...But yesterday, a key figure in the anti-Kerry campaign, Kerry's former commanding officer, backed off one of the key contentions. Lieutenant Commander George Elliot said in an interview he had made a "terrible mistake" in signing an affidavit that suggests Kerry did not deserve the Silver Star.....
Elliot said....he did feel he was under "time pressure" from those involved...."That's no excuse", Elliot said. "I knew it was wrong"...
In the anti-Kerry ad Elliot says " John Kerry was not honest about what happened in Viet-Nam".
...Elliot says he still thinks Kerry deserved the Silver Star. ...."It was a terrible mistake probably for me to sign the affidavit with those words. I'm the one in trouble here" Elliot said.
The Boston Globe
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/08/06/veteran_retracts_criticism_of_kerry