JOHN KERRY, WAR HERO?

New York Post ^ | 4/15/04

[kattracks]

April 15, 2004 -- Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry has never been forthcoming about how he earned three Purple Heart medals in Vietnam - and the reason for his reticence appears now to be coming clear. At least the first of the decorations - awarded for wounds suffered in combat - was received in circumstances that can best be described as dubious.

[onyx]

Served in Vietnam?
Purple hearts?
Who knew?

[MCFujiTanker]

When my Grandfather's destroyer was sunk by a German shore battery D plus 2 off of Utah Beach in '44, he lost all of his teeth and an eye from shell fragments. That's a Purple Heart. I'd be ashamed to wear a medal that I didn't deserve. ADM BOORDA shot himself in the chest when the media questioned his medals. The man is shameless. Semper Fidelis.

[Travis McGee]

Completely shameless!

[300winmag]

Even then, Kerry had strong ties to the Kennedy machine in Massachusetts (Bobby Kennedy speechwriter Adam Walinsky wrote Kerry's famous 1971 anti-war Washington speech).

Kerry's blood is bluer but poorer than the Kennedys, who are just latecomer Irish trash compared to Kerry's bloodlines. The Navy has always been the service of choice for our homegrown aristocracy, and has been more class-conscious than the other services, at least in those days.

If Kerry had a big "PI" (political influence) stamped on his records jacket, as the Navy did to those with connections, his CO might be reluctant to quash any self-promoted Purple Hearts. His Silver Star smells slightly fishy to me, too.

Oh, and despite Kerry's antiwar acivities and cooperation with enemy agents, his Naval Reserve commission wasn't terminated until 1975.

[Mo1]

When the boat was safely back at base, Kerry "had a little scratch on his forearm, and he was holding a piece of shrapnel," Hibbard said Tuesday

Ummmm Why was he holding a piece of shrapnel??

[onyx]

I'm speechless.
Your Grandfather earned his Purple Heart,
and I hope he wore it with pride.
I'm also certain your Grandfather was a humble man.
You come from mighty fine stock.

Excellent point regarding Adm. Boorda.
I had forgotten about that incident.
Kerry would never shoot himself.
He's much too arrogant and narcissistic.

[counterpunch]

[river rat]

Uh oh....
This is coming out too soon...
Damit, all the real heavy stuff should be held until AFTER the convention....

If too much comes out now -- he will not get the nomination..

What the hell is wrong with people?
Instant gratification at the risk of long term benefit....
Do only we old farts have patience anymore?
Hell - we have less time, but at least we can be PATIENT....

Semper Fi

[MCFujiTanker]

True story. My Grandfather joined the Navy in 1916 (lied about his age, he was 16) and fought in WWI. He was a motorman between wars for the "Public Service" driving a trolley car in Newark, NJ. He rejoined the Navy right after Pearl Harbor and was known as "Pops" on his ship (I met some of these shipmates at his wake), he was 41. His ship, the USS GLENNON (DD-620), shot it out with German tanks on Gela Beach during the invasion of Sicily. After convoy escort duty they supported the D-Day landings. I was born in '54 (my Dad joined the Navy in '44 right after H.S. graduation...the telegram advising my Grandmother of my "Papa's" wounds arrived about the same time). When I was a little guy I remember my Grandfather opening Rheingold beer bottles with his teeth. The VA dentist had built him some type of steel jaw...I guess like todays's implants. The story goes that in '45 when he returned to his old job at Public Service he almost ran two trolleys together at Penn Station, Newark, NJ. The supervisoer yelled "Whadda ya blind in one eye"?? Papa popped out his one glass eye holding it up and answered, "Yeah, is there a problem??" Because he had lost his depth perception he was retired. Papa passed in '67. For years my Dad used to scare kids on Halloween with Papa's extra glass eye. I joined the Corps in '76 and retired from the USMCR in '96 (I still work for the USN as a civil servant in Guam). My Brother joined the Corps in '78 and is still on active duty. Semper Fidelis.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

If not - well, it's time to find that out.

Bump!

[The Raven]

Rut Roe!! He's got some splain'n to do

[DeaconRed]

"His Silver Star smells slightly fishy to me, too."

It smells to me too. I think we need an investigation into it and the Bronze.
The purple hearts are as phony as a 3 dollar bill. 4 months in country when 12 months were the norm, got him out 8 months early.

[Elkiejg]

Your entire family has and is still serving this country - how can we ever thank you. It's families like yours that make America what it is -- inspite of the Kennedy's, Clintons and Kerry's. A heartfelt thank you to you and yours.

[MCFujiTanker]

The battle of the brown tree snakes goes on. USDA has offices at "Big Navy" and the AFB. They hang traps all over the place on the fence lines. They are wire mesh and have a little mouse, with a potato to eat, living inside. The snakes crawl in trying to get the mouse and get stuck. Of course it probably scares the s**t out of the mouse. The USDA guys come up to the snake with their arm covered by a burlap bag. They grab the snake with their covered hand, then pull the bag over the snake, then tie it. Not a job I could do. A USSS Agent I know left his car window open a crack during the day when it was parked in the sun. He forgot to roll it up all of the way at night. When he was driving to work the next day he realized there was a snake inside the car with him...luckily he was able to pull over before he was bitten or crashed. I saw the holding pens they have for the snakes, some of them were 10 feet long. I've been told that the snakes came here during WWII on cargo ships and have just about wiped out all of the birds on Guam. The battle rages. Semper Fidelis.

[onyx]

Please see post #15.
I'm nowhere near as eloquent as that poster,
but the words represent my feelings also.
Yours' is a special family.
Honor, duty, God and country.
Thank you for your service
and for telling us about your family.

[chiller]

Kerry was close to the Kennedys and saw the real JFK succeed with his war record and decided he needed one too in order to launch his political career. He went looking for Purple Hearts, found 'em, and had enough within 4 months.

His need to flaunt these medals also explains why he threw some else's medals over the fence at the anti-war really. He couldn't throw HIS away...he had scammed far too cleverly to merely throw them away.

Remember the photos of Ted Kennedy and Kerry waling about the VietNam camp. oh yes, he was connected alright, and plotting even then to oppose the war upon his return.

Kerry is a manipulating fraud, head to toe. And speaking of frauds, I'm reminded by our friends at the Corner that it looks like Kerry has an option in Massachusetts to voluntarily pay a highter state tax rate, but has not done so. Not good for one who touts higher taxes for the rich.... except for him of course, "I'm a Senator." God how I despise this guy!