Swift Vets and POWs for Truth

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Swift Vets and POWs for Truth, formerly known as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT), is an organization of American Swift boat veterans and former prisoners of war of the Vietnam War, formed during the 2004 presidential election campaign for the purpose of opposing John Kerry's candidacy for the presidency, specifically by criticizing his actions during and shortly after his military service. During the 2004 race, the group's ads were criticized as distortions of Kerry's military record; it was also alleged that they were connected to the Republican party and the 2004 Bush-Cheney presidential campaign.

Contents 1 Background 2 Membership 3 Media activities 3.1 First television advertisement 3.2 Second television advertisement 3.3 Third television advertisement 3.4 Fourth television advertisement 3.5 Book 4 Controversy 4.1 Truthfulness 4.2 Connections with Republicans 4.3 Connections with the Bush campaign 4.4 FEC complaints 4.5 Disclosure of documents 5 Relationship to Admiral Roy Hoffmann Foundation 6 "Swift Boating" 7 References 8 External links 8.1 SBVT and Kerry websites 8.2 Firsthand accounts 8.3 News articles about SBVT 8.4 Editorial and opinion 8.5 Other 9 Further reading

[edit] Background

SBVT asserted that Kerry was "unfit to serve" as president based upon his alleged "willful distortion of the conduct" of American servicemen during that war, and his alleged "withholding and/or distortion of material facts" as to his own conduct during that war. This claim caused tremendous controversy during the election, particularly because some perceived the veterans as partisans who had not been in a place to assess Kerry, while several other Vietnam veterans who served alongside Kerry or under his command disputed the criticisms and supported Kerry in his presidential aspirations.

At their website, SBVT stated that "Kerry's phony war crimes charges, his exaggerated claims about his own service in Vietnam, and his deliberate misrepresentation of the nature and effectiveness of Swift boat operations compel us to step forward." The group challenged the legitimacy of each of the combat medals awarded to Kerry by the U.S. Navy, and the disposition of his discharge. (See John Kerry military service controversy.) Further, the SBVT claimed that Kerry's later criticism of the unpopular war was a "betrayal of trust" with other soldiers, and that by his activism he had caused direct and inexcusable "harm" to soldiers still at war. (See John Kerry VVAW controversy.)

The SBVT, registered under Section 527 of the U.S. tax code, publicized its criticisms of Kerry during the election campaign in a book, in television advertisements that the group ran in swing states, and in the media coverage some members received. The group was the subject of several complaints to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), including a charge by Kerry of illegal co-ordination with the Bush campaign.

After the election, the group was credited by some media and praised by conservatives as contributing to the defeat of John Kerry [1] while critics consider the group an example of a successful political smear campaign [2].

[edit] Membership

The SBVT was formed in 2004. Membership was initially limited to veterans of the Vietnam War who at some point served in a Swift boat unit, as did Kerry. Of the 3,500 Swift boat sailors who served in Vietnam, the names of some 250 appeared on the group's initial statement against Kerry; most did not serve at the same time or in the same place as Kerry. Founding members of SBVT include Rear Admiral Roy Hoffmann (retired), a former commander of Swift boat forces; Houston attorney John O'Neill, an officer who became commander of Swift Boat PCF 94 several months after Kerry's departure in 1969 and who appeared opposite Kerry in a televised 1971 debate between them on The Dick Cavett Show; and 13 other named veterans. Several of those who joined SBVT during the 2004 campaign were officers who had previously praised Kerry's conduct during the Vietnam War. These included Division Commander Grant Hibbard, who wrote positive evaluations of Kerry, and Commander George Elliott, who submitted Kerry for a Silver Star. SBVT counts, in total, 16 officers who served with Kerry in Coastal Division 11 as members.^[3] Despite SBVT's claims that Kerry's "entire chain of command" belonged to the group,^[4] neither Joseph Streuli, former commander of Coastal Division 13, nor Art Price, former commander CTF 116 who is described in Unfit for Command as part of Kerry's chain of command, are affiliated with the group.

The group's initial letter against Kerry stated "It is our collective judgment that, upon your return from Vietnam, you grossly and knowingly distorted the conduct of the American soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen of that war (including a betrayal of many of us, without regard for the danger your actions caused us). Further, we believe that you have withheld and/or distorted material facts as to your own conduct in this war."^[5] However, Kerry had posted over 100 pages of his military records at his website nearly two weeks before the issuance of the SBVT letter, and had also made his military medical records available for inspection by reporters (and provided a summary from his doctor).^[6][7][8]

Not all SBVT members claimed to be signing the letter for the same reason. For example, from an interview published the day before the letter was made public: " '[Kerry] earned his medals, he did what he was supposed to do in Vietnam,' said retired Coast Guard Captain Adrian Lonsdale, who was in the chain of command above Kerry and oversaw various operations dealing with Navy swift boats of the type Kerry commanded. 'But I was very disappointed in his statements after he got out of the Navy.' "^[9]

Of those who served in Kerry's boat crew, only Stephen Gardner joined SBVT. He was not present on any of the occasions when Kerry won his medals, including his Purple Hearts. Gardner appeared in two of the group's television advertisements.

All other living members of Kerry's crew supported his presidential bid, and some frequently campaigned with him as his self-described 'band of brothers'. Kerry crewmembers have disputed some of SBVT's various allegations: "pure fabrication" (Jim Rassmann), "totally false" (Drew Whitlow), "garbage" (Gene Thorson), and "a pack of lies" (Del Sandusky).^{[10][11][12][13]}

No members of SBVT were aboard Kerry's boat during any of the incidents for which he was decorated. The only member of SBVT who was present at the Silver Star incident, Rood's crewmember Larry Clayton Lee, praised Kerry's tactics and stated that Kerry deserved the medal; he stated that after discussions with other SBVT members, he came to question whether Kerry deserved other medals for incidents at which he was not present. ^[14][15]

On September 29, 2004, SBVT announced that it was joining forces with a group of American prisoners of war who were held captive by the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War to form the new group, "Swift Vets and POWs For Truth".^[16]

[edit] Media activities

SBVT produced several television advertisements attacking Kerry's actions both in and after Vietnam. For a detailed discussion of SBVT's allegations about Kerry's service in Vietnam, see John Kerry military service controversy.

[edit] First television advertisement

SBVT first went public with a May 4, 2004, press conference declaring opposition to Kerry. When the press conference garnered little attention, the organization decided to produce television advertisements. On August 5, 2004, SBVT began airing a one-minute television spot^[17][18] in three hotly contested states in the ongoing presidential election. The advertisement, entitled "Any Questions?", was a collage of short clips of thirteen SBVT members, many who stated they "served with John Kerry" or had direct contact with Kerry during his service in Vietnam. The veterans appearing in the ad said John Kerry was dishonest, unreliable, unfit to lead, and had dishonored his country and fellow veterans. Only one of the men in the advertisement (Steve Gardner) served under Kerry, but some sailed alongside Kerry's Swift boat on multi-boat patrols.

[edit] Second television advertisement

On August 20, 2004, SBVT released a second television advertisement^[19][20] featuring a portion of Kerry's 1971 testimony, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.^[21] Kerry, testifying as a member of Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), had criticized U.S. policy in Vietnam. He had also described VVAW's 1971 Winter Soldier Investigation, in which more than a hundred soldiers and civilians said they had seen or committed atrocities carried out by U.S. forces in Vietnam. Kerry's Senate testimony presented a summary of these men's statements; he did not, however, claim any personal knowledge of these atrocities. The SBVT advertisement alternated clips of Kerry's summary of these statements with charges from Vietnam veterans, particularly former POW's, that Kerry's "accusations" had demoralized and "betrayed" soldiers in Vietnam.

See also Fulbright Hearing.

[edit] Third television advertisement

A third television advertisement^[22][23] began airing on August 26, 2004, attacking Kerry's past statements that he was in Cambodia on Christmas Eve, 1968. This advertisement featured Stephen Gardner stating, " I spent more time on John Kerry's boat than any other crew member. ... John Kerry claims that he spent Christmas in 1968 in Cambodia and that is categorically a lie. Not in December, not in January. We were never in Cambodia on a secret mission, ever." However, Gardner was only part of Kerry's crew from December 6, 1968 to approximately January 22, 1969; other crewmembers appear to have served as long or longer under Kerry's command [24]. In addition, Kerry had never claimed that the Christmas incident was a "secret mission," but happened during a patrol; furthermore, he stated at least two weeks prior to the ad's appearance that if he had not been in Cambodia on Christmas Eve 1968, he had been at least patrolling the border and subsequently ambushed. [25][26] The account of the patrol appears in Douglas Brinkley's "Tour of Duty," and Cmdr. Elliott noted in Kerry's fitness report that his boat was ambushed during the Christmas truce of 1968.

See also John Kerry military service controversy#Cambodia mission.

[edit] Fourth television advertisement

On August 31, 2004, a fourth advertisement^[27][28] was released by SBVT. The advertisement described Kerry as a man who "renounced his country's symbols," a reference to a Vietnam War protest where Kerry threw war decorations over the fence of the U.S. Capitol building on April 23, 1971. The advertisement also contained edited video clips of Kerry from a WRC-TV program called Viewpoints, in which he stated that he gave back "six, seven, eight, nine" (in response to a question: "How many did you give back, John?"); it then included a clip from another part of that interview where Kerry stated "and that was the medals themselves," although in the interview it was not in reference to the decorations he returned.^[29]

See also John Kerry VVAW controversy.

[edit] Book

SBVT founder and spokesman John O'Neill and Jerome Corsi are listed as coauthors of Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry. The book was published by the conservative Regnery Publishing. A best-seller upon release in August 2004, it criticized Kerry's judgment in battle, his truthfulness, his entitlement to certain medals, and his later anti-War activities. The book was based in part on interviews with veterans who served in or with Kerry's division. Several members of Kerry's crew stated that O'Neill failed to interview them; some veterans who were interviewed asserted that their statements were edited to strip out material favorable to Kerry.^[30] Neither O'Neill nor Corsi claimed any firsthand knowledge of Kerry's service. O'Neill served on the Swift boats only after Kerry left; Corsi never served in Vietnam.

After controversial statements made by Corsi at a conservative website became public, O'Neill stated that Corsi was not actually the coauthor of the book, but simply helped in its editing^[31]. However, Corsi describes himself as "honored to be participating in bringing the case against John Kerry as co-author of UNFIT FOR COMMAND"^[32], and portions of the book contain material also found in articles Corsi posted at an anti-Kerry website [33][34][35][36]

[edit] Controversy

[edit] Truthfulness

A major part of the SBVT controversy centers on what some believe is inconsistent and misleading testimony. Among the first to question the veracity of the first ad was Republican Senator John McCain, a Bush supporter, Vietnam veteran, and former POW. He said, "I condemn the [SBVT] ad, it is dishonest and dishonorable, I think it is very, very wrong". [37] As a naval aviator in Vietnam, McCain had no firsthand knowledge of Kerry's service. The SBVT statements were accompanied by sworn affidavits, although one affiant, Al French, later admitted he had no firsthand knowledge of what he had sworn to [38].

The first SBVT ad was contradicted by the statements of several other veterans who observed the incidents, by the Navy's official records, and, in some instances, by the contemporaneous statements of SBVT members themselves.

Several major newspapers were also skeptical of the SBVT allegations. For example, a New York Times news article stated, "on close examination, the accounts of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth prove to be riddled with inconsistencies." [39] ABC News's The Note opined, "the Swift Boat ad and their primary charges about Kerry's medals are personal, negative, extremely suspect, or false." [40] Regarding the medal dispute, a Los Angeles Times editorial (August 24, 2004, p. B10) stated, "Not limited by the conventions of our colleagues in the newsroom, we can say it outright: These charges against John Kerry are false." The editorial argued this position on the basis that "Kerry is backed by almost all those who witnessed the events in question, as well as by documentation." On August 22, 2004 The Washington Post reported: "An investigation by The Washington Post into what happened that day suggests that both sides have withheld information from the public record and provided an incomplete, and sometimes inaccurate, picture of what took place. But although Kerry's accusers have succeeded in raising doubts about his war record, they have failed to come up with sufficient evidence to prove him a liar." [41]

The ABC television show Nightline traveled to Vietnam and interviewed Vietnamese who were involved in the battle for which Kerry was awarded the Silver Star. These witnesses disputed O'Neill's charge that there "was little or no fire" that day; they said that the fighting was fierce. [42] SBVT supporters question whether these witnesses are reliable because they spoke "in the presence of a Communist official" [43], but their account of enemy fire is substantially the same as that previously given by another former VC to an AP reporter [44], and by the American witnesses, including the only SBVT member who was actually present that day, Larry Clayton Lee [45][46]["Tour of Duty," pp. 290-292] ["John F. Kerry, The Complete Biography" (Boston Globe), pp. 100-103].

Jerome Corsi has claimed that a picture of Kerry's 1993 visit to Vietnam hangs in the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City as a gesture of "honor" by the communists "for his contribution to their victory over [the] United States" [47], and John O'Neill has stated that Kerry "is in the North Vietnamese war museum as a hero. . . . one of the heroes who caused them to win the war in Vietnam" [48]. The claim is also repeated in "Unfit for Command" (pp 167-174). However, Josh Gerstein of the New York Sun stated in this regard:

"While the museum clearly honors opponents of the war from America and other countries, it is not clear that the photo of Mr. Kerry is part of that tribute. The picture of the senator hangs among a set of photos devoted to the restoration of diplomatic relations between America and Vietnam in the 1990s.

It was apparently taken as Mr. Kerry took part in a delegation President Clinton sent to Hanoi in 1993. Other photos nearby show visits during that period by former American officials who played key roles in the Vietnam War, including a Navy admiral who has since died, Elmo Zumwalt, and a defense secretary, Robert McNamara. A secretary of state during Mr. Clinton’s term, Warren Christopher, is also shown meeting Vietnamese officials." [49]

In this connection, the webpage Mr. Corsi and another anti-Kerry veteran originally published on the Kerry museum photo contained the picture of Robert McNamara's 1995 meeting with General Giap, who was misidentified as Mao Tse Tung.[50](Photo #10).

In addition, John O'Neill claimed that in 1971 John Kerry "wanted to abandon ship and leave the POWs [in Vietnam]" and that "[o]n the Dick Cavett show and elsewhere, John Kerry‘s position was that we should accept the Madame Binh seven-point proposal, which called for unilateral withdrawal, setting a date after which at some future time, we‘d negotiate the return of the POWs. So we would set a date. We would withdraw and then we would begin to discuss how to bring them home" [51]. However, in the Cavett debate, Kerry actually said:

"Now, if we were to set a date for withdrawal from Southeast Asia, we can – the Vietnamese, first of all, have said it will be settled prior to the arrival of that date, but we can set a time limit on that. If the prisoners of war aren't back prior to the arrival of that date, then I think we would have – for the first time in all of our history in Vietnam we would have a legitimate reason for taking some kind of reaction to it."[52]

Early in the advertising campaign, Time magazine surveyed public credence in the SBVT advertisements among those who viewed them. The poll, conducted August 24 through 26, showed that about one-third of viewers believed there was at least "some truth" to the allegations. Among swing voters, about one-fourth felt there was any truth to the ads. [53]

[edit] Connections with Republicans

SBVT characterized itself as a non-partisan group both in the legal sense and in spirit, yet several prominent individuals who assisted the SBVT also have had close ties to the Republican Party. According to information released by the IRS on February 22, 2005, more than half of the group's reported contributions came from just three sources, all prominent Texas Republican donors: Houston builder Bob J. Perry, a longtime supporter of George W. Bush, donated $4.45 million, Harold Simmons' Contrans donated $3 million, and T. Boone Pickens, Jr. donated $2 million. Other major contributors included Bush fundraiser Carl Lindner ($300,000), Robert Lindner ($260,000), GOP contributor Aubrey McClendon ($250,000), George Matthews Jr. ($250,000), and Crow Holdings ($100,000). [54] [55] [56]

The initial communications consultant for SBVT was Merrie Spaeth, a Reagan administration press officer and a volunteer consultant to Ken Starr in the Clinton impeachment; she was also a spokesperson for "Republicans for Clean Air," an anti-McCain 527 group formed during the 2000 primaries and funded by Bush supporters who also helped fund SBVT [57][58]. Spaeth's late husband, Tex Lezar, who graduated from Yale two years behind George W. Bush, was a speechwriter for the Nixon administration and an attorney in the Reagan Justice Department [59]. He ran for Texas lieutenant governor on George W. Bush's ticket in 1994. John E. O'Neill — the primary author of Unfit for Command and a key player in the formation of SBVT — donated over $14,000 to Republican candidates, was a partner in Lezar's law firm. He co-operated with the Nixon White House in opposing Kerry in 1971, and seconded Nixon's nomination at the 1972 Republican national convention. [60][61]

Retired Admiral William Schachte, the principal source for the SBVT allegations about Kerry's first Purple Heart, has donated to both of Bush’s presidential campaigns. Schachte was also a lobbyist for FastShip, a firm that recently announced it was receiving $40 million in federal funding for one of its projects. In addition, Schachte's lobbying firm associate, David Norcross, was chairman of the 2004 Republican convention. [62] Chris LaCivita, Political Director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2002 [63], works as a private contractor providing media advice for SBVT. [64]

The SBVT postal address was registered to Susan Arceneaux, treasurer of the Majority Leader's Fund, a PAC closely tied to the former Congressional leader, Republican Dick Armey. [65]

These ties, along with others (see below), led to accusations that SBVT was a front group for Republicans and caused SBVT to take considerable heat from some observers in the popular press. Slate's editor, Jacob Weisberg, wrote that SBVT was part of the "right-wing slime machine." [66]

[edit] Connections with the Bush campaign

The Bush campaign became part of the general SBVT controversy when Senator John McCain condemned the first SBVT ad, and said, "I hope that the president will also condemn it." The Bush campaign did not condemn SBVT or the SBVT ads. The campaign did not endorse the group either, stating "We have not and we will not question Senator Kerry's service in Vietnam." [67] Kerry was dismissive of this statement, saying, "Of course, the President keeps telling people he would never question my service to our country. Instead, he watches as a Republican-funded attack group does just that." [68] More recently, Kerry alleged that SBVT was "a front for the Bush campaign. And the fact that the President won’t denounce what they’re up to tells you everything you need to know — he wants them to do his dirty work".[69] When pressed on the issue, President Bush called for an end to all 527 group political advertisements, which would include those produced by SBVT, and challenged Kerry to do the same. [70]

Critics and the Kerry campaign pointed to several specific connections between SBVT and the Bush campaign that they contend are improper. The Kerry campaign asserted that Bush campaign headquarters in Florida distributed fliers promoting SBVT events, a charge the Bush campaign denied.[71] Kenneth Cordier, former vice-chair of Veterans for Bush/Cheney (in 2000) and volunteer member of the Bush campaign veterans steering committee, appeared in the second SBVT advertisement. The Bush campaign asked him to resign and stated that it had been unaware of his SBVT involvement. [72]

On August 25, 2004, Benjamin Ginsberg, the top election lawyer to the Bush campaign on campaign finance law, also resigned after it was learned that the SBVT was one of his clients. Ginsberg stated that he was withdrawing to avoid being a distraction to the campaign. He declared that he had acted "in a manner that is fully appropriate and legal,"[73], arguing that it was not uncommon or illegal for lawyers to represent campaigns or political parties while also representing 527 groups. He also maintained that he did not disclose to the Bush campaign that he was simultaneously representing the SBVT group. After leaving the Bush campaign, Ginsberg retained his status as counsel to the SBVT.

[edit] FEC complaints

On August 20, 2004, the Kerry campaign filed a complaint with the FEC, alleging that the activities of the SBVT were illegally coordinated with Republicans and the Bush-Cheney campaign. Under federal election law, the SBVT, as a nonpartisan 527 group, was barred from coordinating with any political campaign. The complaint, citing the "ties" noted above, claimed a "web of connections to the Bush family, high-profile Texas political figures, and President Bush's chief political aide, Karl Rove". The complaint added that independent research had discredited the SBVT's claims on its website and in the first television advertisement (the only one that had aired when the complaint was prepared). [74], [75]

The Bush campaign dismissed charges of ties and asserted there was no co-ordination between SBVT and the campaign. Editorial opinion on the evidence for co-ordination varied. ABC News's The Note stated, "There is no evidence that the Bush campaign is orchestrating the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." [76] In contrast, the New York Times opined that the SBVT attacks were "orchestrated by negative-campaign specialists deep in the heart of the Texas Republican machine." [77]

On August 10, 2004, three campaign finance watchdog groups — Democracy 21, the Campaign Legal Center, and the Center for Responsive Politics — jointly filed an independent complaint with the FEC. The complaint alleges that SBVT's sources of funding are in violation of federal election law. [78] The same groups later filed a complaint about Texans for Truth, another 527 organization that has run advertisements criticizing Bush's military service record.

[edit] Disclosure of documents

During the campaign, SBVT criticized Kerry for not signing a Standard Form 180 authorizing general public access to his Navy personnel records; [79] Kerry responded that the documents were posted on his website. [80]. On May 20, 2005, Kerry did sign the SF-180 form permitting release of his service records and medical records to reporters from the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, and the Associated Press [81]; he refused a request by the New York Sun for access to the records.[82]. The Boston Globe and Los Angeles Times reported that the records largely duplicated what Kerry had released during the campaign. [83] [84].

SBVT members also criticized Kerry for not releasing his own private journals and letters. However, SBVT members themselves refused to release documents. For example, a journal by another of the Swift boat commanders and the relevant Navy records of some of the SBVT members involved in specific allegations have not been released.[85]

The White House refused to release records detailing any Bush administration contacts with prominent individuals associated with SBVT. The denied Freedom of Information Act request was filed on August 24 by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. [86]

[edit] Relationship to Admiral Roy Hoffmann Foundation

In July 2006, controversy arose over donations SBVT made to a nonprofit organization, the Admiral Roy Hoffmann Foundation (aka Admiral Roy Hoffman Foundation), chaired by the chairman of SBVT, Roy F. Hoffmann [87]. The address and agent for service for the foundation is Political Compliance Services, the same consulting firm, and consultant - Susan Arceneaux - used by SBVT.

According to reports and SBVT's own filings, SBVT donated $10,000 to the Hoffmann organization in 2005, and in early 2006 donated another $100,000 to the organization [88][89][90]. According to a website purporting to quote SBVT treasurer Weymouth Symmes, the latter donation was subsequently reimbursed by the foundation.[91]

According to that same website, the foundation is purportedly also financed from John O'Neill's proceeds from the publication of "Unfit for Command." [92]

[edit] "Swift Boating"

Main article: swiftboating

Since the 2004 election, the term "Swift Boating", or "swiftboating", is a common expression for a campaign attacking opponents by questioning their credibility and patriotism. The term is most often used with the pejorative meaning of a smear campaign. ^[1] The term has also occasionally been used positively by conservatives. ^[2]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

[edit] SBVT and Kerry websites

[edit] Firsthand accounts

[edit] News articles about SBVT

[edit] Editorial and opinion

[edit] Other

[edit] Further reading

• O'Neill, John and Jerome Corsi, Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry, Regnery Publishing, 2004. ISBN 0-89526-017-4

• Grandin, Greg The Swift Boating of America