Another Leak in the Smear Boat

John O'Neill and Larry Thurlow have consistently alleged that on the day John Kerry rescued James Rassmann from the river, that there was no enemy fire. Kerry's crew and Rassmann have stated repeatedly that they were under fire and that Kerry was "crazy" to risk his life the way he did. Who's telling the truth?

When I first read this quote by John O'Neill, I thought it sounded fishy. Why would O'Neill say that Thurlow was the hero that day if the boats were not under fire? It just didn't add up?

"Larry Thurlow was the hero of that day, not John Kerry . . .Larry Thurlow and others . . . Kerry fled. They stayed. They could have been killed that day if there was fire. But there was no fire." - - John O'Neill

Fortunately, the Washington Post wondered the same thing and looked into the Navy record book to see what really happened that day. You guessed it. The record states that all the boats in the flotilla were under fire.

Thurlow's military records, portions of which were released yesterday to The Washington Post under the Freedom of Information Act, contain several references to "enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire" directed at "all units" of the five-boat flotilla. Thurlow won his own Bronze Star that day, and the citation praises him for providing assistance to a damaged Swift boat "despite enemy bullets flying about him."

Fact is, folks, nothing these smear boat guys tell us should be taken as the truth.