The Unpleasant Truth Behind the Awarding of John Kerry's Silver Star

The Bandit

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

I used to wear lycra in my disco-dancing era :-).... but that was 25 years ago!!!!!!!!

[donnalee]

Maybe you can help me clear up something I have been wondering about, was it the Bronze Star Kerry got for pulling the guy out of the water that fell overboard because of a underwater mine? My husband is a Vietnam vet (Army pilot)and said he thought an underwater mine would have been our own, is that the case? I may have medals, events mixed up but read one of them involved a mine.

I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't deserve any of the medals he is now so proud of.

[potlatch]

LOl, not much comment from me!! Other than bathing suits I never wore anything else with lycra!! We're all getting older and Lycra-inhibited, LOL!

[Robert A Cook PE]

This is a bit old reply, but it is appropriate:

Kerry served as electrical officer (some version say deck officer as well - different assignments on the same ship are routine to spread experience around) in air-conditioned comfort on a guided missile frigate off the coast of Vietnam from early March to late May: One of his interviews has Kerry quoting a letter he read "off of Midway the last week of February, and the ship had returned to California the first week of June.

So, March, April, May Kerry was off-shore.

But in his petition to change his discharge papers DD214/DD215 in March 2001, Kerry claimed these three months qualified him for THREE Vietnam Campaign stars on his Vietnam service ribbons!

In addition, of course, to the four months he was in-country before getting kicked out of Vietnam to return to an admiral's aide billet in NY. Those four months qualified him for additional campaign service stars!

[neverdem]

Here's a list of the time periods for which campaign stars were awarded which I found at the bottom of this site. If anyone knows Kerry's exact dates, then they can count up his stars. One day of service in a particular time period qualifies for awarding a star.

1. Vietnam Advisory Campaign (15 March 1962- 7 March 1965)
2. Vietnam Defense Campaign (8 March-24 December 1965)
3. Vietnamese Counteroffensive (25 December 1965- 30 June 1966)
4. Vietnamese Counteroffensive (1 July 1966-31 May 1967) Phase II
5. Vietnamese Counteroffensive (1 June 1967-29 January 1968) Phase III
6. Tet Counteroffensive (30 January-l April 1968)
7. Vietnamese Counteroffensive (2 April-30 June 1968) Phase IV
8. Vietnamese Counteroffensive (1 July-l November 1969) Phase V
9. Vietnamese Counteroffensive (2 November 1968- 22 February 1969) Phase VI
10. Tet 69/Counteroffensive (23 February-8 June 1969)
11. Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 (9 June-31 October 1969)
12. Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 (1 November 1969-30 April 1970)
13. Sanctuary Counteroffensive (1 May-30 June 1970)
14. Vietnamese Counteroffensive (l July 1970-30 June1971) Phase VII
15. Consolidation I (1 Jul 1971 - 30 Nov 1971)
16. Consolidation II (1 Dec 1971 - 29 Mar 1972)
17. Vietnam Ceasefire Campaign (30 Mar 1972 - 28 Jan 1973)

[neverdem]

You might want to check out this story which seems to confirm what I have learned already.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1165813/posts?page=1

[Robert A Cook PE]

No matter how I add up real dates (even including "Tet Offensive" (on-shore duty) when he was off-shor in the frigate!), I only get two he was remotely qualified for:

#10. Tet 23 Feb 69 to 8 June. (But Kerry was off-shore the whole time, never in-country, and had gotten back to the US well before 8 June.)
#12 Winter-Spring 1970. That was his actual duty times, and certainly earned.

[Pilsner]

John F. Kennedy got a Navy Cross for having his torpoedo boat rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer in the Pacific. That is like having your Camaro rammed by a dump truck on the salt flats they set land spped records on. It can be explained only by recklessness, incpompetence, or both. Fortuantely for JFK 1st he had a connected daddy during the war and a fawning press when he ran for office.

So did and does JFK 2nd. That a'int right, but it is so. Carping about it only gives the press reason to remind the public about the JFK 2nd medals and make Republicans look petty. Lets move on to another issue.

[neverdem]

According to Kabar in comment# 39, Kerry's service on the Gridley earned him 2 campign stars as it was in the pertinent waters from 9 Feb 68 to 28 Mar 68 and 1 Apr 68 to 5 May 68.

6. Tet Counteroffensive (30 January-l April 1968)
7. Vietnamese Counteroffensive (2 April-30 June 1968) Phase IV

What were the dates of service for the next tour, and what made you resurrect this thread?