About Kerry's Purple Hearts And Reassignment

Boston Globe ^ | 6/16/2003 | Michael Kranish

[Hon]

Why won't Kerry allow his medical records from that period to be examined?

How many other people were reassigned using this seemingly very obscure technicality?

[jmstein7]

This is the big secret; this is one of Kerry's big problems.

What is he hiding?

[Republican Red]

I'm still trying to figure out how he served in "Nixon's War" during the time frame of December 1967 to June 1968????

He keeps calling it Nixon's War in speeches and debates. He served during LBJ's term in a war started under the Kennedy Administration.

[MEG33]

FYI

[wtc911]

The bottom line to this piece of Kerry's history is not that he requested an early transfer. The bottom line is that he got three Purple Hearts, the Silver Star and a Bronze Star.

Any attempt to twist this into a negative shames only those doing the twisting.

[Hon]

It's clear the Kerry camp is very concerned about questions along these lines. This is from an ABC News report which came out after the above story appeared in the Boston Globe:

"Kerry spokesman Robert Gibbs says that commanders sent Kerry a letter informing him of the transfer. Kranish implies that Horne said that Kerry initiated the discussion about the transfer under the 1300.39 regulation.

Gibbs said Kerry's campaign disputes the idea that Kerry met with Horne prior to receiving a letter about the transfer.

"Kerry was informed did not request [re-assignment and] learned per the letter," Gibbs said.

In other words, the Kerry campaign contends Kerry's transfer was simply a consequence of a naval regulation being enforced. Someone noticed that Kerry had been wounded thrice — he had just been awarded another Purple Heart — and set in motion the paperwork to follow the Navy guideline.

The regulation, a copy of which the Kerry campaign provided to ABC News, does say that prospective transferees can request a waiver. Both Kranish and the Kerry campaign agree that Kerry did not ask for a waiver.

So the question boils down to whether Kerry met with Commander Horne before Horne drew up the transfer paperwork to remind him of the regulation or whether he sped its implementation.

And whether the regulation was binding enough that unless Kerry requested NOT to be transferred, he would have eventually been transferred, regardless of whether he asked about it."

http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/TheNote/TheNote_June17.html

[Rummyfan]

Interesting. Bump for later read.

[Ancesthntr]

Bush and the Republicans need to fight Kerry with the truth...which, in Kerry's case, hurts a LOT. Here are the FACTS:

On Kerry's war record:

http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnkerry.com/

On Kerry's record on defense matters (REALLY lousy):

http://www.washingtontimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20040127-084854-4468r

[Hon]

"He keeps calling it Nixon's War in speeches and debates. He served during LBJ's term in a war started under the Kennedy Administration."

Yep. Not only that his roommate at Yale was McGeorge Bundy's nephew. Kerry even claims that Bundy himself talked to him about going to Vietnam after he graduated from Yale.

Kerry said he felt like Bundy was representing John Kennedy in spirit, and this is why he enlisted. (Of course he also was facing the draft.)

[JustPlainJoe]

That ALWAYS kills me. Everybody wants to blame Nixon for the Vietnam war when he's the one who GOT US OUT OF THERE. It was Kennedy's administration, DEMOCRAT, I might add who got us involved there!

Drives me nuts!

[OldFriend]

The shame belongs to anyone manipulating the Purple Heart process to get an early out of service.

It harms those who earned their Purple Hearts the hard way.

[faithincowboys]

Kerry's use of Viet Nam is so twisted. Of all the people who could have run on their service, he has absolutely no rationale for running on that War. I think Viet Nam could end up being a negative for him.

[jmstein7]

Amen!

[mystery-ak]

Kerry was really up on the Navy's rules and regulations...he must have carried a copy with him constantly.

[faithincowboys]

Isn't it until March 69. I think he had two tours--the first being totally out of harm's way. The second one he ran from (way) before his time was up.

[Hon]

"The shame belongs to anyone manipulating the Purple Heart process to get an early out of service."

I think so, too. What gets me is the the media and Kerry's campaign (but I repeat myself) present this (if at all) as if it was an automatic thing. But instead it seems to have been a technicality and quite unusual in the practice.

And it looks like Kerry had to initiate it for it to happen.

Also, it looks like the wounds were quite superficial, given that his commander said he lost ZERO duty days.

[wtc911]

How does one a Purple Heart the easy way? An inch this, an inch that way and a ding is a mortal wound.

And, the three PHs and you're home thing was commonly known even among those of us who were of age at the time but not in service. It was such a bit of commomplace knowledge that Oliver Stone used it in Platoon.

Tear this guy up on anything he did after he got back, that's all fair game. Going after this, in this way, looks just like what it is...childish.

[w1andsodidwe]

Kerry said he felt like Bundy was representing John Kennedy in spirit, and this is why he enlisted. (Of course he also was facing the draft.)

It should also be noted that during the Viet Nam war there was a draft deferment while in college. Young men who flunked out were immediately drafted and of course graduates were immediately subject to the draft also.. That is why President Bush was not drafted, he was in school during part of the war and then joined voluntarily (enlisted). So where is the difference? Just what branch they managed to enlist in?

[js1138]

How many other people were reassigned using this seemingly very obscure technicality?

It will be interesting to see how Kerry's premature withdrawal plays in Peoria.

[Malesherbes]

The guy is just lucky, both in love and war. I hope his luck runs out in Novermber of this year.