Article

2004-08-19 Home Front: WoT

WashPost nitpiks Kerry Critic; Ignores Kerry's Lies

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by mhw 2004-08-19 8:50:40 AM|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Verbal volleyball while Kerry hides.

Posted by crazyhorse 2004-08-19 9:50:55 AM|| 2004-08-19 9:50:55 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Look how the WaPo goes into details about Thurlow's not opening up his records (He isn't running for president) while completely ignoring Kerry's refusal (and Kerry *is* running for pres).

Sounds like some of that stuff from a Brown Book (giving military, personal and medical details on the swiftvets) mentioned in an earlier Rantburg posting...

For much of the episode, Kerry was not in a position to know firsthand what was happening on Thurlow's boat, as Kerry's boat had sped down the river after the mine exploded under another boat. He later returned to provide assistance to the stricken boat.

Translation: Kerry fled with his tail between his legs (yelp! yelp! yelp! yelp!...) until it was safe for him to come back as the 'Hero'....

Posted by CrazyFool 2004-08-19 10:28:59 AM|| 2004-08-19 10:28:59 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 For much of the episode, Kerry was not in a position to know firsthand what was happening on Thurlow's boat, as Kerry's boat had sped down the river after the mine exploded under another boat. He later returned to provide assistance to the stricken boat.

The incident in question was many years ago. There may have been some minimal fire from the shore or from the ships to the shore and Thurlow may have interpreted the minimal fire as 'quiet' and Kerry may have interpreted the minimal fire as 'under fire'.

However the quote above raises lots of questions. As I recall, the VC didn't use mines very extensively for one thing. For another, if a mine went off, why would you accelerate your boat?

Anyway, the big story is the way the Post is being Kerry's bitch.

Posted by mhw 2004-08-19 11:05:00 AM|| 2004-08-19 11:05:00 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 the military records may have been influenced by Kerryâs puff up of this incident - the citation in question is written by a person who had access both to the account of the Kerry critic as well as the account of Kerry but the citation was not written by an eyewitness

It looks like Kerry wrote the after action report. When that reached their HQ, staff officer read it, decided the action deserved medals, kicked it over to whoever was tasked with writing citations that day, they just pulled a few details off the after action report (Kerry's), and used it to write both awards. I've read several awards given for the same event and it's just a (insert name here) type of award.

Posted by Steve 2004-08-19 11:29:35 AM|| 2004-08-19 11:29:35 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 "As I recall, the VC didn't use mines very extensively for one thing."

I hope you mean naval mines, because some preposterous percentage of US injuries in Vietnam were from landmines.

As for the whole Thurlow thing, I don't understand why he's supposed to be embarrassed. He says that the citation is overblown, and that he wasn't as brave as his records indicate. How is this discrediting? If you believe the records, he's being self-effacing and humble. If you believe him, the account that made it into the records was inflated and overblown without his knowledge.

Either way, the whole article only reinforces my previous impression of metal inflation and exaggeration in that war, driven by gloryhounds like Kerry.

Posted by Mitch H. 2004-08-19 11:35:40 AM|| [http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/] 2004-08-19 11:35:40 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Mitch,
Yes I meant mines in water.

Posted by mhw 2004-08-19 11:41:46 AM|| 2004-08-19 11:41:46 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 The "mainstream" media is becoming unglued. I already hear the laughing on talk radio (Ingraham, Rush, Hannity, etc.) about the fact that editorial pages are covering this even though it hasn't been covered in the regular "news" pages. How odd is that?

Posted by BigEd 2004-08-19 12:06:47 PM|| 2004-08-19 12:06:47 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Here's the explaination:
Thurlow said Commander George Elliott wrote up the citation for his Bronze Star and Kerry's on March 23, largely based on Kerry's after-action report. Thurlow's citation included a witness from another boat, but only Kerry's report refers to enemy fire, he said. It was the custom to file only one after-action report for an incident, Thurlow noted.
"So the one and only report, which George accepted at face value, was this cock-and-bull story about coming 5,000 meters under intense fire to get Rassman," he said. Thurlow said he was unaware of his medal until two to three months after returning home to Kansas April 22, 1969.

Which is why he didn't question the citation, he was out and just filed it away.

He said the first time he saw Kerry's after-action report was this year in Washington, D.C.
"When I looked at that, it actually made me chuckle," Thurlow said. "What a story."

Posted by Steve 2004-08-19 2:53:38 PM|| 2004-08-19 2:53:38 PM|| Front Page Top

07:21 Shipman
02:31 FlameBait93268
02:17 Kentucky Beef
01:10 Zhang Fei
01:10 Phil Fraering
00:57 Super Hose
00:55 Super Hose
00:47 Old Patriot
00:47 Super Hose
00:42 spiffo
00:39 Super Hose
00:35 Lucky
00:31 Lucky
00:13 lex
00:07 Anonymous6124
00:03 Lucky
00:01 Alaska Paul
23:59 Zenster
23:57 Chris W.
23:56 Chris W.
23:33 True German Ally
23:30 tu3031
23:28 Zenster
23:24 tu3031