New PDF of Kerry's 1971 Senate Testimony

WinterSoldier ^ | April 18, 2004 | E. L. Core

[ELCore]

A new, 40-page (148K bytes) PDF of John Kerry's 1971 Senate testimony has been posted at WinterSoldier. The PDF is also blogged at my weblog. Unlike the widely publicized PDF of images of the Congressional Record pages, this one is neat, clean, and legible.

[Lurking in Kansas]

Thanks....

Bookmark / Kerry file

[Choose Ye This Day]

John Kerry is deeply troubled.

[ELCore]

You're welcome.

[calcowgirl]

Pinging some names I've seen... feel free to pass it on to someone who might no.

From the 1971 Transcript (John Kerry is responding to the Chairman regarding a Documentary apparently aired on CBS entitled ``The Selling of the Pentagon.'')

Mr. Kerry. I think they have; yes sir. I think the public opinion in this country, believes that, ``The Selling of the Pentagon.'' I was a public information officer before I went to Vietnam, and I know that those things were just the way they said because I conducted several of those tours on a ship, and I have seen my own men wait hours until people got away, and I have seen cooks put on special uniforms for them.

----------------------------------

My question: Was John Kerry a Public Information Officer? When? Where? On the Gridley, or before? When did his service actually begin?.

According to the Security_Clearance.pdf file on his site, he was given a basic Secret Clearance in 1966. The paperwork on that began in 1965. A Background Investigation was completed the following year (BI is normally for classified programs, I believe). A Certificate of Clearance was filed and clearance granted December 1968 (signed by GM Elliott). So, was John Kerry a PIO? If no, he lied to Congress. If yes, when? On the Gridley, or prior. He certainly didn't need a secret clearance to command a swift boat (yet Elliott signed the clearance... the same guy that signed the citation for one of his medals). Did he have access to Intelligence Information... including information on anti-war or other subversive groups? Those subversive groups included VVAW... and Navy Intelligence was on distribution for some of the FBI reports.

Has anybody looked into what Kerry did before Vietnam?

This is another reason John Kerry should be required to release his FULL Military Record.

[Howlin]

I thought he was an electrician officer.

I sure didn't see that in any of the information I read.

[calcowgirl]

Ooops... to someone who might KNOW (not "no")

[Fedora]

Ping.

[Mo1]

I'm not sure .. but I am sure this is the first I've read he was a Public Information Officer

Let me go check my bookmarks

[Mo1]

Yep .. you are right

http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/061603.shtml

Kerry served two tours. For a relatively uneventful six months, from December 1967 to June 1968, he served in the electrical department aboard the USS Gridley, a guided-missile frigate that supported aircraft carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin and was far removed from combat.

[The Bandit]

Well, first impression I have with this is that he is saying he was a PIO BEFORE he went to vietnam which doesn't rule out he was PIO out of Boot Camp. His DD 214 should shed light on this, take a peek and report back to us.

[Mo1]

It also states that he was an aid .. but what exactly he did I'm not sure

But Kerry thought he had seen and done enough. The rules, he said, allowed a thrice-wounded soldier to return to the United States immediately. So Kerry went to talk to Commodore Charles F. Horne, an administrative official and commander of the coastal squadron in which Kerry served. Horne filled out a document on March 17, 1969, that said Kerry "has been thrice wounded in action while on duty incountry Vietnam. Reassignment is requested ... as a personal aide in Boston, New York, or Wash., D.C. area."

[calcowgirl]

DD214 Info (every date I could find, with description)

08/66-12/66   US Naval Officer Candidate School 
12/06/66      Commissioned
06/16/68      Date of Rank (Ltjg, Pay Grade 0-2)
01/03/70      Released from Active Duty and transferred to Naval Reserve 
              (per BUPERS Order dtd. 12/8/69)
02/17/72      Terminal Date of Reserve/illegible Obligation

-----------------
                             Years     Months   Days  
Net Service Time Period        03        00      18
Other Service                  00        09      28
Total                          03        10      16

Active Service                 03        00      18
Foreign and or Sea Service     01        07      00

[calcowgirl]

So Kerry went to talk to Commodore Charles F. Horne, an administrative official and commander of the coastal squadron in which Kerry served. Horne filled out a document on March 17, 1969, that said Kerry "has been thrice wounded in action while on duty incountry Vietnam.

Horne.... Coincidence?

The man that presented last week at the Swift Boat Veterans News Conference was named Andy Horne (he is the one that said "for the Record, my name is Alvin A. Horne"). I thought he was one of Kerry's Commanders.

Other Andy Horne comments: "I'm a white collar prosecutor... you've been scammed... when the gatekeeper of the records is prevailing over the records, then accuracy & completeness is suspect.... sanding down... you're getting into what the definition of 'is' is.... Hardly merited ... a popsicle from the pediatrician."

[calcowgirl]

There's no "Public Information Officer" mentioned in his experience as of February 1968 (that he mentioned).
--------------------------------------------

Source: Request-For_Swiftboat_Duty.pdf
Downloaded from Kerry Website (and retyped below).

                                                   10 February 1968


From:  Ensign John F. KERRY, [Redacted]
To:    Chief of Naval Personnel (Pers-B14)
Via:   Commanding Officer, USS GRIDLEY (DLG-21)

Subj:  Vietnam Duty; request for

1.  I request duty in Vietnam.  My billet preference is "Swift" boats 
with a second choice of Patrol Officer in a ... Squadron.

2.  Since reporting aboard GRIDLEY in June, 1967, I served for 7 months
as Electrical Officer and "E" Division Officer and have held the billet
of First Lieutenant and First Division Officer since December 1967.  Prior 
to joining the Navy I had extensive small boat experience which I believe 
would serve me well as Officer in Charge of a "Swift" boat.  I have at-
tended the following Navy courses : Prospective Officer of the Deck, 
Emergency Shiphandling, Damage Control School (Stability and NBC), CIC
Watch Officer School, and Air-Intercept Controller School.

3.  I request to be transferred upon GRIDLEY's return from WESTPAC de-
ployment in June.  The ship is presently scheduled to be de-commissioned 
in September 1968 in Bath, Maine for AAW modernization.  I would consider
extending my obligated service for duty as OIC of a PCF if necessary.  My
RAD date is December 1969.

4.  I consider the opportunity to serve in Vietnam an extremely important
part of being in the armed forces and believe that my request is in the 
best interests of the Navy.


                                                   JOHN F. KERRY

[philman_36]

[Liz]

Thanks for the ping bump.

[Fedora]

LOL at popcorn-eating icon :)

[FourtySeven]

Bookmarkilation.

[The Bandit]

hmmmmmmm no mention of being a PIO any where in his request. Clearly he saying his duties on Gridley had nothing to do with public relations!