Pop Quiz...............

[Jack from Charlotte]

Pop Quiz

It is 1969. You are a 21 year old kid in the Navy, serving on a Swift boat in Vietnam. You might have joined the National Guard, but some Congressman’s kid jumped ahead of you in line, grabbing the last spot available.

Right now you are on patrol in the Mekong Delta, and you have run into an ambush. A mine goes off under your boat, throwing you in the water and injuring your skipper. Weighed down by guns, grenades, and ammunition, you sink to the bottom while five more boats pass overhead. You shed your gear and surface. As the boats disappear down the river, you are taking machine gun and small arms fire from both banks of the river. You can’t swim to either side without getting shot, and even if you did, getting captured means getting killed. You have one, and only one chance, to get out alive. You have to hope that your skipper turns his boat around, heads back into the crossfire over the mine infested water, reaches down with his bloody arm, and drags you back up on the boat.

Now for the quiz.

Who would you rather have as your skipper, George Bush or John Kerry?


Jim Rassmann is alive and well living on the Oregon coast because when it happened to him, his skipper was John Kerry

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. That's actually a great line

Who would you rather have as your skipper?

[TNOE]

2. THIS definitely deserves a kick

very powerful.

[Jack from Charlotte]

10. Here's a link to the actual citation For Kerryt's action in being awarded

The silver Star. Admiral Zumwalt signed the citation. I'd love for someone with secretarial skills to re-type and print this up. Think it'll come in handy during the next few months.

http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/jkerry/jksilverstar.pdf

[TNOE]

11. Here you Go - Hope not too many typos - hard to read

COMMANDER
UNITED STATES NAVAL FORCES
VIETNAM

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to:

JOHN FORBES KERRY
LIEUTENANT JUNIOR GRADE
UNITED STATES NAVAL RESERVE

For service as set forth in the following:

CITATION

“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 Operations 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 3-40 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 solider 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 3-40 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 taken 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, the 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 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 United States Naval Service.”

For the President


E.R. ZEMALT, Jr.
Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy
Commander U.S. Naval Forces, Vietnam

[Jack from Charlotte]

12. Thanks greatly. It's damn impressive, isn't it?

[TNOE]

14. No doubting that

and the chicken hawks HAVE THE NERVE to even question his medals.... cowards. They didn't go because they knew what it took and they didn't have it. My money says they would have been killed the 1st week in combat.

[Jack from Charlotte]

15. TNOE, could I ask the same favor for Kerry's Bronze Star citation below?

It's much shorter than the one you've already done.

[LiberalVoice]

3. John Kerry! Kick!

:dem:

[AwakeAtLast]

4. <Sarcasm on>

Of course I choose someone who will sit silently for 7 minutes before making a decision.

<Sarcasm off>

I do not understand how people can actually think that there is a contest between the two in the area of leadership!

[Jack from Charlotte]

16. You mean this AWOL/Moron?

It's unbelieveable that this guy just sits there all that time after being told the 2nd tower had also been attacked and 2 other hijacked planes were also bearing down on their targets.

The moron justs sits their reading a book about a friggin' goat.
Unreal!

[sinkingfeeling]

5. Wish all pop quizes were so easy! John Kerry..... n/t

[fob]

6. Kerry of course, but I thought Rassman was on a different swift boat

and had a different skipper, Kerry was the one that came back but Rassman served on a different crew, which means Kerry made a distinction not of just protecting HIS immediate crew, but whomever was in need.

[Jack from Charlotte]

13. Here's the actual citation.... it's unclear whether Rassmann was

on Kerry's boat(94) or the other boat that hit a mine.........

http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/jkerry/jkbronzestar.pdf

[Hutzpa]

7. No contest, John Kerry split second decision here too n/t

:kick:

[Yogi]

8. John Kerry

I'll pass this on. Thanks:kick:

[Q3JR4]

9. Bookmarked...

[bigwillq]

17. Too easy

John Kerry, of course.

This is a great post. Thanks for sharing.

BTW, send this to the RNC and the Shrub campaign!!!!

[JohnKleeb]

18. I thought Jim was a Green Beret

Kerry, reading about Kerry in Vietnam is like reading about heroes of past.

[Canuckistanian]

19. Nominated for homepage....

Great Post.