Swiftee John O'Neill Speaks Out On John Kerry's Vietnam Claims

Human Events, Aug 23, 2004

Exclusive to HUMAN EVENTS-

Unfit for Command-Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry by John O'Neill and Jerome R. Corsi (published by Regnery, a sister company of HUMAN EVKNTS) will debut this Sunday at No. 3 on the New York Times Bestseller List.

Yet O'Neill, who took over command of Kerry's Swift Boat 94 when Kerry left Vietnam after serving only four months of the typical one-year tour, has not been given broad exposure in the establishment media. Nor have several former Navy officers who served beside Kerry in Vietnam and who were on-the-record sources for O'Neill's book.

When O'Neill did appear on CNN's "Crossfire" on August 12, co-host James Carville shouted him down. On August 16. the editors of HUMAN EVENTS interviewed O'Neill under calmer circumstances and gave him the opportunity to answer questions that Carville did not.

On CNN'S Crossfire, August 12, James Carville, citing a statement from the Kerry campaign, said: "They say in your book, they actually say that you never spoke to anyone on the two boats when he was awarded three Purple Hearts, a Silver Star, and a Bronze Star." Is that true?

JOHN O' NEILL: No. First, on the first Purple Heart, I have interviewed directly Rear Adm. William Schachte. second, with respect to the crewmen on his boats, we had them interviewed by an investigator named Tom Rupprath until they refused to be interviewed anymore."

Did you know how many members of Kerry's boat crew Rupprath spoke to?

J.O.: He managed to speak to three before they shut him down.

How many total crew members did Kerry command during the time he was in Vietnam?

J.O.: Ten. Of course [in] the command for the longest length of time is a fellow who's been with us, [Steve] Gardner, and has given a full and complete statement. He was there [under Kerry's command] for two months. In contrast, the fellow that spoke for Kerry at the Democratic National Convention, [David] Alston, was there for a fairly short period of time, perhaps as little as a week.

The three crewmembers your investigator talked to-does that include Gardner?

J. O.: Yes. It includes Gardner, [Steve] Hatch, and [Bill] Zaldonis.

So there are another seven crewmembers you folks weren't able to interview in any capacity while you were doing this book, but that's not because you didn't try?

J. O.: Absolutely. There are actually another six. One is dead. I will tell you this, some of these crew members have no relevant information on some of the incidents because they simply weren't present for some of those incidents involved in the book.

You mentioned that you interviewed now Rear Admiral William Schachte. [In Unfit for Command. Schachte is described as being on a Boston Whaler with Kerry on Dec. 2, 1968, when Kerry, according to the book, fired a grenade into the shore from too-close range and was slightly wounded in his arm by rebounding shrapnel. Although there was no enemy fire that night, according to Unfit for Command, it was this incident, witnessed by Schachte, for which Kerry received his Purple Heart.]

On that same August 12 Crossfire program, Lanny Davis said in an exchange with you on that issue that Schachte was not on the boat and your claim that Schachte was on the boat is false.

J.O.: I am absolutely certain that Schachte was on the boat. I know it from multiple sources. First of all, I know it from Rear Admiral William Schachte himself, the former acting Judge Advocate General of the Navy. secondly, I know it from other crewmen who were available to testify that Schachte was on the boat. Third, I know it from the commanding officer of the unit, Commander Grant Hibbard, who detached Schachte for the purposes of commanding the boat.

Is Schachte willing to come forward and speak publicly about what he told you when you were researching this book?

J.O.: I believe that Admiral Schachte will ultimately come forward at his own time and own pace to testify publicly about exactly what happened.

In Bob Novak's column this morning he says he spoke to two people who were on the boat when Kerry got the first Purple Heart, Zaldonis and Runyon.

J.O.: Right.

Are those the two people that you understand were on the boat at that time?

J.O.: There is confusion as to which of those two guys were on the boat. It is clear that John Kerry was on the boat. It is clear that Admiral Schachte was on the boat. As to [whether both] Zaldonis and Runyon were on the boat, there is confusion as to that point.

In Novak's column he says: "I telephoned the two of Kerry's crew members who said they were on the whaler that night: Patrick Runyon and William Zaldonis. Each said they did not know whether there was enemy fire and did not know how Kerry was wounded. But each said he was certain that they alone were in the boat with Kerry, and did not even know Schachte."

J.O.: Yes, I disagree with that statement completely. Schachte was the executive officer of that coastal division and Schachte was on the boat that evening.

Do you believe Schachte will come forward and speak before the election?