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| | Arkansas crewmates tout Kerry
Thursday, Jul 29, 2004 By Alison Vekshin Stephens Washington Bureau BOSTON - When John Kerry takes the stage on Thursday night to accept the Democratic nomination for president, plans are for him to be joined by old Navy crewmates from Vietnam. Drew Whitlow of Huntsville and Fred Short of North Little Rock used to share Swift boats with Kerry on the rivers of the Mekong Delta. Now they are sharing his spotlight. Whitlow and Short, along with other Navy buddies, have spent the week relating war tales that portray Kerry as a decisive leader tested under fire. "I figured with the abilities he had, he was going to go high, but I didn't have any idea about him running for president," said Whitlow, 57, wearing a cap decorated with Kerry campaign pins. Whitlow said he recalled Kerry as a humble seaman when he joined Whitlow's crew as a lieutenant junior grade in 1968. Kerry told crewmates, "I know you guys don't need me but I sure need you," said Whitlow, who served as a boatswain mate. "He accepted us for who we were," Whitlow said. "The decisions that he made saved our lives. "He never shot from the hip when it came to decisions," Whitlow said. "He'd always confront the problems head on." Whitlow, a Kerry campaign coordinator for veterans in western and southern Arkansas, began campaigning for Kerry in September 2003. In January, Whitlow traveled with Kerry to Iowa and New Hampshire. Short, a computer programmer, is Kerry's veterans coordinator in the eastern and central parts of the state. He served with Kerry in Vietnam as a gunners mate. Short, 56, recalled the first time he met Kerry in 1969. "He was this long drink of water from Boston," he said. "I'm a boy from Arkansas. I couldn't understand a word he was saying and he couldn't understand me." Speaking to Arkansas delegates earlier this week, Short told of how Kerry saved his life in 1969 when their Swift boat was ambushed during his first day on patrol under Kerry's command. Kerry used an M-16 to kill a Vietcong who rose up ready to shoot at their boat with a rocket-propelled grenade, Short recalled. The move won Kerry a Silver Star, a citation for gallantry in action. "I knew he was destined for greater things," Short said. "This is a phenomenon I've been watching unfold over the last year." Considering Kerry's wartime experiences, Short said he was confident Kerry would not commit American troops to action as a first resort. "He's been there. He knows what it's like," Short said. |
