***Ketchup Boy Only Served For FOUR MONTHS***

Stardate: 0402.17

[The Wizard]

We know the media shills for the democrats, but it's about time some one of the VERY FEW honest media get on this point and two others:

We want to know about those famous wounds that he takes credit for......(I'm not saying I would want them, but he is making big claims about his service) but we have a right to see the records.

All my friends had to spend 12 months in Nam....why did ketchup boy only serve 4 months and then come home and fight the war and call those poor guys without deferments baby killers and war criminals

I am telling you my friends, more is coming about what really happened in kerry's war experience, and it won't be a pretty thing to see.

[syriacus]

I was in college from 1964 to 1968, also.

But my husband was the one who reminded me of the contrast between 1965 and 1967 v v Viet Nam. I did some googling and found the information for my original post about that contrast on February 12. I've made about 6 or 7 posts about the contrast since then

A privileged youth, a taste for risk [post8]
[From the article which started the thread]
As graduation approached, Kerry knew that he had three choices: be drafted...

I wonder what Kerry would have chosen to do, if he had been looking forward to graduation in 1968 instead of 1966?

Americans suffered over 2X as many casualties per month in early 1968 than in early 1966.

1966 --Jan - 196; Feb - 208; Mar - 231;

1968 -- Jan - 498; Feb - 506; Mar - 515

posted on 02/12/2004 10:10:19 AM EST by syriacus

A privileged youth, a taste for risk [post 10]

Deadliest years in Viet Nam

Notice the number of deaths in 1965 (1926 deaths in the year ending 6 months before Kerry's Graduation) as opposed to the number of deaths in 1967 (11,348 deaths in the year ending 6 months before Bush's graduation)

VIETNAM WAR (ranking of the years by deaths)

YEAR -- ALL DEATHS

1968 -- 16,869
1969 -- 11,775
1967 -- 11,348
1966 -- 6,333
1970 -- 6,164
1971 -- 2,413
1965 -- 1,926
1972 had far fewer deaths because US troops were pulled from the field by August

Service in Viet Nam looked much less dangerous when Kerry was deciding what to do when he graduated.
posted on 02/12/2004 10:34:12 AM EST by syriacus

[GOPJ]

May I use this as my bump statement for the day? It's great:

And when is the media going to ask Mrs. Ketchup to close3 those 57 overseas plants...syriacus

[thesummerwind]

I swear, Matthews (or one of his lackeys) must have read your posts! Great posts.

You're doing his homework for him!

Ask him to put a check in the mail. ;)

[woodyinscc]

With 3 PHs, a Bronze Star with a V designation, and a Silver Star in his service record, he should be proud to release them. After all, he has been praising his record to the press, and using it when anyone questions his actions after the war.

These questions need to be asked.

Why not release your war records?

What is in your service records that you do not want us to see?

If you are using your service record in the campaign, do you not think it is right for the American people to see it in it's totality?

[The Wizard]

a, you're right, b I love your screen name

[Eva]

Scarborough posted a quote from a member of Kerry's swiftboat crew that stated that he was offended by Kerry's anti-war actions. I really need to find that quote about All the military committing war crimes. The MacDonald guy was so mean and angry, calling the Vietnam guy a liar, repeatedly, and Scarborough let him get away with it.

[Robert A Cook PE]

No.

he had about 6 months off-shore sitting in air-conditioned "comfort" in a cruiser as a electrical officer. (USS GRidley.)

Then he returned to Long Beach CA (in May) and left the ship EARLY for school in Swift boats (NOT PBR's!) which were deployed off-coast like PT boats.

When he finished the boat school near San Francisco in November, he was in Vietnam in very early Dec. Saw action from Dec to mid-February and requested EARLY LEAVE from to go home to an admiral's aide position. Claimed that 3 wounds allowed him to leave.

His boss let him go, since he'd already been complaining about US policy in Vietnam in at least two meetings with Zumwalt (CNO) and General Abrams in the 2 months he's been in-country.

Then, after arriving home in Boston after only 3 months in Vietnam and 5 months of special training in boat school, he LEFT EARLY from active duty to go run for Congress.

[Robert A Cook PE]

"Three wounds and you're out" was never a written policy.

It was an excuse to leave.

Since the "wounds" were minor, and didn't ever require hospital, nor even corpsman, attention.

[js1138]

I knew some Air Force guys who spent two tours in RVN...in Saigon...

Cam Rahn didn't have the bar scene of Saigon, but it was comfortable and a lot safer.

My questions about Kerry are, who wrote up the recommendations for his medals. I this some freepers have said it was common for soldiers to write their own recommendations, but then we aren't running for president as war heros. I suspect Kerry wrote his own, and I think he should be called on it.

But not by the republicans. The call should come from grass roots veterans.

[syriacus]

May I use this as my bump statement for the day? It's great: And when is the media going to ask Mrs. Ketchup to close3 those 57 overseas plants...

That great statement was made by Wizard in Post #1.
I was only replying to it.

[thesummerwind]

By the way, the info in your post # 10 was just about exactly what Matthews and guest referenced last night in what was somewhat of support or an arguement FOR Bush's decision to go into the Guard.

Excellent and thanks.

[Robert A Cook PE]

No, not true.

You might be thinking of his short, off-shore duty in the Gridley. But that wasn't 4 months.

[gunnedah]

Go get em FREEPERS!

[vaudine]

I read that he went home early because of his 'wound". Not that they were serious, but he ws allowed to put in for early rotation because of them. He took advantage of that and got the "h@@" out, but wants to discredit Bush for his early out.

vaudine

[kcvl]

NBC's "Meet the Press" a few weeks after the Wall Street protest.

"I committed the same kinds of atrocities as thousands of others," he told the network, "in that I shot in free-fire zones, fired .50-caliber machine bullets, used harass-and-interdiction fire, joined in search-and-destroy missions and burned villages."

Though NBC has the Kerry interview on tape, it has so far declined to broadcast his revealing comments.

[XRdsRev]

Killing a wounded enemy soldier (who is unable or unwilling to fight back), has been considered criminal behavior in the American and English armies since the late 18th century.

Yes it happens, it probably happened a lot over time but it is never condoned, nor is it supposed to be encouraged. During WW1 it became an embarrassment to the British government when it was learned that British troops had executed wounded and captured German soldiers during the Battle of the Somme. Officers and men have been prosecuted for this very offense.

According to Amnesty International the Geneva Convention says "These war crimes fall into two major categories. First, the ICC can try persons accused of gravebreaches of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949. These include the following acts, whencommitted against persons protected by the Conventions, including wounded soldiers, woundedor shipwrecked sailors, prisoners of war and civilians in occupied territories: wilful killing;torture or inhuman treatment, including biological experiments; wilfully causing great suffering,or serious injury to body or health"

Arguably, it is bad military policy to kill badly wounded enemy troops. Theoretically, it is much better to let them go and become a drain on the medical resources of the opposing forces.

[vaudine]

LOL. I know guys that volunteered twice for Vietnam tour. One of them (a chopper pilot) told me he did it because there was so much whining about going over, and they needed experienced pilots.

Don't know--maybe he just wanted to get awy from his wife. He also said marriage should be on the 5 year option to renew plan.

vaudine

[syriacus]

I love to use google. But using google to counteract the Democrats' distortions is beginning to get tiresome.

First, to set the stage, they quote a distorted argument from a newspaper or magazine.

Then they "fine tune" the distortion to form a soundbite that will serve their purposes.

[gunnedah]

It is a fact,NBC<CBS<ABC and CNN are pushing a Kerry Democrat ticket and how so called Conservatives can watch them I dont know. I guess it is the only way to keep abreast of what they are doing but we could boycott some of the advetisers like they did with the Raegan movie. They thumb their nose in our face. Republicans and Conservatives are too gentile.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Kerry's injuries and service record are discussed in detail on this thread.