John Kerry was a member of the Naval Reserves until 1978!

Self ^ | 7 March 2004 | Self

[PatrickHenry]

PH - Since you were an officer, maybe you know the answer to this . . . does a commission "expire"?

I'm not certain. I resigned my commission when my active reserve time ended. That's the way it was always handled. And even so, we were then placed in some kind of deep innactive reserve status. I guess there's still some crumbling computer tape in the basement of the Pentagon with my name on it.

I do recall, however, that we were sometimes joined at meetings by new guys who had recently completed their active duty overseas, and who still had some Ready Reserve time to serve out. My guess -- and guess only -- is that such was Kerry's status, as it's known that he was send home from Viet Nam early.

[An.American.Expatriate]

1. Commissions don't expire...you have to resign your commission at the end of your reserve service.

That was my understanding, but I wasn't sure - thanks for the info. 2. This is a non-story, and a non-issue. I stand second to no one in loathing and opposing Kerry, but there are better arguments against him,

Why is it a non-story? As a commissioned officer he directly violated the Logan Act and, due to that violation he is ineligable under Section 3 of the 14th Ammendment to hold public office.

[judicial meanz]

That makes a little more sense.

He was in the Inactive Reserves for another 7-8 years past his discharge date, which is still an inordinately long time. I would expect to see 2-3 years, but 7-8?

Didn't he go to ROTC?

[An.American.Expatriate]

Thanks for the information PH - this is how I recalled it as well, but I was not an officer and my service occurred a bit later . . .

[maggief]

1966
_________________________________________________________

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
_________________________________________________________

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
_________________________________________________________

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.


May 23: Kerry marries Julia Thorne, his best friend's sister.

1971
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January: Attends ''Winter Soldier'' hearings in Detroit, but does not speak.


April 22: Kerry testifies before Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

April 23: Kerry and other veterans throw medals and ribbons over a fence at the Capitol to protest the war.

June 20: Debates John O'Neill on ''The Dick Cavett Show.''
1972
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September: Kerry wins the Democratic primary in the race for the Fifth Congressional District.

November: Loses his bid for Congress to Republican Paul W. Cronin in the general election.

1973
_________________________________________________________


September: Within a matter of days, Kerry's first daughter, Alexandra, is born and he enrolls in Boston College Law School.

1974
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August 9: President Nixon resigns.

1976
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May: Kerry earns his law degree from Boston College and later joins the Middlesex County district attorney's office.

1977
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January: Kerry is promoted to first assistant district attorney in Middlesex County

1978
_________________________________________________________


Feb. 16: Discharged from the US Navy Reserves.

http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/timeline.htm

[Arkie2]

Maybe in an inactive status? Even though I'm retired from the Air Force I'm still carried on a reserve list. If his status was inactive he wouldn't have had any duties. The more intersting question by far would be his activities with the peace groups after returning from Vietnam. If he still had his commision at that point he was dishonoring his uniform. We already know he dishonored his country. Sounds like fertile ground for Rush and Sean if it's true.

[An.American.Expatriate]

His exact status would be very interesting to know indeed - but even in inactive status, he retained his commission and was subject to recall to active duty until 1978.

[Turbo Pig]

Non-Issue. Little known secret, almost everyone who signs up in the military actually signs up for an 8 year stint. This is no matter how long an active duty period is on your contract. If your active duty period is less than 8 years, once your active duty period is complete, whether through completion of the contract, or resigning your commission, you are placed in the IRR (Inactive Ready Reserve) for the remainder of the 8 years. Once in the IRR, you are subject to recall to active duty at the desire of the government. This usually occurs to people that are in critical MOS (Military Occupational Specialties) that are in short supply during a crisis.

On paper there are standards that you are supposed to maintain in the IRR. In actuality all you have to do is be able to breath and walk. They send out annual "where are you" letters to IRR members. Most of them end up in the circular file, and the government really doesn't care. This is because if the government really wants you back on active duty, they will find you and request your presence. None of this changes the fact that Kerry was cavorting around with the enemy. It does mean that technically, he as not breaking any rules regarding his status in the IRR.

[kabar]

Kerry joined in 1966 and served on active duty until Jan 70. There is a two year hiatus in his service according to his bio. He then served 1972-78 in the USN Reserves. I don't know whether it was active or inactive. The thing I find strange, as a former naval officer who received a regular commission through NROTC, is the claimed approximately ten years in the service, active and reserve, with a two year gap. Very odd.

[kaboom]

Let Kerry's military service go, it's a non-issue for the media. He was in Vietnam, Bush wasn't, and that's all that matters in the service debate. It sucks, but that's the way it goes. Even Bush and his team realize this.

The real angle of atack on Kerry will be his post-Nam activities and voting record where he has been anti-military, anti-US and a liar ever since.

[Arkie2]

I disagree. It may be a non issue as far as the law is concerned but politics is another matter. Bush had a helluva time explaining his perfectly legal actions in the guard but the political fallout was huge. I say give Kerry the same treatment. Doesn't matter if it's legal or not. It will put him on the defensive for weeks.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Kerry Met With Viet Cong And North Vietnamese In Paris In 1971

Wouldn't that be conspiring with the enemy?

He sounds just like his daddy.

Kerry's World - Father Knows Best

[An.American.Expatriate]

What you say is true, however, since he retained his commission and then acted as a "negotiator" with the enemy - without official sanction - he has violated Section 3 of the 14th Ammendment.

[An.American.Expatriate]

Thats the thread that got me started on a search for information, and then found the Boston Globe Page with his Reserve Discharge date . . .

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I followed your LINK and reposted it! Thanks!

[ChadGore]

Wait a second, he led a capitulation movement in my country while being an active member of our military ?

There is a serious 14th amendment issue here.

[judicial meanz]

Ok, now that we have the details, here is my take on the situation. Thanks for the clarification, Expat

In the USNR, active or inactive, he was still a Commissioned Officer until his discharge in 1978, and was subject to being recalled to active duty. The US Navy does not require a person to drill while on inactive status, but they do retain some oversight or the member.

Inactive reserve members have been called up to active duty and sent overseas to fight in wars. Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf Wars, were some of these wars. Ted Williams, the great baseball player, is a prime example of a guy called from the inactive reserves to the active reserves.

Kerry could have been recalled to active duty while in the inactive reserves.

Navy inactive reserves have no drill requirements, but do have the understanding that they must be "reachable" in a time of national emergency, and have contact information available to the USN. In practice, most of them dont, but the US Government can find them if it needs to by using tax information, etc to locate them.

[An.American.Expatriate]

He wasn't "active" at the time, but the 14th Ammendment issue remains as he had retained his commission until 1978.

[kabar]

Let Kerry's military service go, it's a non-issue for the media. He was in Vietnam, Bush wasn't, and that's all that matters in the service debate. It sucks, but that's the way it goes. Even Bush and his team realize this. The real angle of atack on Kerry will be his post-Nam activities and voting record where he has been anti-military, anti-US and a liar ever since.

I agree up to a point. We know that Kerry participated in antiwar demonstrations while still on active duty. There is also a question about his military status 1970-2, when Kerry was meeting in Paris with the NV and NLF and appearing with Jane Fonda at Valley Forge and the Winter Soldiers Investigation.

Bush shouldn't be seen to be involved in seeking answers about Kerry's service record, but the questions need to be raised, especially since Kerry has refused to release his service records.

[isthisnickcool]

Very odd.

No it's not. Keep in mind Teddy Kennedy. What has been pulling strings for Kerry for decades. There is a reason Ted Kennedy is doing what he is doing today. It looks to me like Kerry was somewhat a "sleeper cell" for Ted Kennedy. It's likely Kerry is just one of countless people Ted Kennedy has "supported" over the years. But in Kerry's case Kerry actually may have a chance to be President of the United States (shudder!).