Kerry Mission in Cambodia

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-15-2004
Kerry Mission in Cambodia
4
Thu, 08-19-2004 - 4:32am
One thing's for sure, Kerry was serving in a war zone while Bush was flying planes because "I was not prepared to shoot my eardrum out with a shotgun in order to get a deferment. Nor was I willing to go to Canada."

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"But two of Kerry's crewmates — Wasser and Zaladonis — both told The Times the boat was in the vicinity of the Cambodian border and even fought an engagement with a Viet Cong sampan on Christmas Eve day.

"We patrolled a river on the border," Zaladonis said last week. "Unless I'm out of my mind or mistaken, that river was part of the border."

There are no after-action reports that pinpoint where Kerry's boat was in late December 1968. But a file from Navy archives in Washington obtained by The Times provides support for both sides.

An entry in a monthly summary of engagements for December 1968 reports that on Christmas Eve, "PCF-44 fired on junk on beach. Results: 1 sampan destroyed."

The entry was made by then-Capt. Roy Hoffmann, the overall commander of Swift boats and now one of Kerry's most vocal critics. There is no written location for the engagement, but it contains a coordinate used by the military to plot locations. The coordinate points to an area about 40 to 50 miles south of the Cambodian border, near an island called Sa Dec.

The entry also notes that the incident took place about 7 a.m., which would have given Kerry's boat another 12 hours to make it to the Cambodian border by nightfall. At a cruising speed of 23 knots, the boat could have covered the distance in about two hours.

This would be consistent with the contention of Kerry spokesman Michael Meehan that Kerry was in Sa Dec but reached the Cambodian border later the same day."

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/2004/la-na-kerryswift17aug17,1,6210087.story?coll=la-bottom-elect2004

And yes, we most certainly were in Cambodia in 1968:

April 1965

The Pentagon approves U.S. "self-defense" penetration of Cambodia.

Nov. 21, 1965

Pentagon approves "hot pursuit" penetration of Cambodia.

http://www.geocities.com/khmerchronology/1965.htm

Assistant Secretary Bundy sends note to US Permanent Rep. to the UN Goldberg concerning the approaching of US and South VN military operations to Cambodian border.

"And there is a pilot error, an air operations acceptance of the target which violated specific instructions which Westmoreland had promulgated at my direction in the wake of a border operation last October."

http://www.geocities.com/khmerchronology/phone043065.htm

"Accordingly, separate message through military channels will contain authorization for self-defense measures applicable to existing Silver Bayonet situation. This will include authority to US/GVN units to return fire, to eliminate fire coming from Cambodia, and to maneuver into Cambodian territory as necessary to defend selves while actively engaged in contact with PAVN/VC units."

http://www.geocities.com/khmerchronology/tele112065.htm

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 08-19-2004 - 4:39am

I wonder why I didn't get any response.


http://messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=iv-elpoliticsto&msg=3646.2


Here's a sincere question/request from a wondering "foreigner-looking-in-from-the-outside-trying-to-make-sense-of-all-of-this" and I would greatly appreciate any response.

Djie

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-07-2004
Thu, 08-19-2004 - 8:13am
Because Bush was trying to say Kerry isn't up to leading the country in a time of war. This is Kerry's response, he's been to war, he was a leader in war, he fought for our country, he was able to react well & quickly in a crisis, he can handle the job.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-15-2004
Thu, 08-19-2004 - 11:37am
Well first of all, it isn't the centerpiece of his campaign. The centerpiece is Kerry fighting for his country his entire life. From actually fighting in Vietnam, to fighting to stop the war, to locking up the second biggest crime boss in NE, to environmental causes, to civil rights causes, to fiscal responsibility, to exposing Iran contra and more. He fights for what he believes is right and always has. That's the centerpiece of his campaign.

Doesn't matter who runs on what, all Republicans ever do is lie and smear, it's all they've ever done. After the way they went after Clinton, smeared Gore with internet and Love Canal lies, smeared Cleland and McCain, now Kerry. That's what they do.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2003
Thu, 08-19-2004 - 12:37pm
To all,

I agree to what Sandnsea said and would like to add that it was right for Kerry to bring in his Vietnam war record in campaign. If he had not brought that in campaign, republicans would have found other things to smear him. It wouldn't have made any difference.