What did John Kerry do that was so famous on the swift boast. (what was the famo

Question: What did John Kerry do that was so famous on the swift boast!. (what was the famous story, no political views)!?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

1!. John Kerry volunteered for Vietnam and served on a guided missile frigate!. He then volunteered for a second tour and also volunteered for duty on what is referred to as a Patrol Craft Fast (PCF) or "Swift Boats!." Swift Boats were coastal patrol boats that often operated in unsecured territory or were used to insert or exfiltrate LURP or SEAL units!.

2!. What was notable about his TOD on that:
(a) he was awarded 3 purple hearts!. That's remarkable for any tour of duty!.
(b) he won a silver star for beaching his boat in an ambush and saving his crew!.
(c) he won a bronze star for diving into the water to save a US special forces advisor who had been knocked overboard by an RPG round!.

How all of this became notorious and the phrase "swift-boating" came about is:
--after the war, John Kerry became a spokesperson for vets against the war!. He testified about having been told of many war crimes having been committed!.
--for this (turning against the war, then being a leader in the anti-war movement and then testifying before congress about war crimes), some swift boat commanders turned against him!. They campaigned against him in Massachusetts and even more so when he ran for President of the USA!.

And to forgive!.!.!.!.your response sure reads like you've got a political ax to grind!. I'm not a John Kerry supporter, didn't vote for the man but I'd like to set a few things straight:

1!. It's quite common for people to receive purple hearts for injuries that don't require them leaving their field units!.

2!. His second purple heart was for a thigh wound and the doctors decided to leave the shrapnel in (he still carries it) so it didn't require surgery--only stitches--therefore no hospitalization!. The account I read said he was wounded in the thigh, so for you to say "in his butt" and he must have been hanging it over the side of the boat is a bit pejorative or exaggeration on your part!.

3!. His third purple heart (when an explosion went off under the hull of his boat) that you imply must not have happened or been weak because there was no supposed hull damage--that's also the incident where the special forces advisor was thrown overboard!.

4!. And it's a cheapshot to imply that somehow anything he was awarded was due to the Kennedy's!. Somehow, at a time when Richard Nixon was President, I don't think Teddy Kennedy was having much influence on the CNO!.

I don't care what your politics are but my perspective is that we honor everyone who volunteers to serve and willingly goes into combat!. To ridicule purple hearts is cheap stuff--where do we draw the line on that!? Gotta lose an arm or a leg for it to not be a "band-aid" purple heart!? I've got a friend who sets off metal detectors at airports because of the shrapnel he still carries inside him!. He got a purple heart for that (an RPG blast) and he also wasn't hospitalized for that!. I won't tolerate the ridicule of anyone who served and faced danger in our country's service, regardless of how I feel about their politics!. Leave your partisanship someplace else--especially when the questioner said "no political views!."Www@QuestionHome@Com

He didn't really do anything special while he was assigned to the swift boat unit in Vietnam!. The "swift boat controversy" came about from commercials created by "swiftboat veterans for truth," a group of conservative-leaning veterans who thought Kerry was an opportunistic jerk, and were angry because he protested the war when he got back home!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

he may or may not have traveled into a neutral country to get some of the communist!. that was not allowed allegedly during the war!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

THE SILVER MEDAL CITATION READ:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Officer in Charge of United States Navy Patrol Craft Fast 94 and officer in Tactical Command of an operation in the Republic of Vietnam!. On 28 February 1969, Patrol Craft Fast 23, 43 and 94, in conjunction with Underwater Demolition Team 13 and Vietnamese Regional and Popular Forces personnel, conducted an operation on the Ca Mau Peninsula as part of Operation SEA LORDS!. While transiting the Bay Hap River en route to an insertion point along the Dong Cung River, these craft with thirty Regional/Popular Force personnel embarked in each unit came under heavy enemy small arms fire from the river banks!. The Officer in Tactical Command, Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY directed his units to turn to the beach and charge the Viet Cong positions!. Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY expertly directed the fire of his craft at the fleeing enemy while simultaneously coordinating the insertion of the embarked troops!. While the Regional and Popular Forces conducted an area sweep, Patrol Craft Fast 43 remained on station to provide fire support and Patrol Craft Fast 23 and 94 moved upstream to investigate an area from which gunshots were coming!. Arriving at the area, Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY's craft received a B-40 rocket close aboard!. Once again Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY ordered his units to charge the enemy positions and summoned Patrol Craft Fast 43 to the area to provide additional firepower!. Patrol Craft Fast 94 then beached in the center of the enemy positions and an enemy soldier sprang up from his position not ten feet from Patrol Craft Fast 94 and fled!. Without hesitation Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY leaped ashore, pursued the man behind a hootch and killed him, capturing a B-40 rocket launcher with a round in the chamber!. Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY then led an assault party and conducted a sweep of the area while the Patrol Craft Fast continued to provide fire support!. After the enemy had been completely routed, all personnel returned to the Patrol Craft Fast to withdraw from the area!. While backing off the beach, these units again came under a hail of fire, this time from the opposite river bank!. Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY immediately coordinated the firepower of his units and suppressed the enemy fire!. Later, after disembarking personnel, and while exiting from the Bay Hap River, the Patrol Craft Fast were again under fire!. Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY immediately maneuvered his craft through several strafing runs which completely silenced the enemy!. As a result of this operation, ten Viet Cong were killed and one wounded with no friendly casualties!. In addition, numerous sampans, structures and bunkers were destroyed as well as confiscation of substantial quantities of combat essential supplies!. Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY's devotion to duty, courage under fire, outstanding leadership, and exemplary professionalism directly contributed to the success of this operation and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Unites States Naval Service!."

CONFLICTING VIEW OF THE EVENT:

Ever since WW ONE, the basic battle pattern of the US military (Army, Marines and Navy) is fire and maneuver!. You fire at the enemy then maneuver so he can not accurately return fire!. Along with that, rapid movement of your assets is desirable as it makes you harder to hit!. What John Kerry did was totally OPPOSITE US doctrine!. He not only slowed his boat, he grounded it, leaving it a sitting duck to any rifle, mortor or rocket fire the enemy chose to bear!.

Along with that, as COMMANDER of the boat, his duty was to remain as Commander of the boat!. He could have designated others to charge OFF the boat but he himself was to remain on the boat!. In other words, he left his boat a sitting duck and deserted his post!. Had he been the commander of a REAL combat boat, such as a destroyer, he would have been court martialed for desertion under fire!.

This was all felt due to his desire to seek glory and be a hero!.

SUPPORT TO THE CONFLICTING VIEW:

His previous Vietnam tour consisted of 6 weeks off the coast on the USS Gridley!. As a member of the crew, off the coast, there was no way he could gain personal glory and could only share in unit citations!. So he volunteered for the Swift boats, which at the time were also being used for coastal patrol!.

Between the time he volunteered and was assigned, the duty of the Swift boats changed, becoming a high risk job!.

John Kerry, in addition to his glory seeking in the event described above, put himself in for a purple heart for the most minor of scratches!. None of them required any stitches, none of them required any hospitalization!. The first may be listed as him having two days off duty as a result of the wound but that could be due to it being the weekend!.

One purple heart was for shrapnel in his buttocks, which he claims to have received when a mine went off under the boat!. However the boat had no hull damage so unless he was hanging his butt over the back of the boat, how he got shrapnel there without the boat being damaged can not be explained!.

He was in combat on the Swift boats for a total of three months and for that he got three purple hearts and an instant ticket home, a silver star for an event that should have been a court martial and a bronze star!.

Some feel that his personal ties to the Kennedy family may be why he was rewarded instead of Court Martialed!.

MY VIEW:

Medals do not make a hero!. People like Oliver North REFUSED their third purple heart in order to stay with their units and their men!. I think Kerry, in accepting purple hearts for "band aid boo boos" showed his true colors and I am glad he lost in 2004!.Www@QuestionHome@Com