[Vision2020] Kerry's military record, redux.
thansen@moscow.com
thansen@moscow.com
Tue, 27 Apr 2004 00:23:26 GMT
You are correct, Dick.
I retired with the Good Conduct Medal (Sixth Award), which is a standing
testimonial to "There are no laws against anything, only getting caught at
something."
But, outside of that - Yes, there are ribbons and there are medals. In the
Army, you wear ribbons with your dress greens. You wear your medals with your
dress blues and mess whites.
This is an immature battle, having to discuss the difference between medals and
ribbons to explain the behavior of somebody that was "there".
Tom Hansen
> Tom,
>
> I've been on the road all day listening to the conservative talk shows and
> someone needs to let these idiots know that most medals also have ribbons
which
> are the same symbol. Some affairs you wear your medals and other affairs you
> only wear the ribbons which are symbolic for medals. The news people seem to
> not understand. The medal/ribbon issue was chewed and chewed on today by the
> talk shows. I suppose there may even be a "good conduct" medal! I got the
> ribbon but no medal! Must not have been good enough!
>
> Dick Schmidt
>
> > I agree, Joan.
> >
> > The man John Kerry, co-founder of Vietnam Vets Against the War, testified
> > before a senate subsommittee against the war, marched against the war with
> > fellow vets, and demonstrated against the war. He did all this after
> > patrolling the Mekong Delta and being awrded three Purple Hearts, a Bronze
> > Star, and a Silver Star (which is one notch below the Congressional Medal
of
> > Honor).
> >
> > He was heavily humiliated when he returned from Vietnam in the late
1960's.
> He
> > stood up for his convictions and his heart-felt beliefs in what he
considered
> > right. The man has principals.
> >
> > And now, thirty-plus years later, he is humiliated again. And why?
Because
> he
> > did back then what he felt he had to do.
> >
> > Good God, people ! ! ! We are comparing two military records during the
> > Vietnam War. One belonging to a highly decorated combat veteran. The
other
> > belonging to a drunk that missed National Guard meetings, that drove two
> > businesses (that were given to him by his daddy) into the ground.
> >
> >
> > Tom Hansen
> >
> >
> >
> > > Dear Visionaries:
> > >
> > > I came across the following on the AP Wire. I'm forwarding it to you
> > bec> ause I can think of nothing so nauseating, so morally bankrupt as
> > smearin> g those who have served their country during war time. It's
enough
> to
> > ga> g a dog off a gut wagon. But first, a few comments . . .
> > >
> > > Kerry's war record is a problem for George W. Bush. A big problem.
> > It's> not the only reason Kerry won the Democratic primary, but it's a
> > signifi> cant factor. And so, the appeal of Kerry's war record has to be
> > neutrali> zed. To that end, first the Bush campaign complained that
although
> > Kerry> had volunteered for duty in Vietnam and served with distinction, he
> was
> > > a "traitor" for leading a group called Veterans Against the War upon his
> > > return. When that dung failed to stick, they switched tactics, claiming
> > > that Kerry should only have gotten two Purple Hearts rather than three
> > be> cause, in their opinion, his first collection of wounds weren't ghastly
> > e> nough. Now, Bush aide Karen Hughes has taken to the airwaves to
> > complain> that when Kerry says he returned his medals during a 1970
protest
> at
> > the> Capitol, he really just returned the ribbons.
> > >
> > > This is an old Bush pattern. In 2000, the Bushies suggested that
> > primary> challenger John McCain might be "mentally unstable" because he
spent
> > fiv> e years in a Vietnamese prison camp. (The operative phrase, I believe,
> > w> as "Manchurian candidate.") We got more of the same in 2002 when they
> > he> lped Saxby "Trick Knee" Chambliss unseat Vietnam Vet and triple-amputee
> > M> ax Cleland from his Senate seat in Georgia. What a technique. When
> > face> d with an opponent who has a strong record of military service -- one
> > who> , unlike you, hasn't just done the Top Gun cha-cha in a borrowed flight
> > s> uit -- you denigrate that service. You claim that it's exaggerated.
> > You> swagger and you strut and you pretend that your own song and dance
must
> > > be the real thing because, hey, it's on television! You liked M*A*S*H,
> > d> idn't you? You watch JAG, don't you? Well, where's the film of John
> > Ker> ry's active service? Where's his reality show? If you can't watch it
> > li> ve on Fox TV, how can you know it's real? No, don't read those boring
> > ol> d military records. Let's have five minutes of war on CNN and then
> > switc> h back to "The Swan."
> > >
> > > Enough. We had a healthy dose of genuine reality last week when a young
> > > woman, against Bush Administration orders, photographed the flag-draped
> > c> offins of real soldiers coming back from a real war. The Seattle Times
> > r> an the photo on their front page, the young woman was fired, and now
> > Bush> and Company are back at their all important campaign work of trying
to
> > t> urn a silk purse into a sow's ear. If we let that happen then I guess
> > we> 'll get what we deserve: Texas' answer to Grima Wormtongue.
> > >
> > > Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
> > >
> > > Records show high praise for officer Kerry
> > > By NEDRA PICKLER
> > > Associated Press
> > > 4/22/2004
> > >
> > > WASHINGTON - Records of John F. Kerry's Vietnam War service released
> > Wedn> esday show a highly praised naval officer who volunteered for a
> > dangerous> assignment and at one point was "unofficially credited with 20
> enemy
> > kil> led in action."
> > > With critics questioning his service, the Democratic presidential
> > candida> te posted more than 120 pages of military records on his campaign
Web
> > sit> e. Several describe him as a gutsy commander and detail some of the
> > actio> ns that won him three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver
Star.
> > > Kerry's most harrowing experience came during the nearly five months
> > when> he commanded a swiftboat along Vietnam's Mekong Delta. The future
> > Massac> husetts senator was commended for gallantry, heroism and valor
during
> > the> tour, which was cut short when Kerry was wounded three times and sent
> > ba> ck to the United States.
> > > "He frequently exhibited a high sense of imagination and judgment in
> > plan> ning operations against the enemy in the Mekong Delta," wrote Lt.
Cmdr.
> > G> eorge Elliott, Kerry's commanding officer. "Involved in several enemy
> > ini> tiated fire fights, including an ambush during the Christmas truce, he
> > ef> fectively suppressed enemy fire and is unofficially credited with 20
> > enem> y killed in action."
> > > Kerry's records show that throughout his four years of active duty,
> > super> iors gave him glowing evaluations, citing his maturity, intelligence
> and
> > > immaculate appearance. He was recommended for early promotion, and when
> > h> e left the Navy in 1970 to run for Congress, his commanding officer said
> > > it was the Navy's loss.
> > > The lowest marks Kerry earned were the equivalent of average - in
> > militar> y bearing, reliability and initiative. But narrative comments from
> his
> > co> mmanding officers said he was diplomatic, charismatic, decisive and
> > well-> liked by his men.
> > > The records cited Kerry's education at Swiss boarding school, his
> > speakin> g and debating awards and his role as class orator at Yale
> University's
> > c> ommencement. He lettered in varsity soccer and lacrosse, fenced, had a
> > pr> ivate pilot's license and had experience sailing and ocean racing.
> > > Kerry traveled throughout Europe in his youth and spoke fluent French
> > and> some German. His supervising officer later commended him for taking it
> > u> pon himself to learn Vietnamese.
> > > Kerry cited his sailing experience before the Navy when he volunteered
> > to> command a swiftboat, a 50-foot-long craft that could operate at high
> > spe> eds in the rough waters of Vietnam's rivers and tributaries.
> > > His records briefly describe shrapnel wounds to his arm and thigh for
> > the> first two Purple Hearts, but they don't detail the severity of the
> > wound> s.
> > > According to a naval instruction document provided by Kerry's campaign,
> > a> nyone serving in Vietnam who was wounded three times, regardless of the
> > n> ature of the wound or treatment required, "will not be ordered to
> > service> in Vietnam and contiguous waters."
> > > On Feb. 28, 1969, Kerry's and two other boats came under heavy fire from
> > > the riverbanks. Kerry ordered his units to turn into the ambush and sent
> > > men ashore to charge the enemy. According to the records, an enemy
> > soldie> r holding a loaded rocket launcher sprang up within 10 feet of
Kerry's
> > bo> at and fled. Kerry leapt ashore, chased and killed the man.
> > > Kerry and his men chased or killed all enemy soldiers in the area,
> > captur> ed enemy weapons and then returned to the boat only to come under
fire
> > fr> om the opposite bank as they began to pull away. Kerry again beached his
> > > boat and led a party ashore to pursue the enemy, and they successfully
> > si> lenced the shooting.
> > > Later, with the boats again under fire, Kerry initiated a heavy response
> > > that killed 10 Viet Cong and wounded another with no casualties to his
> > ow> n men.
> > > He won the Silver Star "for gallantry and intrepidity in action" that
> > day> Two weeks later, another fire fight led to a Bronze Star for heroic
> > ach> ievement and the third Purple Heart that would result in his
> > reassignment> out of Vietnam.
> > > Kerry was commanding one of five boats on patrol on March 13, 1969, when
> > > two mines detonated almost simultaneously - one beneath another boat and
> > > one near Kerry's craft. Shrapnel hit Kerry's buttocks, and his right arm
> > > was bleeding from contusions, but he rescued a boatmate who had been
> > thro> wn overboard by the blast and was under sniper fire from both banks.
> > Kerr> y then directed his crew to return to the other damaged craft and tow
it
> > > to safety.Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download :
> > http://exp> lorer.msn.com
> > >
> >
> >
> >
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