[Miss Marple]

Kerry himself said that he did this, I suppose in an effort to make sure the media didn't portray him as deserting his "Band of Brothers."

I have maintained that this is why they support him (plus no doubt the fame factor and a large sack of Heinz foundation cash).

I don't have any documentation on this, but I am certain he said this in an interview. Of course, since the man lies constantly, he could have just been blathering for political effect.

I, too, would like more information on this. I also would like to know how he had enough clout to do this, if he indeed did.

[Carolinamom]

On more than one occasion recently, I have heard liberals say that Kerry volunteered for TWO TOURS in Vietnam. Last night, I heard Gail Sheehy say it again in her litany of Kerry's qualifications.

This distortion of the truth that his 2 assignments during his ONE abbreviated tour is deliberate or uninformed. It could be both, but given liberals' usual pattern, I lean toward the former.

[Mo1]

I, too, would like more information on this. I also would like to know how he had enough clout to do this, if he indeed did.

I'm wondering what was said at this meeting in Saigon

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

But Kerry went back in the rivers. Indeed, it was after this meeting that he began his most deadly round of combat. Within days of the Saigon meeting, he joined a five-man crew on swift boat No. 94 on a series of missions in which he won the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and two of his three Purple Hearts. Starting in late January 1969, this crew completed 18 missions over an intense and dangerous 48 days, almost all of them in the dense jungles of the Mekong Delta.