Reference: Kerry's Medal and Wound Records

compiled | 4/25/2004 | me

[hobson]

Medal/Wound Records
Date	Medal	Signed By/Date	Action	Wound	Treatment
12/2/1968	Purple	Confimation: Donald A. Still, Chief Staff Officer / 2/28/1969 (stamped date) Certificate: Charles K. Duncan, Chief of Naval Personnel  / 8/10/1969	According to Kerry's own description in Douglas Brinkley's Tour of Duty, the Dec. 2, 1968, mission behind what he has claimed to be his first Purple Heart was "a half-assed action that hardly qualified as combat."	slightly wounded on his arm, "Shrapnel in left arm above elbow. "He had a little scratch on his forearm, and he was holding a piece of shrapnel," Mr. Hibbard said.	Shrapnel removed and appl[ied] bacitracin dressing. Ret[urned] to duty."
2/20/1969	Purple	Confimation: Donald A. Still, Chief Staff Officer / 3/5/1969 (stamped date) Certificate: Charles K. Duncan, Chief of Naval Personnel / 8/12/1969	Kerry and crew involved in combat PCF 94 came under intense hostile A/W and rocket fire	shrapnel wound in his left thigh	Condition good, prognosis good, presence of NOK is not medically warrented. Treated by MO aboard USCGC Wachusetts and returned to duty with coastal division.
2/28/1969	Silver	Citation: E.R. Zumwalt Jr., Vice Admiral, U. S. Navy Commander, Naval Forces,3 Vietnam / no date Citation: John Hyland, Admiral, U. S. Navy as CINC of PacFlt2 / no date Citation: John Lehman, Secretary of Navy / no date	Admiral Elmo Zumwalt1 later joked that he wasn’t sure if he should give Kerry the Silver Star or court-martial him for his actions on February 28, 1969. Kerry had ignored standard operating procedure as his squadron ferried troops up the river that day. (beached PCF, twice)  And this statement was made despite the fact Zumwalt had personally pinned a Silver Star on Mr. Kerry.	No wound	No treatment
3/13/1969	Bronze and Purple	Bronze: Citation: John Lehman, Secretary of the Navy / no date Purple: Confimation: Donald A. Still, Chief Staff Officer / 4/17/1969 (stamped date) Certificate: Charles K. Duncan, Chief of Naval Personnel / 8/12/1969	Kerry directed his gunners to provide suppressing fire, while from an exposed position on the bow, his arm bleeding and in pain and with disregard for his safety, he pulled the man aboard.	The Personnel Casualty Report from that day says Mr. Kerry "suffered shrapnel wounds in his left buttocks and contusions on his right forearm when a mine detonated close aboard" his boat. Another Source "But the citation for the Bronze Star that he was awarded for the same action described "his arm bleeding and in pain," saying nothing about arm bruises or shrapnel wounds anywhere."	Condition good, prognosis good, presence of NOK is not medically warrented. Treated by Medical Officer aboard USCGC Spencer, returned to duty with coastal division eleven.

Other Service Records
Date	Document	Disclosure	Signed By
??	DD-214N	National Defense Service - Bronze Star with Combat "V" Vietnam Service - Silver Star with combat "V" Vietnam Campaign - Purple Heart (3 awards)	T. Vanstrydonck, LTJG
3/12/2001	DD-215-Feb 2000 Correction to DD 214	Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon Navy Unit Citation Ribbon Republic of Vietnam MUC Gallantry Cross Medal Color with Palm Republic of Vietnam MU Civil Action Medal Color with Palm Delete: Vietnam Service Medal Add: Vietnam Service Medal with 4 bronze stars.5	Dena M. Martin
2/16/1978	Discharge letter	Honorable discharge from U. S. Naval Reserve	Clayick, Jr (illegible)
2/16/1978 stamped 7/13/78	Acceptance of discharge Naval Reserve	Honorable discharge from U. S. Naval Reserve	B. Haynes

1. "For example, the fabled and distinguished chief of naval operations (CNO), Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, told me -- 30 years ago when he was still CNO -- that during his own command of US naval forces in Vietnam, just prior to his anointment as CNO, young Kerry had created great problems for him and the other top brass, by killing so many non-combatant civilians and going after other non-military targets. "We had virtually to straight-jacket him to keep him under control," the admiral said." "Can John Kerry hold on to his lead?", W. Scott Thompson, 2/11/2004
2. John Hyland,CINCPAC - 30 Nov 1967 - 05 Dec 1970 - photo
3. Admiral Elmo Zumwalt Jr photos (I believe the person pinning the medals on Kerry is Zumwalt.)
4. John Lehman, Secretary of Navy - Feb 1981 - 10 Apr 1987 photo
5. Freeper William Tell has an explanation for the bronze medals here and here.

[hobson]

I compiled information from various sources including this thread: Kerry Bronze Star Certificate signature questioned. Investigation warranted? Hope it helps.

P.S. I was too lazy to pull out Holt's Handbook so don't laugh at my footnotes. Well... ok, go ahead and laugh.

[hobson]

Update to Kerry's medal/medical info.

[FairOpinion]

Good job!

I think I read or saw on TV an interview with his commanding officer talking about his first purple heart. Kerry went to him and demanded a purple heart, after being slightly wounded. I think the officer wouldn't give it to him, then later Kerry applied again and the officer wasn't sure, that he just got tired of it and signed it. I don't have a reference.

[freebilly]

Damn, Kerry was in 'Nam? Gee, you learn something new every day....

[hobson]

Was it Mr Hibbard? The Washinton Post(linked in first row of table) article quotes him:

"But Mr. Kerry persisted and, to his own "chagrin," Mr. Hibbard told the Globe, he dropped the matter.

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

[Mike Darancette]

I think that trying to discredit Kerry's medals is a "dry hole". The citations say what they say anything else is hearsay, rumor and speculation.

Over the last 35 years Kerry's public record is so flaky and he personally is so colorless that he stands little chance of winning the election. I don't think the public, including some Democrats, like the guy.

Baring some unforeseen disaster the election is the President's to lose.

[FairOpinion]

That's the one.

I would like to see ALL of Kerry's records. He still only released a portion.

I bet there are some letters from Kerry to his superiors asking for the Purple Heart.

I also read that Kerry disobeyed a direct order -- which as far as I know is a courtmartiallable offense. I think I read it here, but I am not sure.

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

[nopardons]

Thanks for compiling this.

[Mike Darancette]

Damn, Kerry was in 'Nam? Gee, you learn something new every day....

I've noticed that many of Kerry's "Spokes Holes" mention Kerry's Viet Nam service as the first item. I wish some interviewer would take them up on it and say something like, "Mr. Sock Puppet since you obviously consider Mr. Kerry's Viet Nam service to be the defining element of his person let's discuss it instead of the issues".

A couple of times like that and they will shut up.

[Fledermaus]

Didn't the commander BEFORE Kerry on that boat recently come out and say one date of Kerry's "injuries" was incorrect and he was in charge?

He even claimed Kerry took credit for times he wasn't even there.

In my opinion, Kerry fudged his injuries and used his connections to get the three Purple Hearts needed to get out of Vietnam. And the Dems have the audacity to attack Bush and LIE about him being AWOL?

Democrats are worthless human scum.

[oolatec]

Kerry's January 1969 Action Report that he posted isn't even his... what a joke.

[hobson]

Good article. I would like to see additional records also. I have found a number of stories about this incident:

In an intense three months of combat following that Christmas Eve battle, Kerry often would go beyond his Navy orders and beach his boat, in one case chasing and killing a teenage Viet Cong enemy who wore only a loin cloth and carried a rocket launcher. Kerry's aggressiveness in combat caused a commanding officer to wonder whether he should be given a medal or court-martialed.

[ThomasPaine2000]

What I find interesting is the DD Form 215, Correction to the DD Form 214N, undated. 1st: The DD214 is normally dated on the date of separation from active duty, in this case, 1972?; and 2nd, The DD215 is dated 3/112/2001. What activity was going on by Kerry or his people that prompted this updating, correcting, or purging of his records? Who the correction request?

[hobson]

Yep, he is very "nuanced", even with his war records. The man seems to operate under the assumption that no one will verify what he says.

The story you are referring to is here: Discrepancies noted in Kerry's record, Ex-skipper says website wrong

[Oztrich Boy]

"Tis but a scratch" Really.

[Smartass]

[hobson]

Check out the links in footnote number 5. William Tell seems to have a good explanation for those questions.

[lainde]

Excellent compilation hobson! I wonder about this Donald A. Still who kept confirming these diddly boo-boos. Is there a possible quid pro quo? (Wish I didn't have such a borderline predilection for tinfoil:~)

[kabar]

Great job. When you look at the chronologies for the PHs, it confirms what Hibbard was saying about Kerry shopping the first PH around. He waited until he got to this new command. Also, the 3rd PH has a statement to the effect that Kerry could put in for a certificate while the other two state that it will be sent to him automatically.

[DeaconRed]

Changes in attitudes
Changes in lattitudes
Thats John F'N Kerry