posted on August 17, 2004 09:27:19 PM new
In 1968, having been in Vietnam for less than a month, John Kerry wrote these words in his diary, "A cocky air of invincibility accompanied us up the Long Tau shipping channel, because we hadn't been shot at yet, and Americans at war who haven't been shot at are allowed to be cocky."
If he hadn't been shot at on December 11, 1968, then he is admitting that his first Purple Heart was fraudulently obtained. That Purple Heart was awarded for action that took place on December 2, 1968. (Oddly, the date of the citation is 2/28/69, almost three months after the injury was incurred. The second and third purple hearts were cited 13 days and 35 days after the injuries.)
The regulations for a Purple Heart clearly state that an injury must be the result of enemy action and "(5) Examples of injuries or wounds which clearly do not qualify for award of the Purple Heart are as follows:......(h) Self-inflicted wounds, except when in the heat of battle, and not involving gross negligence." Kerry's wound could not have been inflicted by enemy fire. He admits this in his diary. Therefore the wound had to be self-inflicted, just as Lt. Schachte stated at the time. It also could not have been "in the heat of battle" because they were not being fired upon. Kerry's first wound therefore does not quality for a Purple Heart.
The only way he could have obtained it would be to produce the medical records (as the award requires), misrepresent the incident by claiming they were engaged with the enemy and then request the award. When doing so, he would have had to speak to an officer who was not aware of the incident. Grant Hibbard was his CO in December. Hibbard turned down Kerry's request for the award because he didn't believe it qualified after questioning the involved witnesses.
In February, when Kerry received the award, he would have been requesting it from John O'Neill, who would not have known about the incident because he was commander of COSDIV 11, where Kerry was then serving, and not COSDIV 14, where Kerry was when he was wounded.
The Purple Heart is a unique medal. It is the only medal that does not require a recommendation from a superior officer.
While clearly an individual decoration, the Purple Heart differs from all other decorations in that an individual is not 'recommended' for the decoration; rather he or she is entitled to it upon meeting specific criteria.
(1) A Purple Heart is authorized for the first wound suffered under conditions indicated above, but for each subsequent award an Oak Leaf Cluster will be awarded to be worn on the medal or ribbon. Not more than one award will be made for more than one wound or injury received at the same instant or from the same missile, force, explosion, or agent.
(2) A wound is defined as an injury to any part of the body from an outside force or agent sustained under one or more of the conditions listed above. A physical lesion is not required, however, the wound for which the award is made must have required treatment by a medical officer and records of medical treatment for wounds or injuries received in action must have been made a matter of official record.
(3) When contemplating an award of this decoration, the key issue that commanders must take into consideration is the degree to which the enemy caused the injury. The fact that the proposed recipient was participating in direct or indirect combat operations is a necessary prerequisite, but is not sole justification for award.
Kerry has clearly convicted himself, with his own words, of fraudulently obtaining a Purple Heart. In doing so, he has dishonored the many men and woman who have served honorably and shed their blood in defense of freedom.
posted on August 17, 2004 10:19:32 PM new
I remember talking to my Dad one time when I was around 11 years old about his service in Korea and I asked him if he was ever wounded. he replied that he was wounded while riding in an APC and had to be treated at a Mash unit and recouperated there for about a week. I then asked him if he was awarded a purple heart. He told me that he was offered a purple heart but that he turned it down because as he put it, there were plenty of opportunities to get one later on and he didn't consider his wound bad enough to accept a medal for. He saw some pretty heavy action and saw a whole hell of alot of other people wounded far worse than him. He just didn't feel right about accepting a purple heart for his minor wound after he saw what his fellow soldiers went through and the wounds that they sustained.
Now I here and read all this stuff about Kerry's purple hearts and the fraudulent ways that he obtained them and it just sickens me because it is such a slap in the face of all the people that got theirs legitamately and especially a slap in my Dads face because he turned his down. My Dad wasn't concerned with getting medals, he was more concerned with staying alive, doing his job and going home.
posted on August 17, 2004 10:44:58 PM new
More revisionist #*!@! Give it a freaking rest. The bottom line is Kerry served his nation and got his medals the old fashioned way..he earned them.
What award does Bush have...the cowards bed pan...where was it he was stationed....
posted on August 17, 2004 11:03:59 PM new
Only tired of right wing freaking lies. Anything good to say about Bush Boy, his accomplishments aside from hearing voices (probably the same ones you listen to).
Y&our right I'm sick and tired of Republican smut, push polls, dirty tricks and the like but what can you expect from the party that gave us Watergate, Spiro (had to resign in disgrace) Agnew, Iran we trade weapons for Cocaine to the Contras, Halibuton (we bilk the taxpayers), Enron, Global Crossing, MCI and more scandals than time permits me to list.
This is the most corupt administration since U.S. Grant.
Game you aint got game. Remember you gotta bring azz to get azz and don't bet yours on Bush cause come November you'll have no place to sit.
posted on August 18, 2004 02:10:07 AM new
Not that it’s any of my business,
BUT
re: Republican conventions comment; “standing room only, no more seats available”
Is that the real reason non-right-wing-lovers weren’t permitted to enter, ‘no more seats available’.
Gee, why hide under sheets?
Is this a right wing thing?
Some of the “Republican smut”, like that mentioned by davebraun makes the ‘Lewinsky affair’ and other ‘national issues’ pale into insignificance.
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.ps.yelloswtone.
Your dad sounds like a modest man; and I mean that as a compliment.
posted on August 18, 2004 04:59:46 AM new
yellowstone - That's because your Dad had scruples....kerry didn't then - and he still doesn't.
He was filming reenactments of his war experience so it could be used all these years later for political benefit...even though he had previously assured others it would never use it for that purpose.
posted on August 18, 2004 08:00:41 AM new
All the people who actually care know Kerry served, Bush went missing. Kerry saved a man's life so he is a hero in my opinion.
posted on August 18, 2004 10:29:47 AM newKerry saved a man's life so he is a hero in my opinion.
More left whiner BS. He may have pulled Rassman out of the water, but his life was never in danger. It was common for men to be thrown overboard during patrols. Besides why was Rassman abourd the boat? He had not been assigned to the boats and he has never stated WHY he was aboard.
posted on August 18, 2004 11:17:06 AM new
I am far from being "left". You can believe O'Neill and the others, but I know those guys on that boat are not lying. Kerry is a hero.
posted on August 18, 2004 07:22:56 PM new
LOL....kind of nice having kerry's own diary for proof he's lying.
But his lying is getting even better now, bear. He's digging a deeper and deeper hole....and did you hear the Swift Boat book is #3 on the NY best seller list now?
Will just kill them when they have to report it's #1.
According to todays NewsMax.com even kerry's 'fellow SwiftBoat vets - his supporters at the DNC convention - are disagreeing with what he's NOW claiming on his Cambodian adventure.
Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2004 11:16 a.m. EDT
Kerry: Cambodia Mission Top Secret
John Kerry's presidential campaign claimed on Tuesday that his Christmas 1968 mission into Cambodia was top, top secret - and that's why there are no documents that verify the implausible claim.
"During John Kerry's service in Vietnam, many times he was on or near the Cambodian border and on one occasion crossed into Cambodia at the request of members of a special operations group operating out of Ha Tien," Kerry spokesman Michael Meehan said in a statement.
But Meehan told the Boston Globe that there was no paperwork to confirm the claim and he could not supply a date for the incursion.
What's more, two of Kerry's crewmates who enthusiastically back his candidacy and who served with him on missions near the Cambodian border insist the crossing never happened.
Michael Medeiros, who served on Swift Boat No. 94 with Kerry and appeared with him at the Democratic National Convention, told the Globe that Kerry and his crew chased an enemy to the Cambodian border - but stopped there. He could not recall dropping off special forces in Cambodia or going inside Cambodia with Kerry.
James Wasser, who accompanied Kerry on the Christmas mission aboard Swift Boat No. 44, said that while he believes they were "very, very close" to Cambodia, they did not enter the country. "It is very hard to tell. There are no signs," he told the Globe.
A third crewmate, who opposes Kerry, flatly accuses him of lying about Cambodia.
"Never happened," Steve Gardner told the Globe, insisting they never came within 50 miles of the Cambodian border.
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Yes...all these vets are lying....kerry's own diary is lying....and kerry's the ONLY one telling the truth. Sure...
posted on August 18, 2004 07:43:54 PM new
Bush went missing! What do you expect from a COWARD! I have a hard time electing a president who has never been in the service. Especially one who has such a controversial history when it comes to his service records.
Bigots are miserable people. Prevent Bigotry through Education.
posted on August 18, 2004 07:50:54 PM new
Guess all the kerry lies are getting to you, yeager. Can't even get those who stood with him at the DNC to support his recent statements.
Don't worry...there's still another three months to find out what else he's lied about.
posted on August 18, 2004 07:55:24 PM new
Yep bush is a coward like cheney and many others. It used to be a good military record like Kerry's meant something to conservatives, but now it means nothing to them.....well some of them anyway. Lucky for Kerry its a small minority who are anti military conservatives.
posted on August 18, 2004 09:49:28 PM new
President Bush, speaking in Cincinnati at the convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, was very well received Monday.
Today, kerry's reception was very warm. As he spoke at the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Some Vets turned their backs on him as he spoke..
posted on August 19, 2004 08:09:30 AM new
How would Kerry improve the U.S.? I'm not that familiar with his stand on many issues, and as usual IMO the upcoming election is a matter of the lesser of two evils. George Bush is certainly the poorer candidate. 9/11 happened on his watch, and three years later we still haven't captured Bin Laden. We have, however, engaged in a pointless war in Iraq, while ignoring much more serious problems elsewhere. Jobs are in the toilet and the economic outlook is bleak.
George Bush is suffering from the Chicken Little syndrome. He's lied to the American people so many times, that nothing he says is credible. The people's confidence in George Bush is zero, which is reflected in an economy unable to pick itself up.
Worldwide, Bush is seen as an arrogant dictator, which harms our status vis-a-vis world opinion. If Bush were to claim today that N. Korea or Iran is close to developing nuclear weaopns, and distributing them to terrorists, who would believe it? Of course the American press would go along, but who else? Is America in a position to rule the world by might? No, I think we would do better to lead by example.
I hope that Kerry will bring fresh life and confidence to America. I don't doubt his ability to perform as CIC. Just compare his record to Bush's, who was apparently nowhere to be found during his cushy service, while others were fighting and dying in the jungles of Vietnam. I'm not concerned about the incomes of the wealthiest 1%. They've got more money than they know what to do with, and use it to reinforce their power through bought-and-paid-for legislation.
Kerry is no cure-all, but he can't help but do a better job than Bush.
Prevent Bigotry through Education.