An Absence in Alabama

Time ^ | February 8, 2004 | Mark Thompson, James Carney

[Hon]

"I am beginning to think that the good General should refuse to discuss this matter further. The media seems bent on either extracting what they want from him or making him look bad."

No, he has to set the record straight. He can do it in a number of ways. One would be to do an interview with an objective reporter from an objective media outlet--maybe in writing and then later a long interview.

Also, he could post here--which would be great. (Turns out there is already a Turnipseed registered here. I wonder if it's the Brig. Gen.?)

There are a number of reporters who will give him a fair shake. Hopefully they will be contacting him soon.

[PROUDAMREP]

Kerry got out early so he could come home and march with Jane and her gang.

[Hon]

"I think I read somewhere Kerry did a few months on a ship in the Gulf of Tonkin, and the rest of his tour on a Swift boat in the Mekong Delta."

The link I just posted covers that time frame as well:

December 1967: Kerry begins his first tour of duty, serving on the guided-missile frigate USS Gridley.

February 1968: With Kerry aboard, the Gridley sails into war to patrol the coast of Vietnam. He never came into contact with the enemy during this time.

June 6, 1968: Kerry's first tour ends as the Gridley returns home.

http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/timeline.htm

I believe I read that Kerry's boat only landed ashore at Vietnam one time during this tour.

[sinkspur]

That accusation was about Bob Kerrey, the former senator from Nebraska, who was in a SEAL unit. Not John Kerry.

Actually, it was about John Kerry.

[Finalapproach29er]

Bush should sue Kerry. Slander.

Knowingly false statments with malice. Honorable discharge says it all & Frenchie knows it.

[ATCNavyRetiree]

Kerry is scumbag...sure, he served, but lost his Core Values when he came home, threw his medals away (which means he feels he didn't earn them), became a hippie-boy and ran with Hanoi Jane.
The American people need to know this.

[ambrose]

Kerry seems to want to run an Ann Richard/Al Gore "Bush is a daddy's boy piece of garbage" campaign.

It has worked so brilliantly in the past. Not.

I think the Edwards "nice guy" approach would be far more effective.

[sinkspur]

Kerry seems to want to run an Ann Richard/Al Gore "Bush is a daddy's boy piece of garbage" campaign.

That was also Howard Dean's approach, and it didn't work for him, either.

Anger might gin up the base, but the Democrats are not going to attract the middle with anger.

Kerry's too arrogant to be nice. I don't think he's got it in him.

[KellyAdmirer]

Kerry aides told TIME last week that they were worried their candidate had already come close to crossing the line.

LOL, that's rich. Are they also concerned that he has "come close to crossing the line" about exploiting his war experiences? Why would we want to elect a President based on what the man did in about a five-minute time span 35 years ago? Marrying filthy rich widows (Republican to boot!), becoming Senator, national notoriety at 25 - this long-faced Brahmin has gotten more mileage out of less than just about anyone else in history. I think it's about time to stop the gravy train.

[88keys]

Senator John Kerry, the Democratic front runner, received an early discharge from military service too—because he had earned three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star during 11 months in Vietnam...

OK...I wouldn't normally ever have a bad word to say about a record like this, but on a "private forum" I might as well ask a few questions about the good Senator's record, since he's worked very hard to disparage the good President's record (as well as the National Guard servicemen in general)...

Might one ask whether Senator Kerry's "chestful of medals" resulted from extremely hazardous duty, or whether he might have been a tiny bit inept at avoiding harm's way? (very nasty to say, I know, but I'm talking Kerry here, and not medal-earners in general)...

Might one also ask how the Senator was deemed eligible for "early discharge", since to all appearances (?) he was not too grievously injured, despite the horrifying combat experiences? (at least, he seemed well able to spend the "last year of service" for which he acquired an "early release" organizing anti-war protests, throwing other people's ribbons over Washington walls, testifying before Congress against his comrades-in-arms who were still deployed, and doing his best to aid and abet Hanoi Jane and her ilk)...

And finally, just as a general observation, while the specific record of Sen. Kerry bears much more scrutiny than it's received so far, why is it people don't understand that a 20-year voting record on diverse issues, including defense and the military, must carry more weight in choosing a President or any other legislator, than 11 months of heroism 30 years ago??

(one last note...I'm quite sure no one ever called Sen. Cleland "unpatriotic"...it's possible that his voting record as a Senator was characterized as such, if he consistently voted against funding for defense and/or the military, but no one would ever question his service to his country as a soldier...this confusing of the issues via a constant drum-beat of half-truth "sound-bites" is the hallmark of the "new" Democrat party, and I'd urge every person, liberal or conservative, to stand up to the "lies and the liars that tell them"!!

/ rant, but I get so sick of hearing this "innuendo", if not outright "disinformation"...there are too many disengaged "sheeple" out there who hear one campaign ad, and then rush out to vote for their "candidate of choice" based on that "informed opinion". < sigh >

[anncoulteriscool]

After seeing what this issue did for Wesley Clark it seems pretty silly for Kerry to involve himself in this issue. I think the president should do 2 things. First, ONLY respond to accusations made by Kerry (not mcauliffe or any other scum) and simply forse John Kerry to state FROM HIS MOUTH exactly what his charge is. Put up or shut up Mr.Kerry!

[anncoulteriscool]

*****It was not until a week before Election Day in November 2000 that Gore surrogates accused Bush of having gone AWOL*****

Gee, I wonder if waiting till the last week or two was by design. HMMMM!

[demlosers]

Gee, I wonder if waiting till the last week or two was by design. HMMMM!

And the DUI dirty trick.

[jocon307]

"As someone else pointed out here, he shot a child, a woman, and two South Vietnamese soldiers....His record, upon close examination, is despicable."

Ohmigood, is that accurate? And I noticed from this article that he was only in the army 11 months, that's not even one year.

What IS the real story on John F'ing Kerry in Viet Nam? Maybe this is why he turned so anti-war, if all he did was kill women, children, and allies?

[88keys]

The "time-line" you posted (link) is very interesting...why no mention of Purple Hearts?? (unless I didn't read carefully...but all I saw was, "he shot a Viet Cong guerilla who was threatening his men, and received a silver star...then he came home"...)

(or do you get Purple Hearts later? sorry, I'm civilian and clueless about the "protocol"!)

[NYCVirago]

Kerry's already attempting to backpedal a little. From another thread, he was quoted today as saying:

"The issue here is, as I have heard it raised, is was he present and active in Alabama at the time he was supposed to be," said Kerry, a decorated Vietnam War veteran. "I don't have the answer to that question and just because you get an honorable discharge does not in fact answer that question."

No, the issue was Kerry compared serving in the National Guard to being a draft-dodger, and insiuated W was AWOL. Of course, the media will never call him on his quotes from just a few days ago.

[gaspar]

I wonder why no one ever looked at Dick Gephardt's record in the Air National Guard (1965-71)?

[gaspar]

Kerry was on river patrol beginning in December 1998 and ending shortly after March 13, 1969 -- or less than four months. In that period he suffered an arm wound on December 2 (no loss of duty time), a shrapnel wound in the thigh on Februry 20 (loss of three days), and an arm cut on March 13, 1969. Four days later he filed papers requesting discharge of duty in Vietnam. The request was approved and he returned to the USA.

[mass55th]

Thanks for the info.

[mass55th]

The link says this: "May 23: Kerry marries Julia Thorne, his best friend's sister."

I wonder if his friendship with his first wife's brother ever survived the divorce? Anybody know?