According to Kerry's website, his last mission was on March 13 (the incident in which he saved Rassman and won a Bronze Star and his third Purple Heart). However, Brinkley's "Tour of Duty" tells us that Kerry's last mission was in support of Nixon's Operation Menu on March 18.
Well, well. Kerry's transfer order went out on March 20, and he took leave on March 28, so Kerry seems to have been on station around March 18, just as Brinkley reports. But wait! Did Kerry really take SEALs to Cambodia? The Command History says that on March 18 and 19, Kerry's PCF 94 and four other boats swept two rivers, including the "Bo De", destroying 67 structures and 43 bunkers but not reporting enemy contact.
Hmm, George Bates of the Swiftees told a grim tale of Kerry burning a hamlet on the "Song Bo De" which we excerpt from Drudge below. Same river, same incident? The website has not released the after-action reports for March 18/19, although the campaign claims that all of Kerry's records have been released. Why the deception/confusion? Kerry has already confessed to war crimes, so a bit of documentation shouldn't shock anyone. Or would it? Release the records! And correct the website, too.
Actually, these documents should be available to the public at the Naval Historical Center, if a Washington based sleuth is interested. Bring a digital camera.
Via Drudge, from Unfit for Command:
George Bates, an officer in Coastal Division 11, participated in numerous operations with Kerry. In UNFIT FOR COMMAND, Bates recalls a particular patrol with Kerry on the Song Bo De River. He is still "haunted" by the incident:
With Kerry in the lead, the boats approached a small hamlet with three or four grass huts. Pigs and chickens were milling around peacefully. As the boats drew closer, the villagers fled. There were no political symbols or flags in evidence in the tiny village. It was obvious to Bates that existing policies, decency, and good sense required the boats to simply move on.
Instead, Kerry beached his boat directly in the small settlement. Upon his command, the numerous small animals were slaughtered by heavy-caliber machine guns. Acting more like a pirate than a naval officer, Kerry disembarked and ran around with a Zippo lighter, burning up the entire hamlet.
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