Book reopens Kerry's war wounds ( New Book questions Kerry's Nam injuries, etc)

sunday times via theaustralian.news.com.au ^ | 02/23/04 | sunday times vis theaustralian.news.com.au

[KQQL]

VIETNAM has been the defining issue for John Kerry. His status as a decorated war hero has helped to propel him to the front of the pack of Democrat candidates seeking to evict George W.Bush from the White House. Conservative critics believe he has been given a free ride for too long on his war record, however, and are planning a fightback.

Support for their case is expected to come from a book to be published next month by reporters from The Boston Globe in Kerry's home state of Massachusetts. The book, JF Kerry, the Complete Biography, will question the extent of his injuries in Vietnam and whether he was entitled to an early release from the war.

Vietnam, The Washington Post opined at the weekend, "is a double-edged issue" for the 60-year-old Democratic frontrunner. Kerry has not authorised the release of his war records - a strange omission, say his political foes, given the ferocity with which his supporters have demanded to see every last document of Bush's military service in the Texas Air National Guard.

"Vietnam is such a crucial part of his background and his campaign, you would think he would want people to see them," said Rich Lowry, editor of National Review, a conservative journal. "There is going to be pressure on him to release them."

Kerry, who is surrounded on the stump by the "band of brothers" who fought with him in the Mekong Delta, became a fierce public critic of the Vietnam War after he left the navy.

A faked photograph of Kerry sharing a microphone with Jane Fonda was a warning of how his opposition to the conflict would be used against him. There also has been much criticism of the way he threw away another man's medals rather than his own during a 1971 protest demonstration.

Kerry's conduct during the war, however, was until now thought to be sacrosanct. Unlike many of his generation, he volunteered for service in Vietnam. He went on to perform heroically as the skipper of a Swift boat patrolling Vietcong-infested waters, and won a Bronze Star and a Silver Star for bravery.

Kerry served only four months of a year-long tour of duty after he received three Purple Hearts for being wounded in action. The injuries were not serious; by his own account, one shrapnel wound laid him off for two days and the other two did not interrupt his duties.

Five of his friends died in action and his medals show that, at the very least, he had several brushes with death. The future senator then invoked what he insists was a "three and you're out" rule enabling a soldier with three Purple Hearts to be sent home.

He requested a transfer and was given a plum job as an admiral's aide in Brooklyn. He returned to the US a bitter opponent of the war and was released from the army early.

In response to an inquiry from The Sunday Times, Kerry's campaign staff gave the newspaper a copy of naval regulations stating that "all naval personnel" who are "wounded three times, regardless of the nature of the wound or the treatment required for each wound" may be reassigned.

A spokesman for the US Navy said, however, that such redeployment was not automatic: "It would depend a lot on the nature of the injuries."

Ted Sampley, who runs Vietnam Vets Against John Kerry, said if a soldier could be sent home for minor wounds, "there would have been a lot of people claiming scratches, getting their Purple Hearts and getting out of there".

Sampley believes that the well-connected Kerry - photographed with president John F.Kennedy as a young man - simply received favourable treatment. "How many other people were able to get out of Vietnam early and be reassigned to a cushy post?" he said.

[SAMWolf]

LOL! The more the merrier as far as I'm concerned.

[Destro]

See - now you are fighting smart. That is what we should be slamming him with.

[Milligan]

This man Kerry has Gual! Kerry has never liked the military and he has not changed throughout the years. He is liar and a imposter. My husband and I really worry if he got elected. Kerry would put our troops under UN control to cut military spending and our troops will become a French catering service to the world. Just watch our military benefits for go down the tubes! Kerry must think the average Joe has a short memory, stupied or both. I hope every service member overseas has their absentee ballot ready to go to keep this phoney away from the oval office. Kerry must be a real conversation piece with your husband and the troops! By the way, how is your husband doing? Did you have a nice second honeymoon?

[KQQL]

I never fight stupid...but unless KERRY releases his service records....people will say he has something to HIDE>

[altura]

That's the first time I heard of two tours of duty.

Is that right? for sure?

[Destro]

See that last statement was well put. No need to jump into any stupid remarks just request his records. All we know is that those medals were legit for Kerry. So now we request to see the whole record as to how Kerry got the medals. To be honest when did such records become sealed? Medals and the reasons they are handed out on whose recommendation is a public record. Always has been. Maybe medical records like getting a VD shot, etc are sealed but not the records for medals.

[Destro]

See my timeline @ #83

[Hon]

"Talk about pig ignorant. Did you not know that Swift Boat crews were volunteers?"

No, I do not know that. And I'm not willing to take your word for it, given your track record.

Let's see some documentation.

[kabar]

All we know is that those medals were legit for Kerry.

You seem to have a penchant for missing the point. We don't know if the medals are legit until Kerry releases his service records.

[xone]

How about Kerry killed the commie. Let us leave out the modifiers 'up close and personal' or 'in hand to hand combat'. That is unless you are more interested in creating a story...a whale of a story...maybe even a WHITE whale of a story. That seems to be the only pattern in your answers throughout this thread. Don't talk about VN, nothing here, valiant, hero blah blah blah.

[Travis McGee]

if a soldier could be sent home for minor wounds, "there would have been a lot of people claiming scratches, getting their Purple Hearts and getting out of there".

New nickname:

THREE SCRATCH KERRY

[Destro]

Though he served two tours, there was a big difference between serving on coastal/river patrol and being on a big ship at sea which is not in harm's way.

I agree. What bothered my about this article saying Kerry "only served" four months on a tour is that he had a cushy job on the big ship and opted to volunteer for his second tour of duty on a swift boat. In other words he took himself off the easy duty and into the harder combat seeing duty. That has to count for something. I don't support Kerry but this attack on his record is small minded and stupid.

[cynicom]

Alb...

He volunteered both times. He was badly wounded twice. He EARNED and was AWARDED two purples, I have never heard him tell anyone that he was even in Vietnam, let alone anything about medals. I have seen the scars and they are not pretty.

[KQQL]

Monsieur John Kerry

RELEASE YOUR SERVICE RECORDS NOW !!!

[Destro]

I like my modifier 'up close and personal' over hand to hand combat. When you track down and are close enough to see the man you kill 'up close and personal' sounds about right to describe it.

[Travis McGee]

The time spent safely out at sea on the destroyer does NOT count as "time in Viet Nam."

[KQQL]

I don't support Kerry but this attack on his record is small minded and stupid

But but but ....why wouldn't he release his service records..

[Destro]

The Pentagon decides not you or I. Just like they decided Lynch could be awarded a Bronze star and a promotion in rank.

[Cold Heat]

I understand from some info, (from Kerry) that the guy was already shot up(.50 cal) and he administered a coup de gras.

Then he took the rpg launcher and came back to the boat.

Some say he may have committed a illegal act.

I don't know, do you?

[Chi-townChief]

I just had a discussion about presidential politics with some friends earlier today and a lot of folks on the left side really don't seem to know much about this. We need to kick Ketchup Boy's sorry ass with it over and over again.