In the summer of 2004, the war in Iraq was raging.

Fighting had intensified and evidence of American torture at the Abu Ghraib prison had just come to light.

Democrats were promising a new direction for the war,

and to make their case, they had just nominated a decorated war veteran

to be their nominee, a man who had been awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts

for Valor in Combat.

Thank you.

I'm John Kerry and I military service in Vietnam a central part of his

campaign for president that year.

In the weeks after he accepted the Democratic nomination,

Kerry consistently led the incumbent,

President George W Bush, in the polls.

But then in August, everything changed. That was when these campaign ads started airing.

I served with John Kerry.

I served with John Kerry.

John Kerry has not been honest about what happened in Vietnam.

He is lying about his record.

It's a central image of John Kerry's campaign,

the candidate literally wrapping his arms around his Vietnam crewmates.

But now Republicans are challenging Kerry's war record, with a TV ad featuring other Vietnam veterans,

none of whom served on Kerry's boat, claiming Carrie did not earn his medals.

They were the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Ads and they were one of, if not the most impactful and most dishonest ad campaigns in presidential

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