Revealed: how 'war hero' Kerry tried to put off Vietnam military duty

London Telegraph ^ | 3-7-2004 | Charles Laurence

[BMC1]

Senator John Kerry, the presumed Democratic presidential candidate who is trading on his Vietnam war record to campaign against President George W Bush, tried to defer his military service for a year, according to a newly rediscovered article in a Harvard University newspaper.

Senator Kerry on the campaign trail in Iowa He wrote to his local recruitment board seeking permission to spend a further 12 months studying in Paris, after completing his degree course at Yale University in the mid-1960s.

The revelation appears to undercut Sen Kerry's carefully-cultivated image as a man who willingly served his country in a dangerous war - in supposed contrast to President Bush, who served in the Texas National Guard and thus avoided being sent to Vietnam.

The Harvard Crimson newspaper followed a youthful Mr Kerry in Boston as he campaigned for Congress for the first time in 1970. In the course of a lengthy article, "John Kerry: A Navy Dove Runs for Congress", published on February 18, the paper reported: "When he approached his draft board for permission to study for a year in Paris, the draft board refused and Kerry decided to enlist in the Navy."

[bobo1]

"Senator John Kerry, the presumed Democratic presidential candidate who is trading on his Vietnam war record to campaign against President George W Bush,"

Bobo doesn't think that he has a war record to use against Bush. If he did, he would release those records. I think that it is all a sham and that he is ashamed to put it in public.

All we have is his word, and I will believe that the day hell freezes over.

Blessings, Bobo

[vpintheak]

Why won't the scumbag release his military records as the President has? Secondly why hasn't there been a national call for him to do so. It would only be fair since there are many people that have questions about Lurch's service record. Am I right?

[Fun Bob]

"Chaw-dah, say it Frenchie!"

This guy gets worse and worse the more we hear. Let's hope the trend continues. except for those convicted of drunken driving (which I see as a more utilitarian type of solution than revoking drivers licenses which hardly ever actually stops a drunk from driving).

[alex]

Personally, I do not see any problem here, guy did not want to go, but when called, put on uniform and served well. Attacking him on this will do nothing but provide him with a nice and easy way to produce a good sounbyte.

His, problem is that (1)he committed treason when he came back, that (2) 30 years down the road he is unable to grip the big picture of what he was actually doing there, (3) he demonstrated on may occasions that he simply has no clue.

[dalebert]

I agree. I don't think Kerry has a record either. How does one get 3 pruple hearts and only take one day sick leave?

[Intolerant in NJ]

London Telegraph ^ | 3-7-2004 | Charles Laurence...Brit Hume mentioned this in his Washington Grapevine segment tonight, crediting the British source - strange, since the story has been around, and posted here on FR, for weeks. Those who come up with these tidbits should e-mail them to Fox so thay can be a bit more on top of things.

On the other hand, on the same program, Major Garrett had a stellar piece on Kerry's antiwar activities, including portions of his recorded statement before the Senate Committee, an admission from his biographer whatisname Brinkley that many of Kerry's colleagues in the Navy were outraged by his statements, and a comment by some 'rat politician that Kerry's testimony did mush to cement the image of US soldiers in Vietnam as being drugged out psychopaths - great coverage....

[wewillnotfail]

bump for later