KERRY BACKTRACKS ON PURPLE HEART

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ^ | August 24, 2004 | Swift Boat Veterans for Truth

[Nick Danger]

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, August 24, 2004

KERRY CAMPAIGN BACKTRACKS ON FIRST PURPLE HEART AWARD

Campaign Says May Have Been Self-Inflicted

Washington—In a reversal of their staunch defense of John Kerry's military service record, Kerry campaign officials were quoted by Fox News saying that it was indeed possible that John Kerry's first Purple Heart commendation was the result of an, unintentional, self-inflicted wound."

"GARRETT: And questions keep coming. For example, Kerry received a Purple Heart for wounds suffered on December 2, 1968. But in Kerry's own journal written nine days later, he writes he and his crew, quote, "hadn't been shot at yet," unquote. Kerry's campaign has said it is possible this first Purple Heart was awarded for an unintentional self-inflicted wound -- Brit." (Special Report with Brit Hume Aug.23, 2004)

A recent television ad from Swift Boat Veterans for Truth featured Doctor Lewis Letson who treated Kerry for his minor injury and Grant Hibbard who served as John Kerry's direct commander on the mission where he claimed his medal. Both men say Kerry did not deserve the medal given the fact that Kerry received a very minor wound requiring no more than band-aid treatment and because the wound was not a direct result of hostile fire, a requirement for a Purple Heart commendation.

"When Grant Hibbard and Doctor Letson appeared in our ad, they were attacked and vilified by the Kerry campaign but now we see news reports saying the Kerry campaign is now sheepishly acknowledging that what we said was true," said Admiral Hoffmann, founder of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. "John Kerry's own journal reinforces the fact that neither Kerry nor his crew had seen hostile enemy action. John Kerry's first Purple Heart medal is based on fiction."

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is calling on the Kerry campaign to apologize to Grant Hibbard and Doctor Letson as the men did nothing more than come forward to speak the truth about the situation involving John Kerry's first Purple Heart medal.

This is not the only incident in which Kerry campaign officials have changed their story concerning Kerry's prestigious war medals. The incident on the Bay Hap River in which Kerry received his third Purple Heart and Bronze Star has also been the subject of considerable waffling by Kerry officials. 

During the Democratic National Convention, Kerry used the Bay Hap River incident to suggest that he alone returned to rescue Jim Rassmann—a Special Forces solider—who was on Kerry's boat and was tossed into the river.  Kerry described this incident to the American people as "No man left behind."

However Kerry officials were forced to acknowledge that Kerry's boat actually left the scene when another swift boat—operating on the other side of the river—was damaged by an underwater mine.  Kerry officials now admit that Kerry's boat returned after several minutes to pull Rassmann from the water while three other swift boats remained on site to render assistance to the injured crew of the one damaged boat.  Campaign officials once claimed that Kerry returned to the scene under withering hostile fire to rescue Rassmann after all the other swift boats left.  But other accounts from eyewitnesses of that day confirm that the other boats stayed on site and that Kerry returned to the scene, facing no enemy fire, only seconds before another swift boat was preparing to retrieve Mr. Rassmann from the water.

"John Kerry's stories are falling apart," added Hoffmann. His statements don't even match up with his own journal entries.  We are going to continue telling the truth about John Kerry's military service record so that the American people can make their own decisions about John Kerry's qualifications to be the next Commander in Chief."

Direct media inquiries to media@swiftvets.com

[MJY1288]

It's time to demand that John Kerry return the Purple Heart and request that the Navy change his discharge to "Dishonorable"

[js1138]

An hour and a half of withering enemy fire would have been seared --seared -- into everyone's memories. What was the ammo count for this action? 500 rounds? How long does this take?

[tirednvirginia]

Turning up the heat a few degrees hotter.

[CWOJackson]

No matter. Thursday he's going to have a press conference demanding his 4th Purple Heart for this latest self-infliect Vietnam War wound.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Where is your trademark, Nick?

[TomGuy]

It is funny too that with each retraction (1st PH; Christmas in Cambodia), the mouthpieces still conclude that Kerry's version of events is still basically 'accurate'.

The media are still giving him cover, too.

Chris Wallace and Bill O'Reilly both agreed that Kerry's story was more accurate than that of the SBV, even after the 1st PH and Christmas in Cambodia retractions.

[Puppage]

It's time to demand that John Kerry return the Purple Heart

Further, if you can be sent home after 3 PHs, and he faked the first, he shouldn't have been sent home, no?

[colorado tanker]

Christmas in Cambodia and 1st Purple Heart. Two lies down.

[Blood of Tyrants]

During the Democratic National Convention, Kerry used the Bay Hap River incident to suggest that he alone returned to rescue Jim Rassmann

Okay, you must carefully look at the statement. Kerry's WAS the only boat to RETURN. The rest never abandoned Rassman and the crew of the #3 boat.

[tirednvirginia]

"It's time to demand that John Kerry return the Purple Heart and request that the Navy change his discharge to "Dishonorable"

Also, we should demand that "Tour of Duty" be banned from the bookshelves. LOL How many books has Doug Brinkley sold, anyway?

[Blood of Tyrants]

Yep, he is aiming at both feet this time.

[COUNTrecount]

"John Kerry's stories are falling apart," added Hoffmann. His statements don't even match up with his own journal entries. We are going to continue telling the truth about John Kerry's military service record so that the American people can make their own decisions about John Kerry's qualifications to be the next Commander in Chief."

[Viet Vet in Augusta GA]

He owes us all another 234 days in Vietnam before he can come back and run for office.

[QQQQQ]

Will Christ Matthews apologize to Michelle Malking?

[Quilla]

Apparently an hour and a half of withering enemy fire from both sides of the bank resulted in no American casualties and the enemy shooting themselves to death. This Kerry character is a loon.

[Frank_Discussion]

Careful...

[NorCoGOP]

It's time to demand that John Kerry return the Purple Heart

Didn't he already return them over the White House fence?

Oh wait...those weren't medals, they were ribbons...

oh, that's right, there is no distinction between the two...

Oh, yeah...they weren't even HIS medals...

What a putz!

[evets]

Loser

Winner

[Belisaurius]

500 rounds from a twin-fifty? Probably less time then it took me to read your post and answer it.

[daler]

"KERRY BACKTRACKS ON PURPLE HEART"

Before I even peeked, I bet myself a $100.00 bill that headline wouldn't be slugged (AP) or (Reuters).

I won the bet.

Damn, I'm getting good at this.

[backhoe]

To read the latest on the Franchurian Candidate's bizzare exploits, click the picture, goto "last," and work backwards:

If you would like to help the Swift Boat Vets ( as I have, and I urge all to do-- even a few dollars will help ) kindly click on this logo:

If, perchance, the top "click the pic" link is not visible, click here:

-John Kerry- some selected, informative links...--

---

I want you to help the SwiftVets-- here's how:

1st download the videos and burn them onto a CD or DVD and Hand Them Out! Take lots of extra copies.

Q. Could you please help those of us that are neophytes how to copy?

Both ads are on the SwiftVets.com site. Under "topics" click on "Latest News".Then, see newbie guides at http://www.doom9.org/guides.htm

( Kudos to Fuzzy! )

To read the latest on the Franchurian Candidate's bizzare exploits, click the picture, goto "last," and work backwards:

If you would like to help the Swift Boat Vets ( as I have, and I urge all to do-- even a few dollars will help ) kindly click on this logo:

[cyncooper]

Love it

(Ella, see pics at #20)

[Arrowhead1952]

Will Christ Matthews apologize to Michelle Malking?

When hell freezes over, if ever.

[ravingnutter]

As someone said this morning...it could still be considered enemy fire...John Kerry is his own worst enemy. Had to clean my keyboard and my monitor after that one, LOL!

[Americanwolf]

Boy oh boy how the web starts to unravel......Don't know if you saw this already. Wonder if hell try to throw it back again.

[creepycrawly]

In a reversal of their staunch defense of John Kerry's military service record, Kerry campaign officials were quoted by Fox News saying that it was indeed possible that John Kerry's first Purple Heart commendation was the result of an, unintentional, self-inflicted wound."

Anyone have the quote and who said it? So far, I've only heard SBVs saying that they said it.

[JLO]

Wow - Big News!!

[Nick Danger]

if you can be sent home after 3 PHs, and he faked the first, he shouldn't have been sent home, no?

Zackly. The Navy should put him on a SwiftBoat and have him finish out his tour patrolling the Tigris and Euphrates around Baghdad.

[clamper1797]

He owes us all another 234 days in Vietnam before he can come back and run for office.

I'd settle for Fallujah ... if he goes alone

[Logic n' Reason]

kerry:"ooooo-OOOOOO-OOOOOOOOOOOOO-oooooooooooooo-ooops!

"What a maroooon!"

...and a bald faced liar!

[Quix]

THANKS MUCH.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO AGREE.

Sent to email list.

[JLO]

Looks like it's still developing at Drudge. Headlines (no links yet):
===
Kerry's campaign now says is possible first Purple Heart was awarded for unintentional self-inflicted wound...

Kerry received Purple Heart for wounds suffered on 12/2/68...

In Kerry's own journal written 9 days later, he writes he and his crew, quote, 'hadn't been shot at yet'... Developing...

[Quix]

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

Try him for treason and let him 'decorate' some ship from the yardarm! . . . perhaps a derelict slave ship somewhere given that he wants to rush us into enslavement to the global government.

[lugsoul]

I know this doesn't matter to most here, but is there any other source for this "admission" than Fox? I've looked all over for some kind of statement attributable to the Kerry camp and have found none.

[LowOiL]

Wow it is coming down the drain now....

[Prost1]

Kerry Lied and Good Men Died

Kerry Fled while Good Men Bled

[outlawcam]

conclude that Kerry's version of events is still basically 'accurate'.

Meaning...there appears to have been a war in Asia somewhere near the time that Kerry was there.

[Quix]

I wonder if we could arrange a replacement with some of the POW's still there in North Viet Nam--doesn't matter to me whether one alive or dead.

Couldn't happen to a more fitting example of treason, duplicity and down right scoundrallllliness!

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Paging Chrissie Matthews...

[xm177e2]

An hour and a half of withering enemy fire would have been seared --seared -- into everyone's memories.

Not if that sort of thing happened regularly to the Swifties. But the first time someone comes under sustained fire for a half an hour? Yeah, I think they'd remember that!

[rushmom]

Wouldn't do that. Just let it lie out there.

[boxerblues]

Zackly. The Navy should put him on a SwiftBoat and have him finish out his tour patrolling the Tigris and Euphrates around Baghdad

Please dont do that to our kids who are there now. They are doing just fine without the traitor.

[js1138]

I'm not sure about the 500 rounds, but I read it on one of these threads. It strikes me that this equates to 30 seconds to a minute of supressing fire, not even intended to hit anything.

I was never in action, but I suspect that a two way firefight would be a bit tougher than this. An I would expect that the gunners wouldn't stop until all resistence stopped. This whole episode makes no sense from Kerry's side. At best I can only imagine his supporters are mixing multiple episodes in their memories. I can understand that, but an extended firefight would have left more evidence.

[kingattax]

MAMA T PUTS FINGER IN DYKE TO SAVE CAMPAIGN !! developing----

[Nasty McPhilthy]

Now it turns out that archieved Naval Records disclose that JOHN KERRY did not receive his "Honorable Discharge" from the Navy, until March 12, 2001. His service obligation should have ended JULY 1, 1972 - About the time that Bush was ending his honorable Guard service in Alabama.

What's up with that?

[JLO]

LOL - good one! Bet he'll never get around to admitting he was wrong though.

[Egon]

Man, my flashbacks are coming more and more often...

Now I find myself remembering back a few years when another famous truth-challenged Democrat wagged his finger at the camera and stated, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Monica Lewinsky!"

For the next several weeks, frantic mouthpieces were calling everyone but him a liar for spreading the truth. Finally, he admitted what we all knew, and his Democrat Yes-Men were left twisting in the wind, looking like fools.

Funny that they can't seem to learn from history, isn't it?

[Chieftain]

Freeper N. Theknow says:
"It’s faster than a checkbook, more powerful than a Democratic demagogue, able to lay waste to a liar Kerry with the single click of a mouse. It's a little bird of truth, it's plain to see Kerry's unfit... it's... it's...SuperFReep!

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