Kerry's War Wound Called 'Fingernail Scrape'

NewsMax.com ^ | 4/14/04 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry insisted on being awarded his first Purple Heart in Vietnam even though his injury amounted to no more than a "fingernail scrape," his commanding officer at the time now says.

Retired Lt. Cmdr. Grant Hibbard tells the Boston Globe that he can still recall Kerry's wound, and that "it resembled a scrape from a fingernail," the paper said.

"I've had thorns from a rose that were worse," Hibbard insists.

Still, the former Navy man remembered that Kerry insisted on receiving a Purple Heart for the wound he said was incurred during a Dec. 3, 1968 skirmish with Viet Cong near Cam Ranh Bay.

"He had a little scratch on his forearm, and he was holding a piece of shrapnel," Hibbard told the Globe. "People in the office were saying, 'I don't think we got any fire,' and there is a guy holding a little piece of shrapnel in his palm."

Much to Hibbard's chagrin, Kerry persisted in his quest for a war decoration for the scratch.

"I finally said, 'OK, if that's what happened ... do whatever you want,'" Hibbard said. "After that, I don't know what happened. Obviously, he got it, I don't know how."

Kerry's campaign refused to say whether he remains certain that his skimmer boat had come under fire or whether he recalls his superior officer raising doubts about whether he was entitled to the Purple Heart.

While a Kerry aide provided a copy of a medical report showing treatment for the wound in question, The Naval Historical Center "could not locate a copy of the original card for the incident," the Globe said.

Kerry was awarded two additional Purple Hearts for subsequent wounds that have also been described as minor. He then invoked a little-used regulation that entitled a triple Purple Heart winner to return to the United States.

Former Sen. Max Cleland, a Kerry supporter who lost three limbs in Vietnam, was never awarded a Purple Heart.

[alisasny]

Whenever I call him Senator Paper Cut to liberals they get so outraged. I see I am not far off : )

[JeeperFreeper]

This says much about Kerry's character. Here I use the term
loosely.

[Keith in Iowa]

The bloom on Kerry's rose is starting to take on the fragrance of fertilizer...

[onedoug]

From my own year in Vietnam combat, Kerry's medals make me proud I didn't get any.

[DannyTN]

The cowardly lion got brave when he was awarded a medal.

Sen. Kerry got medals so he could be cowardly.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Raging case of hemmoroids I heard.

[lilylangtree]

Sure explains why Ketchupman refuses to open his military record for public scrutiny even though his many mouthpieces of dogs cried loud and hard at the prez to open his.

[mountaineer]

Former Sen. Max Cleland, a Kerry supporter who lost three limbs in Vietnam, was never awarded a Purple Heart.

His wounds had nothing to do with combat, from all accounts. My late father had both wrists crushed and injured his back aboard ship in the South Pacific in WWII in the midst of a battle, causing a permanent partial disability, but wasn't awarded the PH, either, because his ship wasn't directly involved in the fight. That Kerry claimed three PHs for his scratches makes me sick.

[BCR #226]

Reminds me of the episode of MASH where Frank Burns applied for a purple heart for getting shell fragments in his eye... egg shell fragments that is.

Mike

[Lee Heggy]

If Kerry had been a real war hero he'd be in Arlington where most of them are.

[Zeppo]

Retired Lt. Cmdr. Grant Hibbard tells the Boston Globe that he can still recall Kerry's wound, and that "it resembled a scrape from a fingernail," the paper said.

When I go to Boston.com and perform a search on "Grant Hibbard", I get:

Your search for ( ( "Grant Hibbard" ) ) returned 00 article(s) matching your terms. To purchase the full-text of an article, follow the link that says "Click for complete article."

If I only search on "Hibbard" I get 22 hits, but none of them looks like the right article. Does anybody have a link to the article that contains that Hibbard quote?

[Bob]

Former Sen. Max Cleland, a Kerry supporter who lost three limbs in Vietnam, was never awarded a Purple Heart.

Cleland didn't get one awarded because he lost those limbs in a non-combat accident that happened in Vietnam. An injury has to have been the result of enemy action to qualify for the Purple Heart.

[aomagrat]

Reminds me of the time Frank Burns got the Purple Heart for getting an egg shell fragment in his eye.

[Fierce Allegiance]

My uncle made it back, with PH and then some, but he is still a hero.

Kerry is not, but one would need not be dead to be a hero.

[ride the whirlwind]

"I've had thorns from a rose that were worse," Hibbard insists.

I'm sure this revelation will cause the Kerry campaign to finally open his military records to the public./sarcasm

[Ciexyz]

Every time I hear the news media call him a "thrice decorated Vietnam Vet", it makes me ill.

[Lee Heggy]

I said 'most of them'. My father and yours are in that very lucky group.

[kellynla]

"Former Sen. Max Cleland, a Kerry supporter who lost three limbs in Vietnam, was never awarded a Purple Heart."

Cleland did not receive a PH because the moron picked up a grenade that had fallen to the ground which blew up!

The armed forces does not give PH's for stupidity!

As for the Ketchup boy, anyone who believes Kerry received 3 PH's legitimately in less than four months in country without spending one night in a hospital; I have some swamp land in Florida I would like to sell you.

Semper Fi,
Kelly

Viet Nam Veterans Against John Kerry
http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnkerry.com