[baseballmom]

...and Kerry was honorably discharged, which he said shaved six months from his commitment.

It was my understanding that Kerry joined the Naval Reserve,(probably a 2x6 program) and he was called to active service.

I was reading through items from Google searches yesterday, and a few timelines showed up. One showed the date of Kerry's discharge from the Navy was several years after 1970. I'll go back and look it up.

[baseballmom]

_________________________________________________________
1966
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Graduates from Yale.


February 18: Kerry enlists in the US Navy.

October 19: Kerry is ordered into active duty.

December 16: Kerry receives his Navy commission, a few days after his 23rd birthday.

1967
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Kerry spends the year in military training.


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

1968
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February: 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: Kerry's first tour ends as the Gridley returns home.

December: Begins second tour of duty as the skipper of swift boat No. 44, patrolling the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam.

1969
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February 28: Kerry shoots and kills a Viet Cong guerilla who was threatening the lives of Kerry's crew. He received the Silver Star for his action.


April: Kerry ends his second and final tour in Vietnam.

1970
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January 3: Discharged from the Navy.

February: Kerry gives up on his first bid for office as a protest candidate in the race for the Third Congressional district.




1978
Feb. 16: Discharged from the US Navy Reserves

Boston Globe

[kabar]

Kerry's official bio lists his military service as 1966-70 active and 1972-78 in the US Navy Reserve. This raises some questions about what his status was after his discharge in Jan 1970 until 1972. This "gap" coincides with his anti-war activities. I would like to know if he was in the active reserves 1972-78. Ten years total service time, active and reserve sounds odd.