[oldgrunt]

Yes. Wounds requiring medical treatment make one eligible for the Purple Heart award. The Army regulations stipulated two awards would get you a transfer but not out of country,certainly not to the U.S.,only to a non-combat unit. I remember two guys from eastern Oregon arriving as replacement grunts to our company (B Co, 3/47th Inf.) in '67 in the delta. Being from Oregon is the reason it stands out in my memory. Both got their two awards in the first thirty days! They left but they didn't go home but to Division Hqs. These guys were in some real danger and no place in Viet Nam was really a safe place but being out of the delta was a real step toward it. I was lucky.

[Hon]

I guess the question really boils down to did Kerry really get medical treatment for his wounds. That seems to be what the Boston Globe reporters are investigating. They seem to be (according to this article, anyway) questioning whether Kerry should have been allowed to ask for re-assignment. It should be interesting.