off guard, and then implements that plan with total success.

In the end we may be thanking the Swift Boat Vets organization for bringing this all to the forefront.

[wellstone dem]

25. I feel so sad

that the liars have forced good men to face such hard things again. This must have been so hard for Mr. Rood.