[Travis McGee]

Great post!

Kerry's story stinks. I think his Silver Star was "earned" the same way LBJ's was: as part of a pre-arranged political deal.

[river rat]

It's a difficult thing to criticize a man for what he may or may not have done under stress....

BUT - Kerry's tour simply doesn't pass muster...
It all seems too contrived....too unbelievable....too convenient and far too short a tour with far too many decorations to accept without first hand witnesses or Military/Medical records to substantiative the "claims"...

It is now clear -- that the CONNECTED and AMBITION Kerry went to Vietnam as an aspiring politician --- and extracted his ass from the war immediatly after getting his "ticket punched" and the medals racked up....

On return to the world -- he IMMEDIATLY began his career by joining with LIARS and TRAITORS and charging his former brothers with War Crimes.... Kerry is worse than a traitor.

Kerry INSISTS on being regarded as a hero, based on the record ..... He should gladly release the records and allow us to decide if he was the "hero" he desires to be or simply another man who served --- but with connections and a plan to save his "lily white ass" and get back home as soon as his three laughable Purple Hearts will permit him....

I think of Kerry as another wannabe --- who wouldn't amount to more than a pimple on the asses of the men I knew, loved and witnessed being a far better man that Kerry could ever dream of being...... NONE, of them were so grandly decorated....and ALL of them gave and risked everything they had for 13 months ---- NOT 4 months...

Semper Fi

[A_Niceguy_in_CA]

John Kerry's first request for a deferment from active duty was denied.

I suspect that JohnEffingKerry enlisted only after his "war record and future political career"(ala JFK); was being concocted over cocktails at the Kennedy Compound in Hyanissport.

[Matthew James]

IMO Kerry's service in Vietnam was all conducted according to his preconceived plan. By this, I mean that even while back at Yale he's on record as stating that he wanted to run for President one day.

So Kerry goes to Vietnam with his situation already "war-gamed." He writes himself up for three Purple Hearts from flesh wounds (who knows, they may have been self-inflicted?), and then does something outlandish and writes himself up for the Silver Star (while probably committing a war crime). The only real surprise here (for me) is that somebody actually approved these things! (I also wonder how many times he wrote himself up for things that were NOT approved?)

But at that point he had what he wanted: his ticket OUT of Vietnam (the self-serving coward), as well as his ticket-punch as a "war hero."

Who knows what his anti-war protests were motivated by? Whether they were calculated to appeal to a growing anti-war movement, or his true colors is really unimportant. Either way, it was wrong. (But good publicity for him)

Then he does what any aspiring politician would do: goes to law school, and straight into politics.

Kerry is a schemer and manipulator. I think Bush will kick his butt in the election; but Kerry must never be underestimated concerning what lengths he'll go to accomplish this goal -- it's his life's ambition.