How Kerry whistleblower suffered for truth (Swiftie Steve Gardner)

[VolcanoJen]

Here's an interesting post-election fluff piece defending Kerry Swift Boat smear contributor Steve Gardner, one of two men from Kerry's swift boat crew who refused to support him, from today's Chicago Sun-Times.

One of two men gets this sweeping defensive coverage in a prominent newspaper, but 10 of 12 men get... well, nothing, I suppose.

:eyes:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/laney/cst-edt-laney29.html

Excerpt:

This is the story of a military veteran whistleblower. He spoke out against someone he thought was dangerous for the nation, talked to local newspapers, and appeared on talk shows. In return, he was vilified by reporters, threatened by a political operative, fired by his company, and now he's broke.

His name is Steve Gardner. He's also known as "The 10th Brother," as in Band of Brothers. He's one of two members of Sen. John Kerry's 12 Vietnam swift boat crew members who refused to stand with Kerry at the Democratic Convention. The other man remained silent.

<snip>

Next, Gardner said he received a call from Douglas Brinkley, the author of Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War. Brinkley told Gardner he was calling only to "fact check" the book -- which was already in print. "I told him that the guy in the book is not the same guy I served with. I told him Kerry was a coward. He would patrol the middle of the river. The canals were dangerous. He wouldn't go there unless he had another boat pushing him."

Days later, Brinkley called again, warning Gardner to expect some calls. It seems Brinkley had used the "fact checking" conversation to write an inflammatory article about Gardner for Time.com. The article, implying that Gardner was politically motivated, appeared under the headline "The 10th Brother."

Twenty-four hours later, Gardner got an e-mail from his company, Millennium Information Services, informing him that his services would no longer be necessary. He was laid off in an e-mail -- by the same man who only days before had congratulated him for his exemplary work in a territory which covered North and South Carolina. The e-mail stated that his position was being eliminated. Since then, he's seen the company advertising for his old position. Gardner doesn't have the money to sue to get the job back.

More...

[RubyDuby in GA]

1. Well boo freakin' hoo for him

I could cry, but somehow the tears won't come.

When 10 other people see things differently, you would think that a rational nation would sense that something was afoot here. But then again there's nothing rational about this country.

[Touchdown]

2. My heart bleeds.

You lie down with dogs...

He's a parasite, and he stood up to be counted with the enemy of everything veterans groups stand for. He tried to make a name for himself, and possibly get rich doing it. Too bad it didn't work out for him. A donation check will not be coming.

[GRLMGC]

3. Wawawah

:cry:

Please, he made his bed and now he can lie in it.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

4. He went public with a lie.

As such, his continued employment as a proven liar would be a reflection upon his employer.

Lying publicly must have consequences. We, as a people, seem to have forgotten that.

Especially when said lies cross the line into slander and libel.

[Dr.Phool]

5. I spent a lot of time

During the final month of the campaign, at the same events as Kerry's Boat Driver, Del Sandusky. And I got to know him fairly well.

He said that ALL the Swifties charges were nothing but a pack of lies. And he gave me specific insights s to the nature of Kerry's wounds, etc.

If Gardner wants to hang his ass out with a bunch of liars, and expect everyone to say "Aw, shucks, it's just politics.

Good for the asshole.

[daydreamer]

7. liar exposed himself

"He is a self-aggrandizing bold-faced liar. I believe he caused the extension of that war."

Anybody who says Kerry caused the extension of that war is a partisan liar himself, period.

[VolcanoJen]

12. I'd love to hear more about that, Dr.Phool

Especially your talks with Del Sandusky... that's very cool!

[zbdent]

6. I'm sure the "greeting" cards from the righties and Scaife

(containing fat checks and cash) will comfort him.

[robbedvoter]

8. W will tricke down some jobs on him no doubt. I sorta doubt the story

anyway. Chicago Sun Times is a RW rag lately too.

[Kingshakabobo]

9. No money to hire an America hating trial lawyer? boo f-ing hoo n/t

[high density]

10. Most of us have lost jobs at one time or another

Interestingly enough, not many of us get news coverage when that happens.

[papau]

11. This is the guy that killed the baby - and blames Kerry

http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1099304309.shtml

In the book Tour of Duty, Kerry reports that Gardner fired on another boat, a sampan and a child was killed. Steve Gardner, at age 21, fired without orders from Kerry. Gardners agrees this is truth - but claims it was not the whole story.

The following Navy inquiry over the child's death was for Gardner to explain "Why didn't you follow procedure?" and his response was that there was no time because Kerry did not open the lights onto the sampan when the sampan was 200 or more yards away - but let it get 40-50 yards from the boat - so the inquiry should be for Kerry to answer "Why did you let him get so close?"

He says Kerry wrote a fraudulent report and sent it up the chain of command.

So, for Gardner, it is a "fact" that the little boy died because of Kerry's negligence - which Kerry didn't acknowledge - so Kerry's character is poor - and Gardner feels positive toward Mr Bush because he is not known to Gardner as a person who has ever covered up an error.

WHY DID I NOT GET THIS FROM THE SUN TIMES STORY?

[DinahMoeHum]

13. Methinks the "other" one of the "2 men" died years ago. . .

and there's no indication as to whether he supported Kerry or not.

:nuke:

[VolcanoJen]

14. Chicago Sun-Times: "The other man remained silent."

Who was the 12th man? And, I seem to remember reading that he was deceased during the height of the not-so-Swift Boat Veterans crap last summer.

Can anyone come up with the name?

[July]

18. I remember just a little.

I have a vague memory of a story about a guy who has died -- something like Dave Droz -- and some comments by his widow that seemed to suggest that her husband was important to Kerry and that she thought he would have supported him. Sorry, that's all I've got.

[Metrix]

21. I think the 12th may still be active-duty military

and not allowed to comment. I remember reading a story about him, but haven't been able to find it.

[VolcanoJen]

26. I've been searching everywhere, and can't find a thing.

Seems to me this information was abundant over the summer, and now, it's nowhere.

Can anyone else help?

[bunny planet]

43. Those deceased, why so silent?

[TayTay]

28. You're right

It was Thomas Belodeau from Chelmsford, MA who died in 1997.

[Spangle]

15. Considering the source and topic

I'm afraid I would have to have proof on the whole whine. NOT a trustworthy source.

I hate to be that way. But his public record speaks for it's self.

[Modem Butterfly]

16. I have four words for him:

Right to work state.

[PatGund]

17. You know.....

Bed, made, lie. I can't waste tears for a proven liar. I'll believe the other 10.

[Ducks In A Row]

19. if I was his employer, I wouldn't be able to trust him with my business

if Gardner could lie about a fellow vet, he isn't trustworthy.

[real democrat]

20. Do Not Go Against The Tide

Being a former Navy man, I will state that Mr. Gardner made the mistake of braging to the Swift Boat Group, and they used him for what they needed, and when the Kerry's campaign saw he was a threat to them, they found his employer as being a Democrat, and from there the tide did some tricks. My words.."It is better to be silent and thought a foul than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."

[Chimpanzee]

22. Numbnuts was fired.... by email!!!

At least there is still some poetic justice left in the world. Eat shit and die scumbag! :puke:

Anyone have an email address so we can rub it in??? :nopity:

[insane_cratic_gal]

23. you reap what you sow n/t

[angrydemocrat]

24. Serve's The Fat A$$ Right!

I hope the rest of these lying A$$ motherf**kers go broke and lose everthing they got they all deserve it. The one I'm waiting to see crash and burn more than any is fat a$$ O'neill! I feel no pity for none of these a$$holes.

[tsuki]

25. Doesn't have the money to sue? He should ask O'Neill for a loan.

[jerryster]

27. Mary Laney left something out

She said the other remained silent. Not quite. The other was a man named William Rood. He was silent for a while. However, he finally came forward in an article he wrote for the Chicago Tribune, where he is an editor. He explained that he hadn't come forth earlier because he wanted to put all the killing behind him. In his article he effectively destroyed the Swifty's lies. Laney, who appears in the Sun-Times, conveniently didn't mention the article Rood wrote. Gee, I wonder why?

Footnote: After Rood's article appeared the Tribune printed an editorial stating that the issue had been resolved in Kerry's favor. Even though it was a certainty that the Trib would endorse Bush they would have been hard pressed to refute the words of one of their own.

[VolcanoJen]

29. Rood is the 12th man??

We were wondering about this earlier in the thread... starting at Post #13. I remember Rood's bombshell when it first appeared in the Trib; I felt then and do now that it completely exonerated Kerry.

So was William Rood officially the 12th man in Kerry's swift boat crew?

Great info and memory, jerryster! If we can confirm this, Ms. Laney deserves some strongly worded letters from us.

[The Wielding Truth]

33. Thank you,Jerryster. I was disturbed by this story. Gardner was so

steadfast in his hatred of Kerry. It was raw. The Vietnam Experience has changed all of us.I was certain there was something more than Kerry's alleged incompetence that compelled this man's ire.

[CBHagman]

42. I hope you write a LTTE on Mary Laney.

Let the paper know how you feel about slanted coverage.

[lessthanjake]

30. Simply put

He was just mad since kerry threatened to court martial him back in vietnam since he constantly was firing off the machine gun.

[LittleClarkie]

31. I read part of the book

I remember them describing him as someone who was hot to kill himself some gooks.

Sounds like a fun guy.

[LittleClarkie]

32. I really resent their use of the word "whistleblower"

Is this a Repub newspaper? If so, they're showing their bias. "Whistleblower" implies truth.

Joseph Darby was a whistleblower. John Kerry was a whistleblower.

Steve Gardner is an asshat.

[WildEyedLiberal]

34. LOL asshat

Indeed.

Also, I'm pretty sure the twelfh guy was Thomas Belodeau, who died a few years ago. He was on PCF 94 with Kerry.

[ecstatic]

36. thank you! nt

[fujiyama]

44. I thought the word

was wrong as well.

Of course why should we expect the Sun Times, Novaula's newspaper, to give us anything but misleading headlines.

[blueheeler]

35. The story from his hometown paper

http://www.carolinanewspapers.com/local/newsyork/story/4189409p-3975031c.html

According to this, he was busy driving around the country to tell the evils of Kerry. It is hard to keep a job when you are busy on the talk show circuit and campaigning. Looks like that scandal is put to rest :)

[newyawker99]

38. Hi blueheeler!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[blueheeler]

39. Thanks newyawker

I saw someone post that ridiculous story on another sight yesterday and when I found his hometown paper, I had to laugh!! :)

[noamnety]

37. glad he's enjoying the Bush economy

He voted for more job losses. Hope he savors the experience.

[grumpy old fart]

40. Just another who thinks we could have "won" Viet Nam...

If only it wasn't for them long haired hippie people talkin' bad about it.....just another red state fool.

[CBHagman]

41. Gardner lives where I used to live!

Man, it's tempting to go back there and give him a piece of my mind.

"Did it for America." How many people are going to lose their lives because George W. Bush, incompetent, selfish and mendacious, got a second term? People are going to pay with their blood and peace of mind for what Gardner did. :mad: