B.G. Burkett: Navy Commanders to Cast Doubt on Kerry's War Record

NewsMax.com ^ | 4/04/04 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

B.G. Burkett: Navy Commanders to Cast Doubt on Kerry's War Record

Several Navy officers who supervised Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry when he commanded a swift boat in Vietnam are preparing to publicly question his war record - including the circumstances under which he was awarded three Purple Hearts - a noted Vietnam War historian revealed on Sunday.

Burkett, whose 1999 book, "Stolen Valor," is considered to be the definitive history of of falsified Vietnam War claims, told WABC Radio's Steve Malzberg that Kerry's former commanders would allege that the top Democrat's Purple Hearts were awarded for "self-reported injuries that were virtually nonexistent."

"He never got a day of treatment, he never spent a day in a medical facility," Burkett said. "These were all self-reported wounds, which you're going to hear from some swift boat guys in the future as to the nature of those wounds."

Burkett said he had personally spoken to the Navy commanders who were preparing to go public about Kerry's decorations.

"You're going to get quite a showing [of those speaking out]," Burkett told Malzberg. "I don't know [the number] yet. They're trying to get it to be unanimous of every swift boat guy who ever served."

As to the timetable for the upcoming revelations, Burkett said that Kerry's superior officers "were still discussing that."

"You've got some major rallys being planned against John Kerry by Vietnam veterans on the mall, at the convention - this type of thing," he said. "And we're going to make America aware of John Kerry's military record."

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[Sybeck1]

"So, what would happen if, in October, John F'n Kerry is down terribly in the polls and a doctor discovers he has an old war wound that would preclude his ability to serve as President and he withdraws from the race?"


His colon cancer could easily resurface

[vanmorrison]

As a veteran, I can appreciate the interest this issue has for other veterans. But this really is a minor thing, isn't it? I mean, consider all of the things that this guy did after his short trip to Vietnam. He immediately went to the dark side by joining the VVAW and allied himself with Hanoi Jane. Then he became a Democrat senator who proceeded to take big sh*ts on American servicemen, and the country generally, through his entire political career. Why is it necessary to obsess on this issue? We know, hands down, that this guy is a scumbag and a liar because of the whole constellation of events associated with him over time. That's why he won't get my vote!

[A.A. Cunningham]

I read an article about this guy who went after actor Brian Denehy for claiming that he was injured in Viet Nam and come to find out Denehy didn't leave the states.

Read Burkett's book. Dennehy served on Okinawa. He was never in Vietnam.

[BluH2o]

Three Purple Hearts in one conflict makes a combatant eligeable for rotation out of the war zone. Kerry reminded his commanding officer that he was eligeable, in spite of the fact his wounds were superficial in nature, and was rotated stateside to a cushy office job. Very self serving to say the least, makes one a tad suspicious of the validity of his other decorations.

[bondjamesbond]

So if Botox-Boy implodes in October, will the Democrats go to the US Supreme Court saying the people have the "right" to a "viable" 'Rat candidate on the November ballot, so each of the 50 states must waive filing deadlines a-la-Toricelli's spectacular 2002 NJ swan-dive...?

[camas]

do they really want to win in 2004?? or wait for 2008!!! for the bit#h.

[Redbob]

"Remember the "revelations" about Kerry's girlfriend?"

I also remember Sean Hannity loudly proclaiming (as usual) that he had something on Kerry that would shoot his candidacy down in flames, something he had uncovered while researching his latest book, but that Hannity was not going to make it public until his latest book came out.

Well, the book's been out for a while, and I haven't heard another peep out of Hannity - on this subject, anyway.

[Redbob]

"Kerry's Silver Star I'm not sure about. It seems pretty excessive for chasing and shooting a VC who was trying to escape."

A wounded VC, BTW, one previously hit by a at least one 50 cal. round from the swift boat's M2.
I'm trying to imagine that VC being ANY kind of a threat, being ANYthing other than an ambulatory corpse, and I just can't.

[EternalHope]

The devastating chin injury must have been real.

I suspect the same sort of damage to his backbone, too.

[capt. norm]

It makes perfect sense.

Could it be aptly named "The Wellstone Maneuver"?

[hoosiermama]

DIdn't HIllary already say there would ba an October surprise....(Wonder if she'll get the president or vice president elect position.)

[Joe Marine 76]

Good Post Kattracks!

I've been waiting for this for a long time! I hope that the time line for the publication this story works to knock this arrogant jerk off his feet and reduce any hope or efforts for his becoming our next Commander-In-Chief. To the naysayers about going after Kerry on this story, I tell you, this is worth it. Anyone who has served in our services knows that anytime you meet a military person in service or dress uniform the FIRST thing you do is assess their personal and service decorations. First, to see that they are arranged in the right precedence and secondly, to see if they RATE them. Experienced Officers and Staff NCOs of any branch of our Armed Forces can spot a fraud a mile away and people who perpetrate these frauds reduce the honor and respectability of those Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who honestly earned their awards.

ps. Burkett exposed that Yandle guy from my neighborhood in Boston concerning his "Vietnam Experience"....Yandle was and still is a creep as is JOHN F'g KERRY!

[jackbill]

From a story in the Chicago Sun Times in Jan. 2003, when Mauldin died:

Near Cassino, in Italy, Sgt. Mauldin was wounded, while working on a cartoon, by a fragment from an enemy mortar shell. He walked to an aid station, and a medic removed the shrapnel and handed him a Purple Heart.

He turned the incident into a memorable cartoon: Joe slouches infront of a medic, sitting at a table piled with Purple Hearts. "Just gimme th' aspirin. I already got a Purple Heart," he says.

Such irreverence could not go unpunished. Early in 1945, Gen. George S. Patton demanded that Stars and Stripes drop Mr. Mauldin.

Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, aware of the morale value of Willie and Joe, intervened, arranging a meeting between the cartoonist and the famously gruff Patton.

"I was scared to death," Mr. Mauldin recalled, at Ike's death in 1969. "For 45 minutes, Patton lectured me on military history and his theories of discipline. It was a very eloquent chewing-out."

You can see the cartoon at:

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/ARTmauldin.htm

[chiller]

Your Viet Nam perspective and experience is probably more normal than Kerry's. I maintain he went there precisely to build a heroic war record to further his political career, as his hero JFK had done.

Remember the photo of Kerry and Ted Kennedy walking around a Viet Nam camp? How would a 4 month newbie arrange such a meeting if he wasn't extremely well connected going in? And he WAS connected.

I won't be surprised if he's exposed as the fraud he appears to be. Dispicable. It'll end his campaign if the public believes any of what's coming.

[RetiredArmy]

I have said it all along and I will say it here again and now: I believe Kerry figured out that if you have three purple hearts you can get out of Nam early and he made it up to get out early, got home and got out of the Navy early. I think he realized he was an anti-war radical instead of a patriot and wanted out, thus made it up. He gets three purple hearts and does not miss a day of duty? Excuse me, but I got one and I spent 5 and 1/2 months in the hospital. So, F'ning "they are all baby killers" Kerry can kiss my red, white and blue @$$. I think it made it all up!"

[Dante3]

bttt

[chiller]

..and then there's the fact that he threw SOMEONE ELSE'S medals over the fence. He couldn't throw his away, he needed them to verify his war record. What a fraud.

[pbear8]

The swelling from Kerry's head wound still has not gone down.

[chiller]

Using that same logic, would it be a stretch to say that other soldiers, who received medals, may also be judged by the same (Kerry) standard, if his awards prove to fraudulant? I believe so.

Not in my mind. I suggest Kerry went with the intent to fraudently build a war hero image, whereas you and those you know did not.

[pbear8]

The swelling from Kerry's head wound still has not gone down.