Another Eyewitness

For some reason, this letter to the editor from Vietnam veteran Jim Russell is in the Telluride Daily Planet instead of the New York Times and Washington Post. Nevertheless it’s a must read:

… Three things that are forever pictured in my mind since that day over 30 years ago are: (1) The No. 3, 50-foot long, Swift boat getting huge, huge air; John Kerry thought it was about two feet. (He was farther away from it than I). I think it was at least four feet and probably closer to six feet; (2) All the boats turning left and letting loose at the same time like a deadly, choreographed dance and; (3) A few minutes later, John Kerry bending over his boat picking up one of the rangers that we were ferrying from out of the water. All the time we were taking small arms fire from the beach; although because of our fusillade into the jungle, I don’t think it was very accurate, thank God. Anyone who doesn’t think that we were being fired upon must have been on a different river.

The picture I have in my mind of Kerry bending over from his boat picking some hapless guy out of the river while all hell was breaking loose around us, is a picture based on fact and it cannot be disputed or changed. It’s a piece of history drawn in my mind that cannot be redrawn. Sorry, “Swift Boats Veterans for the Truth”- that is the truth.

You see, Jim Russel was actually there. And now, back to my vacation.

AB