Unfit for Command

Rating:
Summary: Garbage Barge Bilge
Review:
It's rather amazing how many five star "reviewers" have so much of the same bad information to impart about John Kerry but so little to say about the substance of this book. (And coincidentally, most misspell the author's name the same way.)

Rather than recycle chatroom effluvia, I will actually review the book:

Poorly researched, poorly written. Nasty, vindictive, and dishonest from start to finish.

For example, John O'Neill posits, in Chapter 5 of UFC, that George Elliott wrote a Silver Star citation that did not reflect what happened that day. He is not honest enough to use the actual citation written by Elliott, but instead uses a later version and then quotes things that Elliott NEVER WROTE. The original citation written by Elliott PRECISELY reflects what happened that day - things he claims he was never told - as does the after action report and Zumwalt's monthly summary.

In this connection, O'Neill claims that Elliott had no idea there were troops on the boats that day (even though he was division commander) and that they conducted the first sweep, or that Kerry shot a fleeing man - although both Mr. Elliott's citation and the after action report SPECIFICALLY state that there were troops on the boats (as does the monthly summary), that the troops conducted the first sweep, and that Kerry shot a fleeing VC. He also states that "[t]here is no indication that Kerry ever reported that the Viet Cong was wounded and fleeing when dispatched" - but the after action report SPECIFICALLY states that the man was wounded and fleeing.

In addition, O'Neill claims that Elliott had been told Kerry had "singlehandedly" taken out a bunker of VC - except NOTHING OF THE SORT appears in Kerry's original citation, the after action report, the monthly summary, or the news release for the incident. In fact, Elliott made it quite clear in William Rood's Bronze Star citation that he didn't think anyone did anything "singlehandedly" that day.

Again, O'Neill writes with regard to the Silver Star incident, that "most, if not all, of the non-PCF troops received no medals for this action." C'mon John, it is public information that there were only three American "non-PCF troops" there that day - the US Army advisors - and all three were awarded medals for the action, including two Bronze Stars.

And contrary to O'Neill's claim that the Silver Star was awarded after only two days, "with no review," the record shows it was awarded after SIX days, and in 1996 Elliott and Lonsdale themselves insisted that all proper review procedures were followed (as did the Navy inspector general, in 2004).

Not such great research, Johnny boy.

Though maybe we should blame some of this on Mr. Corsi. When Corsi's bigotry was revealed in some of his freeper postings, O'Neill promptly claimed that Corsi was not really the coauthor, but that he acted "simply as an editor." Interesting, especially when you notice that a good portion, if not all, of Chapter 7 (at least) is lifted directly from Corsi's writings at sites like wintersoldier.com .

Just a little short in the truth department, are we, John?

While we're at it, let's ask Jerry Corsi why he REMOVED the picture of Robert McNamara's 1995 meeting with Gen. Giap, which hangs near Kerry's picture in the War Remnants Museum, from his webpage "documenting" the existence of the Kerry picture.

Of course it is well known how many other claims in this book have been thoroughly debunked by overwhelming eyewitness testimony, Navy investigators, Navy documents, and in fact some of the accusers' own documents. (Tom Wright didn't patrol with Kerry after he "complained" about him? Not true, according to the command history. And by the way, John, you might want to get someone a little more competent to analyze those designator numbers on the March 13 spot report.)

For more point by point rebuttals of the lies contained in this book, go to Eric Rasmussen's most excellent online review, "Truth and Unfit for Command." (I am not able to link at this page, but a Google will pull up the site quite easilly.)


(And contrary to the claims of some posters here, George Bush didn't sign a Form 180 and didn't volunteer for Vietnam - nor did Kerry claim to have signed a Form 180. Gotta start getting your info someplace besides Rush and Faux News, folks. With readers like these, it's no wonder O'Neill put so little effort into making the book even slightly credible.)














Rating:
Summary: Terrible
Review: This book was written to manipulate gullable people. You can tell by the way the authors word things. Since this book is read mostly by republicans they tend to soak up what they read without question. Also,some of the people reviewing Unfit For Command show poor reading comprehension. Let's get something clear. Steve Gardner killed the 12 year old boy and his father. According to the book Steve Gardner killed him. John Kerry didn't even open fire. Steve Gardner is a Swift Boat Veteran For Truth. Steve Gardner has admitted he accidently killed the 12 year old boy on tv. Later in the book the authors try to suggest it was Kerry's fault even though Gardner opened fire without Kerry's permission, and Kerry tried to get him to stop. The authors even use language that would confuse a less perceptive reader into thinking Kerry killed them. What the authors did is not something decent truth seeking people do. Before Kerry left Vietnam he made sure everyone in his crew had at least been transferred to a less dangerous assignment. His crew appreciates him for keeping them alive. Go to the dailyhowler website and learn the truth about Unfit For Command.

Rating:
Summary: John O'Neill Owes Kerry for everything
Review: Did you ever notice how John O'Neill was so important when he was debating Kerry in the seventies but when Vietnam ended he suddenly disapeared? Kinda funny, huh? That's because John O'Neill could never make a political name for himself, so everytime Kerry made a significant accomplishment O'Neill was there to complain and get another fifteen minutes of fame. John O'Neill is nothing but an attention grabber who loves the fifteen minutes.

Rating:
Summary: Kerry shot himself down, not the Swift Boat Vets..
Review: I find it interesting that so many people are blaming the Swift Boat Vets for costing John Kerry the 2004 Presidential Election. Didn't John Kerry said that he would run on his record? And didn't it occur to the senator that somebody might check his record out?

Apparently John Kerry, like another former democrat presidential contender Gary Hart who said he had no skeletons in his closet didn't expect anyone to check. Surprise!

The only reason that Kerry made Vietnam the issue is because he has nothing else to run on. Didn't Kerry quote scriptures during one of his debate with the president and say something about "Faith without works is death." I submit that Kerry should have started working 20 years ago when he first entered the senate instead of trying to run on the liberal media hype machine.

Kerry also should have started working on character and integrity back around 34 years ago instead of indescriminately shooting at anything that moves just because he happens to be in a "fire zone." And Kerry should have paid more attention to where he was during Christmas '68 and not get confused as to who the President of the United States really was.

It was Kerry who shot himself down. The Swift Boat Vets merely provided the facts, just like the reporters reported the facts about Gary Hart and Donna Rice, Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky and so on.

Even if you voted for Kerry and especially if you are a die hard democrat who truly cares about your party, you owe it to yourself to read the facts about John F. Kerry. All Americans who truly love their country need to read Unfit For Command to see what this guy John F. Kerry is really all about.

And please, don't ever compare this JFK to John F. Kennedy. Kerry can't even come close to Kennedy on character and integrity. And Kennedy was genuinely injured during his military days.


Rating:
Summary: Agree with the title
Review: I got this book from a relative too. I read it before the election. I was not going to vote for Kerry if I did not read it. Senator Kerry was a trigger-happy clown who tried to get his men killed and was a babykiller (like abortionists). When he came back from Vietnam, he worked with the enemy (communists) to boo the war and the men he served with. In my opinion, he is a traitor who had no business being a candidate for President. If I was in Massachusetts, I would vote for the co-author running against Kerry in 2008.

Rating:
Summary: No camera shots of Kerry this Ash Wednesday!
Review: Notice that there were no camera shots of John Kerry getting ashes onhis forehead this Ash Wednesday? Could it be because he is not running for anything and doesn't need publicity? Or could it be that the Catholic Church no longer wants anything to do with this guy? Or could it be because Kerry is only a catholic when he is attempting to capture votes and pretend that he is something that he is not?

Or is it all three?

Unfit for Comman dispels the myth of Kerry as being a hero. Perhaps a catholic should write a book dispelling his so called religious beliefs too.

Rating:
Summary: If John Kerry is truly innocent (ha-ha-ha) why won't he
Review: sign form 180 like Pres. Bush did? And why did Bush have to sign form 180 first before Kerry would. If Kerry has nothing to hide (ha-ha-ha) I would think he would be only too willing to sign form 180 and set the record straight.

And what happened to that big draft that Kerry said was coming in January? And how about the nonsense that Bush would be reducing ssi benefits for the elderly?

So c'mon Kerry show us how innocent (ha-ha-ha) you are by siging form 180. Let us know what a great Vietnam hero (ha-ha-ha) you were Johnny. Not signing is an admission of guilt. So what do you have to lose John Kerry? Bush did it, now it's your turn.

Rating:
Summary: A great historical and hysterical book!
Review: Thanks to the 99 cent bargain bin, I finally broke down to read this thing. Sadly, I could not stop laughing. It is so poorly written, and the spelling errors are a plenty.

However, the attempt to discredit Kerry is the most humorous. None of it makes sense. I could actually care less about Kerry. I would have voted for a monkey over bush. But you can tell that this entire thing called a book was rushed, and fabricated for election purposes only. The entire project was funded by Republicans who cannot think outside their programmed heads I guess.

Sad.

Very sad.

But... I could not stop laughing.

Rating:
Summary: Birds of a feather....
Review: The nifty thing is that if you look up Michelle Malkin's book on how internment of Americans of Japanese descent was a good thing, Amazon tells you that the people who bought it were also the most likely to buy this Swift Boat Pathological Liars book. Birds of a feather flock together.