As a former Marine Platoon Commander in VN in 69, I suspect "What really happened" was a version of what we used to call a "Polish Firing Squad" in the Corps. "Movement to Contact" is always very difficult in the jungle and frequently one or the other of your squad will get out in front of your line of advance, and lose contact with the men on either side. Remember that the radios we had in the bush back then were big clunky things (PRC –25's etc) and were only used for calling in fire, sit reps etc. If one of your men opened fire, it was often the case that the others would reflexively swivel to the location of what is an incredibly loud sound from an oppressively quiet jungle, and begin firing too, firmly believing they were under attack, but actually firing at the sound (or the actual marine) at their left or right.

Even later, when I investigated police shootings, as an internal affairs investigator, I was amazed how many rounds one or two officers would squeeze off, firing at their own echoes and the flashes off of windows. I was very disappointed that our department went to automatic pistols with large capacity magazines for that very reason, and stayed with my six shot revolver. I was, for many years, the best marksman in my department, and shot competition for 15 years. (And while I am no fan of the NRA, I carry their very rare "Police Distinguished Marksman Badge" for shooting ten perfect targets in open competition). I derided the autos as the "spray and pray" crowd, and feel that most officers would be more circumspect with their weapons if they knew that after six bangs, they were going to face the music.

Also as an ex-cop, I am very suspicious of the Klann's statements and I would be trolling the Veterans Affairs records for prior inconsistent statements. It's my currently unsupported belief that Klann is trying to build a case for VA benefits payments, and I would spend major investigative efforts on that issue. He's "shopping a story" and to a good interrogator, this is a case of "peel and eat".

I hold no brief for Kerry either, and I believe he was an opportunist from the start. I see nothing that would warrant a Medal of Honor for his other action, other than the fact that the Navy was very under-represented in the Viet Nam Medal Dash, and were looking for a few good wounded heroes to inspire a service that was, other than the carrier pilots, conspicuous by it's absence. What was the Navy doing conducting counter-guerilla activities in the jungle? It was a bad case of trying to justify "mission creep" and basically no different than the ATF attacking the compound at Waco, Texas. "We have the capacity; Lets justify its use by using it."

It should be pointed out that murder, and conspiracy to commit murder, have no statute of limitations, unlike most other crimes, and many cases have been brought under Federal and State laws to that effect (witness the Birmingham bombing case). However, at some point you must let the dead bury the dead. I have always been suspect of those who gain much from fighting in a war, later decrying it, and this whole incident does nothing to allay the thought that hypocrisy, like history, has many tales to tell, and that when you tell both sides of a story; then half the time you're telling lies…