OLIPHANT: I WATCHED KERRY THROW WAR DECORATIONS

Drudge ^

[hope]

OLIPHANT IN COMING BOSTON GLOBE: 'I was 4 or 5 feet behind John Kerry. I watched Kerry reach with his right hand into the breast pocket of his fatigue shirt. The hand emerged with several of the ribbons... There couldn't have been all that many decorations in his hand -- six or seven -- because he made a closed fist around his collection... From what I could observe firsthand about Friday, April 23, 1971, Kerry did not make even the slightest effort to pretend that he was throwing all of his military decorations over that fence.... Kerry had arrived here with only the ribbons he wore on his shirt... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have always found the political junk served up by Kerry's detractors to be undignified as well as largely inaccurate. I write now because the political junk is much higher profile now, though no less misleading -- and not, by the way, because in her fourth job in the public arena, my daughter just joined Kerry's staff. I just happened to be there that long-ago day. I saw what happened and heard what Kerry said and know what he meant. The truth happens to be with him...' Impacting Hard Late Monday...

[SerpentDove]

"Still not very helpful. Did he throw only those ribbons he took out of his pocket (which could have belonged to anyone), or ribbons he removed from the outside of his shirt, that is, the ones he had been wearing?"

While the arrogant fool Kerry harps on a distinction without a difference, i.e., medals vs. ribbons, he is constantly reminding voters that he is a flip-flopper, a liar, and that he is anti-war. A sure-fire recipe for defeat in November.

I hope he keeps it up, as his political prospects are beginning to resemble his physical appearance: an emaciated, walking corpse.

[cricket]

"I don't understand how someone carries around the ribbons, but not the medals. "

Kerry already has several explanations for that one. . .he just 'forgot'them. He did not have time to get them from his desk. He was just going to throw the medals of his friends - never said he was going to throw his.

And the best; medals/ribbons/medals; all are interchangeable. When I said, I threw medals I was referring to my 'ribbons'.

All the same/even the Army says so!

[Steve Eisenberg]

I don't understand how someone carries around the ribbons, but not the medals. Why would you separate the two.

This was a planned and organized protest. One man after another threw away from looked like military decorations. I guess that they practiced beforehand and set things up as needed for the photo-op.

[river rat]

"Now and then you'll see a medal in a pawn shop. I get a knot in my gut every time I do.

Roger that!
Here in Kalifornicate, I saw high level medal sets on a "junk and trinket table" at the flea market!

I nearly collapsed.....

When I attempted to buy everything on her counter, so that I could destroy them with some dignity -- the woman sensed what was going on and informed me that she BUYS THEM over the Internet. When I looked more closely, you could tell they were brand new, and in unworn, unburnished/undinged condition.

The next time you see them in a pawn shop - think of that, or think that perhaps some junky stole them and hocked them....

I can't bear to think that a warrior hero was ever reduced to selling mementos of one of the most defining moments of his life.... That's just too disheartening to bear....

Semper Fi

[muawiyah]

How often does Oliphant's daughter sleep with Kerry?

[dodger]

As to Olly as a spitter rather than a swallower or VICE versa, you are absolutely correct ...

Pols such as Kerry don't really care as long as his "groupies" don't require "cuddle-time" afterwards.

[Piranha]

Is the video clip posted somewhere?

[Rebelbase]

"Did Oliphant file a story 33 years ago?"

Don't know.

[dodger]

Olly doesn't have a daughter (unless she is 'camoflage') cuz as Bluntpoint sez, he is a spitter rather than a swallower or VICE versa ...

Pols such as Kerry don't really care as long as his "groupies" don't require "cuddle-time" afterwards.

[JBCiejka]

I thought the medals were attached to the ribbons. If they are, why would you detach them. I don't know much about military honors, but my dad, had all of them together. Are they separate from the bars that they wear on their uniforms, or actual hanging medals from a ribbon?

[Shermy]

He flip flops and has no core. Bush and Rove were masterful to make that the first issue about Kerry.

they're just folliwng the lead of the internet.

[don'tbedenied]

Yes, the delectable irony is that Oliphant is trying to help Kerry but stating he saw Kerry throw his ribbons away. This is almost too good.

[cricket]

"Well Gibson said he saw Kerry throw medals. "

thought Kerry said he threw medals belonging to "others/someone else". . .or were they 'ribbons' as well; since they are interchangeable by Kerry's definition. . .or just his 'ribbons/medals or their medals/ribbons?

Oliphants statement seems to me to be, beside the point; we know he threw something; it's just that Kerry cannot get to the truth of the matter regarding what it is he threw and who it belonged to.

How is it that Oliphant's memory should have more clarity that the 'man himself'.

If Kerry would just stick to one script; there would be little to say; save that he is still a 'hero/president wannabe'.

[hosepipe]

Is a RINO an Oliphant..? OR would that be a senior citizen republican on the public dole..

[kabar]

You can purchase replacement ribbons mounted three to a frame, but that's not the way they're issued. If you look at the photograph of Kerry at the event, you can see several independently attached bars, at least. He could not have easily removed them with one hand.

You buy the frame and slide the ribbons on. I used to have a three row frame (9 ribbons) mounted with two pins. You can buy the frame to match the number of medals mounted. I haven't examined the photograph that closely nor do I know what Kerry wore to the tossing of medals event and how easily he removed them. The point is he threw something away and no one knows for sure what it was.

[cricket]

"Otherwise, he might as well throw a couple of ping-pong balls."

careful!

. . .ping-pong balls/ribbons. . .medals. . .they are all the same; interchangeable; the Army agrees; sometimes we say ribbons and mean ping-pong balls; sometimes you might say "I threw my medals;but you really threw ribbons; but you might call them. . .ping-pong balls. . .

[GailA]

Silver Star medal and ribbon, ribbons are worn on the everyday uniform I believe.

[plain talk]

The bottom line is Kerry is a liar. He either was then or is one now or both. It doesn't matter. Someone who would lie over such a lame thing will lie over anything. It's the cover-up stupid. This guy is worse than Nixon about being obsessed with not facing up to something as unpleasant as the truth and the public.

[kabar]

The medals are separate from the ribbons. The medals themselves consist of fabric with a medal hanging from it. The medal is about the size of a silver dollar or a bit larger. The ribbons (bars) are much smaller and are used separately. You don't wear both at the same time.

[ken5050]

I know 5 men who served in Vietnam and were decorated, though none received the nation's third highest award for bravery. Three were officers, two enlisted. IN every case, their decorations are tastefully framed, along with several pictures of their time in country. The more modest have them displayed in a corner of a den or a family room in the house, the more, shall we say, outgoing, have them hung on an office wall, or displayed prominently in their home. TO each his own. The point is that if Kerry, as a politician, had kept his medals, even running for office from the People's Republic of Massaschusets...he wold have displayed them somewhere in his senate office.Every pol who served has some military momento on display...

I wonder if the GOP oppo research has copoies of Kerry's old campaign lit from his early race..