The Washington Post reported that the citation for a Bronze Star awarded to Mr. Thurlow for heroism in the incident refers to “enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire,” contradicting his account and bearing out Mr. Kerry’s. The Kerry campaign posted the article from The Post on its Web site, and sent an e-mail to supporters saying the article “completely discredited” Mr. Thurlow and “marks the end of the dishonest and disgusting smear campaign against John Kerry and his crew mates from Vietnam.”
Now that’s funny! As I posted yesterday, the article not only doesn’t “complete discredit” Thurlow, it only highlights that Thurlow and Kerry contradict each other, which we already knew. Thurlow is not his citation, and since he did not apply for a medal or write an AAR, there is no self-contradiction there. Furthermore, the vast majority of men who were there on the river support Thurlow’s version.
Kerry, by his own admission, ran away – as one of his own crewmen says was his wont – so he was not there for Thurlow’s most dangerous action, trying to board an out-of-control boat. This action, suspiciously enough, is not described in Thurlow’s citation. Logic suggests that is because Kerry wrote the AAR that supported his application for a medal.
The fact that the Kerry campaign is desperately clutching at this wholly inadequate straw demonstrates how weak they know John Kerry’s case is.