John ("Benedict?") Kerry

Special to FreeRepublic ^ | February 9, 2004 | John Armor (Congressman Billybob)

[archy]

I wonder what his shipmates might say today. After all, they still had to complete their tours after "Pretty Boy" left. Were any of them wounded at the same time as he, or was he the only one in the line of fire?

Kerry was awarded his first Purple Heart while serving as commander of Swift Boat [PCF] 44; his Silver Star and subsequent Purple Hearts came during his following command of the PCF94 boat. But the other members of his crew of the 94 Boat, who he left behind to become an Admiral's aide, could be asked for their thoughts onthe subject.

Interestingly, by mid-March of 1969, only three of those crewmen remained in service on PCF94 with Kerry, having been replaced by two new crewmen.

Kerry and crew stand together in An Thoi, Vietnam, on February
28, 1969, after presentation of Kerry's Silver Star. He also received
a Purple Heart for a minor wound. From left: Del Sandusky, John
Kerry, Gene Thorson, Thomas Belodeau. Kneeling from left, Mike
Medeiros, Fred Short.

On March 13, 1969, a mine detonated near Kerry's boat, slightly
wounding Kerry in the right arm. He was awarded his third Purple
Heart. PCF (Patrol Craft Fast) 94 crew in March 1969, from left,
Gene Thorson, David Alston, Thomas Belodeau, Del Sandusky,
and John Kerry.

[JohnHuang2]

Ping for later read (thanks for the heads-up :-)

[secretagent]

On 23 April, 1971, John Kerry testified under oath before Congress that Americans in Vietnam had “personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam.” Before his testimony was over, he said, “We all did it.”

Looking for a link to the "We all did it" part.

[Moby Grape]

I do not question Kerry's patriotism...I have not doubt of his allegiance to North Vietnam, or to Daniel Ortega's Sandanista government.

[JulieRNR21]

BRAVO BUMP.....I finally found your excellent article....thanks for alerting me to it.

I will circulate it among my many cyberfriends.

I keep remembering what GWB said in the SOTU speech that America does not need a 'permission slip' to defend its national security.

Obviously Kerry would always seek that 'permission slip' before defending America. There was no Presidential Oath to the UN required....the last time I checked!

As you proved so well....Kerry is indeed unfit for promotion!

[ImaTexan]

Ping for later reading

[Gritty]

Somehow, I missed this column the first time around. Excellent analysis, Congressman. This is one of your best!

Benedict Arnold is "living" proof that not everyone who at one time wrapped himself in the flag of his country is worthy of wearing that flag to the end. John Kerry is another.

Kerry is a fraud, but unlike Bill Clinton, not even a "likeable" one. Nonetheless, for the impressionable and uninformed, he sounds good and, with the help of a sychophantic Media and a totally corrupt Party, he is making the best of a very bad hand. But, it's a hand he can't ultimately play with and win.

All of us "war criminals" out here in the hustings will make sure he is "outed" as the lying scumsucker he really is. He will rue the day he ever threw his lot in with the VVAW, Jane Fonda, and Ho Chi Minh.