About Kerry's Purple Hearts And Reassignment

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

[Hon]

[I thought it would be of interest to highlight some passages from an article in the series "A Candidate In The Making" from the Boston Globe. Given Kerry's charges about Bush's National Guard duty, I think it is appropriate that Kerry's own record should be given some similar scrutiny.]

Heroism, and growing concern about war

By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff, 6/16/2003

Kerry served two tours. For a relatively uneventful six months, from December 1967 to June 1968, he served in the electrical department aboard the USS Gridley, a guided-missile frigate that supported aircraft carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin and was far removed from combat.

Kerry initially hoped to continue his service at a relatively safe distance from most fighting, securing an assignment as "swift boat" skipper. While the 50-foot swift boats cruised the Vietnamese coast a little closer to the action than the Gridley had come, they were still considered relatively safe.

"I didn't really want to get involved in the war," Kerry said in a little-noticed contribution to a book of Vietnam reminiscences published in 1986. "When I signed up for the swift boats, they had very little to do with the war. They were engaged in coastal patrolling and that's what I thought I was going to be doing."

But two weeks after he arrived in Vietnam, the swift boat mission changed -- and Kerry went from having one of the safest assignments in the escalating conflict to one of the most dangerous.

Kerry experienced his first intense combat action on Dec. 2, 1968, when he "semi-volunteered for, was semi-drafted" for a risky covert mission in which he essentially was supposed to "flush out" the enemy, using a little Boston Whaler named "Batman." A larger backup craft was called "Robin."

Unfortunately, Robin had engine trouble, and Batman's exit was delayed until the boats could depart in unison. The Batman crew encountered some Viet Cong, engaged in a firefight, and Kerry was slightly wounded on his arm, earning his first Purple Heart on his first day of serious action.

"It was not a very serious wound at all," recalled William Schachte, who oversaw the mission and went on to become a rear admiral.

In any case, Kerry said he was appalled that the Navy's ''free fire zone'' policy put civilians at such high risk. So, on Jan. 22, 1969, Kerry and several dozen fellow skippers and officers traveled to Saigon to complain about the policy in an extraordinary meeting with Zumwalt and the overall commander of the war, General Creighton W. Abrams Jr. ''We were fighting the [free fire] policy very, very hard, to the point that many of the members were refusing to carry out orders on some of their missions, to the point where crews were starting to mutiny, [to] say, `I would not go back in the rivers again,''' Kerry recalled during a 1971 television appearance on the Dick Cavett Show.

But Kerry went back in the rivers. Indeed, it was after this meeting that he began his most deadly round of combat. Within days of the Saigon meeting, he joined a five-man crew on swift boat No. 94 on a series of missions in which he won the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and two of his three Purple Hearts. Starting in late January 1969, this crew completed 18 missions over an intense and dangerous 48 days, almost all of them in the dense jungles of the Mekong Delta.

The most intense action came during an extraordinary eight days of more than 10 firefights, remembered by Kerry's crew as the "days of hell."

On Feb. 20, 1969, Kerry earned his second Purple Heart after sustaining a shrapnel wound in his left thigh.

A couple of weeks later, on March 13, 1969, a mine detonated near Kerry's boat, wounding Kerry in the right arm, according to the citation written by Zumwalt.

Kerry had been wounded three times and received three Purple Hearts. Asked about the severity of the wounds, Kerry said that one of them cost him about two days of service, and that the other two did not interrupt his duty. "Walking wounded," as Kerry put it. A shrapnel wound in his left arm gave Kerry pain for years. Kerry declined a request from the Globe to sign a waiver authorizing the release of military documents that are covered under the Privacy Act and that might shed more light on the extent of the treatment Kerry needed as a result of the wounds.

"There were an awful lot of Purple Hearts -- from shrapnel, some of those might have been M-40 grenades," said Elliott, Kerry's commanding officer. "The Purple Hearts were coming down in boxes. Kerry, he had three Purple Hearts. None of them took him off duty. Not to belittle it, that was more the rule than the exception."

But Kerry thought he had seen and done enough. The rules, he said, allowed a thrice-wounded soldier to return to the United States immediately. So Kerry went to talk to Commodore Charles F. Horne, an administrative official and commander of the coastal squadron in which Kerry served. Horne filled out a document on March 17, 1969, that said Kerry "has been thrice wounded in action while on duty incountry Vietnam. Reassignment is requested ... as a personal aide in Boston, New York, or Wash., D.C. area."

Horne, in a telephone interview, said the transfer request was allowed under then-existing naval instructions and was "above board and proper." Transfer was not automatic and was subject to approval by the Bureau of Naval Personnel, he said.

"I never once in any way thought my decision was wrong," Horne said. "To get three Purple Hearts and not be killed is awesome."

Kerry, asked whether he is certain a rule enabled him to leave Vietnam after three Purple Hearts, responded: "Yep. Three and you're out."

For the past several weeks, Kerry's staff said it has been unable to come up with a Navy document to explain that assertion. On Friday, however, the National Archives provided the Globe with a Navy "instruction" document that formed the basis for Kerry's request. The instruction, titled 1300.39, says that a Naval officer who requires hospitalization on two separate occasions, or who receives three wounds "regardless of the nature of the wounds," can ask a superior officer to request a reassignment. The instruction makes clear the reassignment is not automatic. It says that the reassignment "will be determined after consideration of his physical classification for duty and on an individual basis." Because Kerry's wounds were not considered serious, his reassignment appears to have been made on an individual basis.

Moreover, the instruction makes clear that Kerry could have asked that any reassignment be waived.

The bottom line is that Kerry could have remained but he chose to seek an early transfer. He met with Horne, who agreed to forward the request, which Horne said probably ensured final approval. The Navy could not say how many other officers or sailors got a similar early release from combat, but it was unusual for anyone to have three Purple Hearts.

[archy]

Have you gotten any straight skinny on what was behind the huge arms dump explosion in Iraq last week?.

Accident or Intentional?

Semper Fi

**********************************************

Nothing at all......sounds to me like a ADR op (ammo destruct request) where one man was in the crater priming in and the ones they found were departing the scene as something went south. Could'a been Army engineers or any service EOD team. Haven't heard anything offical.
SLB or Archy may have better data......

Stay Safe !

I haven't heard anything official or unofficial, though I understand that dump was very extensive- 100+ bunkers- and under the opcon of the Polish peacekeepeing force. Initial press reports indicated *more than 5* KIA, followups reported 20 or *around*- probably based on recovery of body parts.

I have no idea how Polish EOD procedures match or differ from ours, but they're looking at doing things the NATO way, and there is both official and unofficial info-sharing on methodology, both in Afghanistan and Iraq. But I suspect *bolo beans,* either set up by the Poles, US redfenders or snakeeater elements, or a leftover Iraqi boobytrap to discourage souvenier hunters.

Iraqis Killed in Munitions Dump Explosion

About 20 Iraqis were killed in an explosion at a munitions dump in Iraq today, a spokesman for Polish-led peacekeepers was quoted as saying.

The blast occurred after midnight about 112 miles south-west of Karbala in the desert when Iraqis broke into the storage site, military spokesman Colonel Robert Strzelecki told the Polish news agency PAP.

He said it was unclear what caused the blast. The dump, formerly used by Saddam Hussein’s army, consists of about 100 bunkers spread over a wide area and contains munitions such as artillery shells and rockets, the spokesman told PAP.

Peacekeepers saw the intruders entering the site on their ground radar screens but were unable to get to the location on time to stop them, Strzelecki said.

Poland staunchly supported the war in Iraq and commands a roughly 9,500-strong multinational force in the south-central region, including 2,400 Polish troops.

Staff Sgt Shawn Prather, 705th Explosive Ordnance Company, Fort
Polk, La, teaches a Polish and French EOD about some of his companies
equipment,which was on display here Thursday during an EOD convention.
[Bagram, Afghanistan]

A Polish Airborne EOD team tapes grenades and
prepares other munitions for shipment.

[archy]

Purple Hearts were handed out in an attempt to improve morale. When I was there we had a mess sargeant win a purple heart for "shell fragments in left eye". He got an egg shell fragment under his eye lid while preparing breakfast in the enlisted mens mess at Can Tho, an Army Air Base 90 miles south of Saigon!.

Not too shabby. I had one former First Sergeant who loved telling us the story of how he'd gotten his Purple Heart after diving into a ditch, getting cut on a broken beer bottle, and receiving treatment for his resulting wounds, which did require stitches and a tetanus shot.

He made no claims to heroism or valour, but noted it was a handy attaboy for promotion boards and for retention during times of RIFS. Of course if you nosed a little deeper, you might find out that he got that PH way back when he was a corporal, on December 7th, 1941, at Schofield Barracks near Pearl Harbor....

[Hon]

It might seem petty to try to find the truth about Kerry's military record. But you have got to realize the kind of propaganda his campaign is putting out about him in every conceivable media market.

For example, here is an excerpt from an article about Kerry in AMERICAN WINDSURFER magazine:

"Volume 5 Issue 5

A Windsurfer in the
WHITE HOUSE?

The Viet Cong snipers were regularly taking pot shots at his Navy gun boat known as a PCF - a Patrol Craft Fast or Swift Boat. The 25-year-old commander of PCF-94 was getting pretty fed up. He and his crew of six were part of an operation known as Sealords - the Navy's daring plan to penetrate the dangerous but vital waterways of the Mekong Delta. Like scenes from Francis Ford Copola's Apocalypse Now, the swift boats became prime targets for the ambush-minded Viet Cong lurking in the dense jungle lining the river banks. Quietly, John Kerry formulated a battle plan to confront the threat and waited for the right moment. Then one day, when Kerry was in command of a three boat raid, bullets came flying from mangroves on the side of the river. Kerry turned his swift boat 90s to the right and ordered the others to follow full speed into the heart of the ambush. He rammed his boat onto shore and with his crew, chased the enemy on foot until they were eliminated. A few moments later, while investigating gunfire a little further upstream, a rocket blast blew out all the windows in the mid part of the boat. Kerry beached again in the middle of the ambush and routed the enemy the second time. This strategy was a change from previous Swift boat engagements which had almost always resulted in a quick firefight and retreat. When news of the heroic deed (and that not a single man under Kerry's command was wounded) reached Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, Commander of Naval Forces Vietnam, the Admiral put Kerry up for our country's second highest honor, the Navy Cross. "It was an act of bravery beyond the call of doctrine," said the now retired Admiral. But then, to impact moral, the Admiral decided to by-pass Washington's approval for the Navy Cross and flew immediately to the Delta where he awarded Kerry the Silver Star and decorated each of the men who participated in the raid. It was his act of personal respect for the leadership Kerry had exhibited."

http://www.americanwindsurfer.com/mag/back/issue5.5a.html

It's clear this came straight from the Kerry campaign. The windsurfers who read it have no idea how much of it is exaggerated or just made up.

[Hon]

"Let's make a deal. Kerry will release his military medical records when Rush releases his civilian medical records."

Let's make a deal. When Limbaugh runs for President we insist he make his medical records public.

[river rat]

"The blast occurred after midnight about 112 miles south-west of Karbala in the desert when Iraqis broke into the storage site,..."

Sounds like some wannabe Jihadists blew themselves up....perhaps met a trip wire or enchanted by some sucker bait...

Sounds like mostly potential Jihadists or thieves that were killed.....that's better than our folks..

Ruined their evening.....

Semper Fi

[hershey]

With the benefit of all that expensive cosmetic hard work, Kerry has gone from looking like Lurch to Frankenstein. Lovie should demand her money back.

[Mo1]

.Since he calls for a military investigation for Bush

I'd like to know just who Kerry thinks he is by calling for an investigation on anyone's military record?

[My Dog Likes Me]

Excellent point.

How 'bout them Pats??

[wtc911]

Read up a bit, LBJ was already in Congress and was the first member to put on a uniform, January 1942. Do not twist this as an endorsement, I know the full story of his one aborted flight Silver Star.

Whether or not anyone decides that going after Kerry as a deserter is out of bounds is nearly irrelevent, it's a non-starter. But, go ahead and spend all the time on it you want.

[wtc911]

Your analogy makes zero sense. No one is suggesting that we give Kerry a pass on anything. But, read things the way you like, as long as it makes you feel better.

[Travis McGee]

Bush flew F-104 "Widowmakers" for 2 years during the Cold War as well as the VN era. Something like 1/4 of these planes crashed due to their poor design, and MANY pilots were killed. So if "3 scratch Kerrey" is going to trumpet his awesome heroism and imply Bush was a "deserter" or AWOL, then he needs to get ready for back blast, both about his 3 scratch combat escape, and his admitted machine-gunning of women and children in the free fire zones.

[wtc911]

Let's bury this thing. I am no fan of Kerry's on any level. And, as I said, if anyone wants to spend energy on redefining his war record go right ahead. It is though a non-starter and sounds like a bunch of whining. We are better and can do better than that.

[jwalsh07]

Vetting the Vet by Mackubin Thomas Owens, Marine Infantry Platoon Leader, RVN

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Heartbreaking story, archy.

 

Spec 5 Dwight Johnson is remembered as a hero today.

 

Maybe he knows.

 

Maybe one or two of his loved ones followed his earlier example,

 

and maybe a few of his Detroit neighbors mourned, repented, taught their children to respect our returning warriors, and thanked the next hero who came home.

 

RIP. Y

[Travis McGee]

Thanks! That NRO story is worth a repost as a fresh thread, since it's so topical.

Matt

[texasflower]

Kerry will never have the courage to send us into battle, even when it is appropriate. I believe that we had to take care of Iraq.

I don't think Kerry would have even retaliated in Afghanistan.

He doesn't have the internal strength that George W. Bush has. We had to do what we did. Kerry wouldn't have acted.

We all wish that we never had to send anyone into battle, but sometimes there is no choice.

Thank God for George W. Bush and for all of the brave men and women serving.

[texasflower]

Yes, he did get three purple hearts, the Silver Star and a Bronze Star.

They also described his injuries as very minor.

I wish I had saved the article I had about a couple of soldiers that were injured early in the Iraq war. One had neck and pelvis injuries and one had a broken arm.

They did not accept evacuation. They hitch-hiked back to their unit.

Remember that?

I am not trying to minimize Kerry's service, but my goodness, he took the very first "out" he could in order to leave.

I really do not think he has a whole lot of right to criticize Bush for anything.

Bush may not have gone to Vietnam, but he did serve this country. And he served longer.

George Bush continues to serve.

That is a whole lot more than I can say about Kerry's Senate attendance.

(His shameful activities once he returned from Vietnam are sickening.)

[texasflower]

Thank you for your brave service.