Editing Swift Vets and POWs for Truth (section)

==Membership==
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 statement against Kerry; most did not serve at the same time or in the same place as Kerry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swiftboats.org/|title=Swift Boat Sailors' Association}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://horse.he.net/~swiftpow/index.php?topic=Letter|title=Swift Vets and POWs for Truth}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swiftboats.net/|title=Coastal Squadron One Directory}}</ref> Founding members of SBVT include Rear Admiral [[Roy Hoffmann]] (retired), a former commander of Swift boat forces; Colonel [[Bud Day]], who earned the [[Medal of Honor]]; [[Houston]] attorney [[John O'Neill (Vietnam veteran)|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 asserted that it included, in total, 16 officers who served with Kerry in Coastal Division 11 as members.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://horse.he.net/~swiftpow/article.php?story=20040808144320243|title='Any Questions?' cover letter for TV station managers|date=2004-08-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050915131958/http://horse.he.net/~swiftpow/article.php?story=20040808144320243 |archive-date=September 15, 2005 }}</ref>
Despite SBVT's statements that Kerry's "entire chain of command" belonged to the group,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swiftvets.com/index.php?topic=SwiftVetQuotes|title=Swift Veteran Quotes|publisher=SBVT website|date=2004-10-09|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20041003062259/http%3A//www2%2Eswiftvets%2Ecom/index%2Ephp?topic%3Dswiftvetquotes |archive-date= October 3, 2004 }}</ref> Joseph Streuli, former commander of Coastal Division 13, Charles Horne, former commander of Coastal Squadron 1, and Art Price, former commander CTF 116, who are described in "Unfit for Command" as part of Kerry's chain of command, were not 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 [[United States Army|soldiers]], [[U.S. Marine Corps|marines]], [[U.S. Navy|sailors]] and [[U.S. Air Force|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."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://horse.he.net/~swiftpow/article.php?story=20040629220813790|title=Swift Veterans Letter to John Kerry|publisher=SBVT website|date=2004-06-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050915133442/http://horse.he.net/~swiftpow/article.php?story=20040629220813790 |archive-date=September 15, 2005 }}</ref> 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).<ref name="kerrypostsrecords">{{cite news|last=Glionna|first=John M.|title=Kerry Camp Posts His Military Records|pages=A17|newspaper=LA Times|date=2004-04-21|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/621740291.html?dids=621740291:621740291&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Apr+21%2C+2004&author=John+M.+Glionna&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=A.17&desc=THE+RACE+TO+THE+WHITE+HOUSE|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131215042/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/621740291.html?dids=621740291:621740291&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Apr+21,+2004&author=John+M.+Glionna&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=A.17&desc=THE+RACE+TO+THE+WHITE+HOUSE|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 31, 2013|access-date=2007-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=29302|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051107080149/http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=29302|archive-date=2005-11-07|title=Kerry Doctor Issues Summary of Military Medical Records|publisher=U.S. Newswire|date=2004-04-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Military Records|work=Official Kerry website|date=2004-12-09|url=http://www.johnkerry.com/about/john_kerry/military_records.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041209135553/http://www.johnkerry.com/about/john_kerry/military_records.html|archive-date=2004-12-09}}</ref>

Not all SBVT members said that they were 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 [[United States Coast Guard|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.{{' "}}<ref>{{cite news|date=2004-05-04|work=Boston Globe|title=$25m ad campaign showcases Kerry's career|url=https://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2004/05/04/25m_ad_campaign_showcaes_kerrys_career/|first1=Glen|last1=Johnson|first2=Michael|last2=Kranish}}</ref>

Of those who served in Kerry's boat crew, only Stephen Gardner joined SBVT.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,599034,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040312040259/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,599034,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 12, 2004|access-date=2008-06-30|title=The Tenth Brother|first=Douglas |last=Brinkley|work=Time Magazine|date=2004-03-09}}</ref> He was not present on any of the occasions when Kerry earned his medals, including his [[Purple Heart]]s. 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 crew members have disputed some of SBVT's various allegations, calling them "totally false" (Drew Whitlow), "garbage" (Gene Thorson), and "a pack of lies" (Del Sandusky).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040806/news_1n6swift.html|title=McCain assails attacks on Kerry wartime record|work=San Diego Union-Tribune|date=2004-08-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/08/06/MNGUT83SS41.DTL|title=Vets group attacks Kerry; McCain defends Democrat|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=2004-08-06|first=Zachary|last=Coile}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.kinston.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=/GlobalTemplates/Details.cfm&StoryID=22061&Section=Local |title=Kerry crewmates defend his record |publisher=Kinston Free Press |date=2004-08-29 }}{{dead link|date=April 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>"But other veterans of the "brown water navy" who witnessed the fighting, along with Navy documents from that time, have backed Kerry's version of events." [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-sep-05-adfn-vietcong5-story.html Viet Cong Vets Puzzled Over Attacks on Kerry - latimes] September 05, 2004. Margie Mason. Associated Press Writer</ref><ref>Dobbs, Michael. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13267-2004Aug18_2.html ''Records Counter a Critic of Kerry: Fellow Skipper's Citation Refers To Enemy Fire''] Washington Post. August 19, 2004; Page A01</ref>

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 crew member Larry Clayton Lee, praised Kerry's tactics and stated that he earned his Silver Star. However, he stated that based on discussions with other SBVT members, he came to question whether Kerry deserved other medals for incidents at which he was not present.<ref name="coruierjournalleeinterview">{{cite news|last=Gerth|first=Joseph|title=Kentucky veteran involved in ambush backs Kerry account|work=Courier-Journal|location=Louisville, Kentucky|date=2004-08-26|url=http://orig.courier-journal.com/localnews/2004/08/26ky/A1-swift0826-9879.html|access-date=2007-04-22}}</ref><ref name="foxlarryclaytonlee">{{cite news|last=Hume|first=Brit|title=Political Grapevine|publisher=Fox News Channel|date=2004-08-26|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/premium/0286/0286-13156512.html|access-date=2007-04-07}}</ref>

On September 29, 2004, SBVT announced that it was joining forces with a group of American [[POW|prisoners of war]] who were held captive by the [[North Vietnam]]ese during the war to form the new group, "Swift Vets and POWs For Truth".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://swift4.he.net/~swift4/article.php?story=2004092911015589|date=2004-09-29|title=Swift Boat Veterans Join Forces With POWs, SBVT website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041024083924/http://swift4.he.net/~swift4/article.php?story=2004092911015589|archive-date=2004-10-24 }}</ref>