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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who has Kerry relied on to support his claims of "war crimes" committed by American troops in Vietnam?

2. After the villagers fled the Song Bo Do river village in 1969, what did Kerry order his crew to destroy while he lit fires with a Zippo?

3. What was the primary role of skimmers?

4. What does O'Neill call Kerry during his time in Vietnam?

5. In his first tour of duty, how did Kerry spend most of his time, according to the authors?

Short Essay Questions

1. What were Kerry's reasons for choosing the Swift Boats to serve on?

2. How did one of Kerry's suggestions affect the Swiftees when they were ordered to employ Psychological Operations against the enemy?

3. What question did Lt. Ted Peck ask of Kerry shortly after he returned home, and why is Kerry's response revealing?

4. What does Captain Plumly report about Kerry's service, and how does that correspond to the reports of his trips to Saigon?

5. What is the significance of O'Neill's suggestion that the readers of the book view the video of the debate between him and Kerry?

6. What was the content of Kerry's testimony before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, and why did it anger O'Neill so much?

7. How did O'Neill finally have the chance to debate Kerry in 1971?

8. How did the assignment of the Swift Boats change, what was Kerry's response, and why did the other officers consider him to be a problem?

9. How was Kerry awarded the Silver Star?

10. How did the debate between O'Neill and Kerry begin, and what was the outcome?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How was Kerry thought of by the other officers he served with in general? Describe specific situations and examples that illustrate and support their opinions of Kerry. What is so important about the way quotes are used throughout the book and who they are from? How does that help the authors show the reason for their objective?

Essay Topic 2

What was the open letter from the Swift Boat Veterans to John Kerry? Why was it announced, and what was its purpose? How did Kerry respond to the letter? Why was it significant that the letter was issued in 2004 and by Rear Admiral Hoffman? What is the importance of the number of signatures on the letter and who participated or endorsed it?

Essay Topic 3

Describe Kerry's actions in the sampan incident. What was the setting for it and why is that relevant? What should Kerry have done differently? What were the results of his actions and the significance of the people in the sampan? In an attempt to explain the situation, who does Kerry blame? How did Kerry report the incident and what were his reasons for doing so? Why is the sampan incident one of the most effective examples of how the authors' opinion of Kerry is substantiated?

(see the answer keys)

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