About Kerry's Purple Hearts And Reassignment

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

[Hon]

"I don't appreciate however how Kerry believes his war experience and subsequent anti-war experience make him bulletproof against criticism."

I don't either. And as I've mentioned, LBJ had a Silver Star. Heck, Timothy McVeigh had numerous decorations--including a Bronze Star with a V for valor.

I will once again note that NOBODY in recent memory has played up their war record like Kerry has. Not even JFK (the first). He hardly mentioned it. It was only after he was elected that most people even heard about it--thanks to the movie "PT-109."

How much did we hear about GWH Bush's war record in WWII? Or Bob Dole's? Hardly a peep. And certainly they never brought it up. But that is all Kerry can talk about.

[wtc911]

Are you denigrating every serviceman who earned one of those "buckets of PHs" or just Kerry who got three by saying that they are heroic in my eyes only?

Don't bother to answer, I've had enough spin for today. or go ahead if you can't help yourself.

[norton]

"He served honorably and was decorated. Not like he worked for Army Times, was a sometimes National Guard Pilot or "had other priorities during Vietnam."

You are two for four.

Agree that Kerry should not be beat up for knowing the rules and using them, or for bitching about policies (we all did that, part age, part justified, and part 'just because'). Kerry is a jerk, Max Cleland is a jerk, Al Gore is a jerk, Mc Cain is more than a jerk; Vietnam is neither cause nor excuse nor pertinent.

However, "worked for Army Times" and "National Guard Pilot" are off-base. Most of us were NOT chin deep in paddy water and most of us did NOT get home on a three PH rotation!
You go over and do what you are assigned to do. Or, you find an honorable way to stay home and do what you are assigned to do.
(Note here that Guard and Reserve units have been chewed up in more than one US fought war; it's a gamble unless you decide to go all conch AFTER getting rotation papers.)

Your second accurate statement is the "other things"...especially true thirty years later when some bozo sets down his beer and tells you he'd really liked to have served but had to stay home with the (instant or very quickly organized) family.

PS: Might want to reconsider citing "Platoon" as a valid starting point for debate.

[RightWingMama]

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!

Irritating, isn't it. Not to mention, that SOB LBJ kept us there.

[Robert A Cook PE]

I'm denigrating the ONE serviceman who is USING his Purple Heart to get elected by CONNING the world into believing only HE served in Vietnam - after spending years fighting the military as an immoral, socialist liberal with only the UN's agenda at heart.

While repeating (and encouraging) lies about another military flight officer serving at the same time.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

The bottom line is that he got three Purple Hearts, the Silver Star and a Bronze Star.

Yes. And the line below that is that Eisenhower sent Vice President Nixon to Asia, including Vietnam--and that on his return to the cabinet meetings, Nixon opposed U.S. involvement in Vietnam. But the Kennedy-Johnson Adminstrations transformed Vietnam from a side show to a huge US commitment. And in commiting 500,000 servicemen to merely playing for a draw, made it a FUBAR huge US commitment.

And the line below that is that Kerry was too much of a Democrat to accept the fact that his party, not the military or the Republican Party, was the root cause of the resulting catastrophe.

Subsequently Ronald Reagan

1. "got the country going again,"
2. "whipped inflation,"
3. "ended the energy crisis," and
4. "transcended Communism."

And he overcame the opposition of people like Senator Kerry to do it.

[BonnieJ]

My husband, a Marine in Vietnam in 1969, was wounded with sharpnel and spent 2 months aboard a hospital ship and then returned to duty. He considered his wounds minor and compared to most they were. So...what do we consider Kerry's wounds to be, back in service within moments of the injuries? Probably similar to the kinds of wounds we get working around our homes and yards and certainly very much glorified, and a disgrace because so many lost limbs and so very much more and received the very same medal.

[cksharks]

I dont care if he received ten purple hearts he is still one scummy piece of shit.Since he calls for a military investigation for Bush I would be asking how many Servicemens deaths happened after he and his superhero the bitch fonda collabrated to support the vc.By them doing this the vc left the truce talks so it could be said that he could be held accountable for some of the deaths after the walkout.After the war the vc and rvn said that one of the reasons the stayed so long was because of the discontent.Alas kerry could be tried for possible murder.JMO!

[kidd]

Find something real to go after him with, not this. It smacks of desperation politics. I'm sure you can do better.

I'm in agreement.

I would also like to point out that the attempts by the democrats to smear Bush with his record of service is an example of desperation politics. Tit-for-tat on Kerry is only warrented to the point that it disarms the democrat attack on Bush's record of service.

[Hon]

BTW, you might not be aware that Kerry campaigner (and war hero) Max Cleland has attacked Bush for his lack of military service. Cleland says Bush is a chicken hawk, just like Lyndon Baines Johnson:

http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/100203A.shtml

As I've ntoed, Johnson won a Silver Star in WWII. But according to the Kerry camp, some Silver Medal holders are more equal than others it would appear.

[wtc911]

Thanks. Let's be clear for the forum; There is nothing that I find attractive about Kerry as a person or a candidate. His record is replete with left leaning, self-aggrandizing and/or contradictory votes, statements, actions. There is more than enough genuinely despicable history in his resume. His being wounded but not killed three times does not fit that category and it's damned silly to try to hammer it in.

[wtc911]

Agreed in full. Let's just go after him on his post VN record. The rest is a non-starter that makes us look like whining children.

[OldFriend]

Bless you for your service! There are not enough thanks for your service.

[genefromjersey]

I'd say,offhand,the "twisting" was done by someone partial to Clark (most likely) or Dean :the object being to detract from Kerry's chances.

I don't care for Kerry-or Clark-or Dean,but I hate this kind of poison.

If the man had the good sense to be scared,and was able by the rules to do something about it, so be it !

(Of course,the lowly grunts did not have such an option...)

[wtc911]

Fine, agreed, go after him for all of that. But, taking shots at the irrefutable fact that he earned three PHs, didn't win them at poker or find them in the street, earned them, is a non-starter.

[HenryLeeII]

Agreed! There is another thread ("Fact: KERRY is the deserter!") that has a truncated version of this article, so I had to add my two cents with the same sentiment as we've exchanged here.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

I agree! This is a dead end. OK, he was a reluctant hero. He didn't like being there but he was there not in Canada and not in Great Britain. Believe me, in 1969 I was glad to be in Germany because Nixon was elected because he had a plan to honorably end the war that the RATs started but had no stomach to fight.

What people should be focusing on is Kerry's leadership role Winter Soldier Trials, his testimony before Congress representing the "Vietnam Vetrans Against the War" and the his signature the Dear Commandante letter.

[Hon]

You are a broken record. I checked your posts and I don't see you going after Kerry in any fashion.

If some people find this of interest, let them. It's not like Kerry hasn't questioned W's record. And it's not like (as you suggest) getting a Silver Star or PH means you necessarily earned it.

LBJ’s Silver Star: The Mission That Never Was
By Barrett Tillman and Henry Sakaida

Lieutenant Commander Lyndon B. Johnson, a Texas congressman temporarily serving in the U.S. Navy, received his nation’s third-highest combat decoration while on a 1942 fact-finding mission. The future president was so proud of his award that he wore the silver lapel pin for the rest of his life.

The Silver Star citation, issued by General Douglas MacArthur’s chief of staff, says in part: "While on a mission of obtaining information in the Southwest Pacific Area, Lieutenant Commander Johnson, in order to obtain personal knowledge of combat conditions, volunteered as an observer on a hazardous aerial combat mission over hostile positions in New Guinea. As our planes neared the target area, they were intercepted by eight hostile fighters. When, at this time the plane in which Lieutenant Commander Johnson was an observer developed mechanical trouble and was forced to turn back alone, presenting a favorable target to the enemy fighters, he evidenced coolness in spite of the hazard involved. His gallant action enabled him to obtain and return with valuable information."1

LBJ biographer Robert Caro’s newest volume, Means of Ascent, takes umbrage at Johnson’s receiving the nation’s third-highest combat medal for what amounted to taking an airplane ride and spending :a few minutes under fire." But it never happened. The fact is LBJ never got within sight of Japanese forces. His mission, like so much of his life, was a lie.

http://www.b-26marauderarchive.org/MS/MS1709/MS1709.htm

Again, if Kerry and his lackeys can question W's service record, turnabout is fair play.

[Hon]

"What people should be focusing on is Kerry's leadership role Winter Soldier Trials, his testimony before Congress representing the "Vietnam Vetrans Against the War" and the his signature the Dear Commandante letter."

Gee, thanks for your advice. BTW, I've posted numerous threads on those subjects.