Kerry: case closed.

One of the two other Swift Boat captains who were part of the incident that won Sen. John Kerry his Silver Star for exceptional bravery under fire has come forward and spoken out. William B. Rood, who is now Metro Desk Editor at the Chicago Tribune, was that commander, and very reluctantly has allowed a Trib reporter to tell his story.

He apparently is not doing this because he is a Kerry supporter or has a political axe to grind. He's doing this because:

"What matters most to me is that this is hurting crewmen who are not public figures and who deserved to be honored for what they did...."

Anyone who has any lingering doubts about Kerry's status as a war hero need only read the linked article. While it does not dispel all the FUD slung by the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" (heh!) and others with a mission to win the White House back for George W. Bush, no matter what the cost, it speaks to Kerry's credibility versus the credibility to those who are involved in the current round of Dirty Tricks.