[armymarinedad]

A volunteer in Vietnam, Kerry has campaigned on his combat record as a navy lieutenant, which includes three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star.

I am not a Vietnam vet so I hope some of the vets here can answer a couple of questions for me. 1. Since Kerry had political aspirations but didn't believe in the war before going into the Navy, and had political aspirations and didn't believe in the war after he got out of the Navy; why did he volunteer for Vietnam? 2. Kerry ordered his swift boat to attack the enemy head on putting not only himself but his men in great danger. It was his choice not his men's. He received a medal. Shouldn't he have put his crew in for a commendation as well? 3. Was the action taken by Kerry to put his men in increased danger standard practice for Swift boats? 4. Was his service in the Navy for love of country or to add to his resume? A man judges by what he sees and hears but God weighs the motive.

[Stirner]

"why did he volunteer for Vietnam?"

My understanding is that Kerry did not volunteer for Vietnam. As he was finishing college, he faced the draft. He asked for a deferment so that he could go to graduate school in Europe. When that was refused, he enlisted in the Navy. Most people in the Navy did not serve in dangerous spots in the Vietnam war, but in support, transport, etc., and in his first assignment Kerry was stationed well offshore on a radar ship or something. Then the Navy had a policy change and began deploying swift boats into the Mekong delta. Kerry was assigned to dangerous duty at that point, but I do not believe that he ever planned to expose himself to such danger and was out of it 4 months later. I think he enlisted in what he thought would be relatively safe duty and guessed wrong, and only enlisted at all because he was already thinking about a political career and knew outright draft dodging would not be a good career move.

[Happy2BMe]

Kerry was a political patsy. Do a search here on the FR search engine to see what Vietnam Era veterans think/say about this moron.

HINT: He is "admired" with the same affections as the likes of Jane Fonda and Bill Clinton.

Medals? He killed an already wounded (and near-dead) Viet Cong while the enemy soldier was lying on the ground (witnessed).

Didn't nominate his men for valor and service above and beyond the call of duty when in reality they were the only reason he lived to get decorated? Typical ivy-league glory-sucking liberal officer.

Honor? The Vietnamese Communist Regime applauded John Kerry for his work in demeaning the American Fighting Man.

Hero? He's a Democrat.