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This post points out one of the most glaring inequities of military service in that era. The Army, Air Force, and Navy had different, and constantly changing standards for awarding decorations of any kind.

In outfits like the post writer's, with a CO of integrity, there was obviously a much different standard at perhaps a different time-frame than the one that concerned Kerry.

Also notice that the tiny patrol craft skippered by Kerry obviously called for an officer in command, while the Army boats, much larger, much more strategically important, and much better armed and armored, were under the command of Sergeants!! Of course the Sergreant's operational comments are absolutely correct, and if Kerry did as advertised, he deserves a court martial, not a medal.

Again, I don't know my chronolgies here, but if Kerry were already a Kennedy protege, the medal thing could have been run from DC, to which the Navy had a much more direct pipeline than anyone else, being in charge of our (scandalously compromised) communications. At any rate, my impression was that a Naval Officer recommended for any decoration was a great deal more of a "sure thing," than any recommendation for an officer from the Army or Air Force... and definitely more than any enlisted man. (Althought from time to time, I always thought the whole enterprise was so medal-happy that we'll never be able to separate medal fact from medal fancy! E.G., my PH was for VERY MINOR wounds, (cut about the face and neck by fragments and flying debris and nicely stitched up in two small places) but I was not allowed back on full duty for 10 days. And I certainly had nothing to do with awarding the medal to myself!)

At any rate, I do believe that Kerry has very adroitly removed the in-VietNam service-and-medal issue from the table up front by his attack on George's ANG service, which while entirely praiseworthy, was frankly not of "stellar" quality.

So as a practical matter, let's commend Kerry for his service while in theater, or maybe not mention it, but condemn him long and loud for his traitorous post-service career as a member of groups which advocated assassination of political and military leaders here at home and caused untold grief to people like John McCain and other POW's.

We are up against a very wily and tenacious opponent with a lot of cards up his sleeve, and with a powerful built-in media cheering section. That doesn't mean he gets to name the game all the time. The VietNam medals thing is not a winner for us...the treasonous behaviour could be if we play it right.