Who are the SwiftVets?
John O'Neill
O'Neill is a member of the steering committee and a
frequent spokesperson for the group. He took over the boat that Kerry
commanded, about 2 months after Kerry left, so he never actually served
with Kerry. In 1971, Charles Colson, who later went to prison for
Watergate crimes, brough O'Neill to meet Nixon. Nixon was worried that
Kerry's articulate, charismatic anti-war protests would hurt his war, so
he had Kerry put under FBI surveillance, and he had Colson and O'Neill
start a group called Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace. Nixon told
O'Neill to "Give it to him [Kerry]," and Colson told Nixon,
"We'll keep hitting him, Mr. President."
O'Neill is a life-long Republican who worked against
Kerry for Nixon, as mentioned above, clerked for Supreme Court Justice
Rehnquist (Nixon appointed), and he also has ties to Bush Senior. He has
had a life-long vendeta against Kerry, and even his own PR advisor,
Merrie Spaeth, has accused him of sounding like "a crazed
extremist."
Admiral Roy Hoffman
Hoffman is a member of the steering committee, founder
of the group, and was a commander above Kerry. Douglas Brinkley
describes him in his book Tour of Duty: He knew that military
reputations were made in wartime, and he was determined to make his in
Vietnam. What's more, he had a genuine taste for the more unsavory
aspects of warfare, and truly wanted to smoke the Viet Cong out of their
tunnels, burn their jungle outposts, and annihilate them once and for
all. Decades later, many Swift boat veterans under Hoffman's command
would compare him with the rough-hewn colonel in the movie Apocalypse Now
who boasted that he "loved the smell of napalm in the morning."
Hoffman was obsessed with body counts and
"scorekeeping," and may have provoked the February 1969
massacre of Vietnamese civilians at Thanh Phong. Some people have gone
so far as to call him a pychopath.
Merrie Spaeth
When O'Neill first approached her about his
"concerns about Sen. Kerry," she thought he sounded like a
crazed extremist and told him not to talk to the press. But she
eventually changed her mind and agreed to become their PR woman. Spaeth
is among the most experienced and best connected Republican
communications executives. She worked for Reagan and met O'Neill through
her late husband Lezar who ran on the Republican ticket with Bush in
Texas in 1994. She worked with Kenneth Star in his Clinton impeachment
case, and she got that job from Theodore Olson, who is now the solicitor
general in the Bush Justice Department. She also worked with the attack
group who sabatoged Sen. John McCain (who ran against Bush in the
primaries) in 2000.
Grant W. Hibbard
Now a SwiftVets member, in 1968 he described Kerry
as: "One of the top few in his willingness to seek and accept
responsibility."
Captain George Elliot
Currently a SwiftVets member, but in an officer
fitness report from 1969, he said of Kerry:
"In a combat environment often requiring
independent, decisive action LTJG Kerry was unsurpassed. He constantly
reviewed tactics and lessons learned in river operations and applied his
experience at every opportunity. On one occasion while in tactical
command of a three boat operation his units were taken under fire from
ambush. LTJG Kerry rapidly assessed the situation and ordered his units
to turn directly into the ambush. This decision resulted in routing the
attackers with several enemy KIA.
LTJG Kerry emerges as the acknowledged leader in his
peer group. His bearing and appearance are above reproach. He has of his
own volition learned the Vietnamese language and is instrumental in the
successful Vietnamese training program."
Profiles of the men in this
group, and examples of how their testimony regarding Kerry today
conflicts with their testimony 35 years ago, makes it appear to me that
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is a group of Republicans with an axe to
grind. All of Kerry's Navy records have been released. You can view
Kerry's fitness reports for
yourself: . Officers who didn't join SwiftVets had these things to say
about Kerry:
"A top notch officer in every measurable trait. Intelligent, mature and rich in educational background and experience, ENS KERRY is one of the finest young officers I have ever met and without question one of the most promising. Polished, tactful and outgoing, this officer is a brilliant conversationalist who can contribute much worthwhile comment to any discussion. In three months aboard, he has clearly made his mark as an oustanding division officer and a skilled administrator. He has done a superb job as Public Affairs Officer, putting many extra hours into that collateral duty and exhibiting uncommon ingenuity and initiative. He utilizes the English language experly, both orally and in writing. He is an alert and active original thinker with great potential to the Navy. He eagerly accepts and actively seeks out tasks of greater responsibility. He is recommended for accelerated promotion."
--Captain Allen W. Slifer, October 19, 1967
"A most capable officer who demonstrates a high degree of maturity beyond his age and experience. ... His enthusiasm for the Navy and his work is contagious, and his men are ardent supporters of him."
--Captain Slifer again, March 22, 1968
"LTJG KERRY is an intelligent and competent young naval officer who has performed his duties in an excellent to outstanding manner. He is industrious and eager to learn and applies himself with vigor to assigned tasks. He presents a very neat appearance and meets people well. For his age and experience he writes and speaks exceedingly well. His performance as ships PAO officer has been outstanding."
--Captain E.W. Harper, Jr, September 3, 1968
"LTJG KERRY was assigned to this division for only a short time, but during that time exhibited all of the traits desired of an officer in a combat environment. He frequently exhibited a high sense of imagination and judgement in planning operations against the enemy in the Mekong Delta. Involved in several enemy initiated fire fights, including an ambush during the Christmas truce, he effectively suppressed enemy fire and is unofficially credited with 20 enemy killed in action. Though relatively new to the PCF he is throroughly knowlegable of all aspects of his boat and PCF operations. He was instrumental in planning a highly successful Sea Lords Operation."
--Joseph Streuli and George M. Elliott (again) on January 28, 1969, and March 17, 1969, respectively
"LTJG KERRY is one of the finest young officers with whom I have served in a long naval career. His combat record prior to becoming my personal aide speaks for itself and is testimony to his competance and courage at sea. As my personal aide he could not have been more effective. In every instance he has displayed tact, judgement, foresight and energy. He is particularly adept in his relations with people both military and civilians from all strata. I have given him personal speaking assignments which he has performed in an outstanding manner to the credit of the Navy and himself. This young man is detached at his own request to run for high public office to whit the Congress of the United States. The detachment of this officer will be a definite loss to the service. He is the dedicated type that we should retain and it is hoped that he will be of further perhaps earlier greater service to his country, which is his aim in life at this time."
--Admiral Walter F. Schlech, March 2, 1970
This is remarkably admirable praise of the man who is
campaigning to become the 44th President of the United States. More
praise comes from Kerry's fellow Vietnam veteran Jim Rassmann, who says
Kerry saved his life during combat. "On March 13, 1969, Rassmann, a
Green Beret, was traveling down the Bay Hap river in a boat behind
Kerry’s when both were ambushed by exploding land mines and enemy
fire coming from the shore. Kerry was hit in the arm, while a mine blew
Rassmann’s boat out of the water. With enemy fire coming from both
sides of the river and swift boats evacuating from the area,
Kerry’s crew chose to turn their boat toward the ambush to save
Rassmann. “We were still under fire, and he was wounded at the
time…,” recalled Rassmann. And with his boat’s
gunners providing suppressing fire, Kerry extended his wounded arm into
the water and the two lieutenants locked arms."
Rassmann, a Republican, has joined with Max Cleland,
Fritz Hollings, other crewmates with Kerry, and over 16,000
veterans from across the country to form Veterans for Kerry. These men
are not only whole-heartedly supporting Kerry, but they are also actively
contacting other veterans to explain why they think Kerry is a great
candidate for veterans. As a veteran yourself, you may want to take a
look at John Kerry's plan for veterans.