Reality check on swift boat debate
Lack of documented proof hasn't stopped critics from questioning John
Kerry’s medals
By Lisa Myers and the NBC Investigative Unit
Updated: 7:40 p.m. ET Aug. 27, 2004
After a month of charges and countercharges about John Kerry's record in
Vietnam, his
critics have not come up with documented proof to back up their primary
charges. It's a
tangled case of conflicting memories, and lingering questions.
There's a new challenge from Adm. William Schachte (USN, ret.), who
contributed to two
Bush campaigns. Schachte raises questions about Kerry's first Purple
Heart.
"I was in command of those missions and I was in the boat that night," he
says.
In an interview with NBC News, Schachte claims Kerry was not wounded in
combat, but
accidentally hurt himself when he fired a grenade launcher too close to
the boat and a
piece of shrapnel came back and hit his arm.
"I'm saying that he did not deserve the first Purple Heart from what I
saw," says
Schachte.
Lisa Myers: There was no enemy fire involved?
Adm. William Schachte: None.
Myers: You're absolutely certain.
Schachte: Yes.
Myers: 36 years later?
Schachte: Hey, listen, when (laughter) somebody's shooting at you, you
know it."
No after action report has been found. Schachte says as officer in charge
he did not write
one because there was no combat.
The skipper of another boat that night, Mike Voss, tells NBC News, "I
don't know what went
on in the skimmer, but I'm pretty certain Schachte was there, in the
skimmer."
Two other officers — both Kerry critics — also support Schachte's
account.
But not everyone involved shares Schachte's memory. Bill Zaladonis and
another enlisted
man back up Kerry's story. They say they were in that boat with Kerry that
night and
Schachte was not there.
"I don't remember every incident or everything that happened that night.
But I do remember
who was on that boat and I remember it very plainly, very plainly," says
Zaladonis.
The big unanswered question: Why was the Purple Heart awarded three full
months after the
incident? Kerry's commander claims he turned Kerry down for the award.
Kerry says he does
not recall that.
On other incidents questioned by Kerry's critics, the weight of the
evidence clearly
favors Kerry.
On the Bronze Star, all available documents — including citations for
other men honored
for heroism that day — all repeatedly refer to enemy fire.
On the Silver Star, former swift boat skipper William Rood came to Kerry's
defense,
pointing out that Kerry's decision that day to deliberately face an enemy
ambush drew
praise from then-Capt. Roy Hoffman — a leader of the vets now attacking
Kerry.
Del Sandusky was on Kerry's crew for all but one of the missions in
question.
"I was with John Kerry for his Silver and Bronze, and two of his three
Purple Hearts. John
Kerry earned every one of his medals," he says.
Kerry's critics say he invited this kind of scrutiny when he made his
Vietnam record a
central part of his campaign. But even they acknowledge that Kerry
volunteered for duty in
Vietnam. And now that the president has said he doesn't think Kerry lied,
it may be
difficult for critics to sustain their attacks.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5842595/
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