Kerry Purple Heart Doc Speaks Out

National Review Online ^ | May 04, 2004 | Byron York

[rwfok]

Some critics of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry have questioned the circumstances surrounding the first of three Purple Hearts Kerry won in Vietnam. Those critics, among them some of Kerry's fellow veterans, have suggested that a wound suffered by Kerry in December 1968 may have made him technically eligible for a Purple Heart but was not severe enough to warrant serious consideration, even for a decoration that was handed out by the thousands. Whatever the case, Kerry was awarded the Purple Heart, and, along with two others he won later, it allowed him to request to leave Vietnam before his tour of duty was finished.

Kerry was treated for the wound at a medical facility in Cam Ranh Bay. The doctor who treated Kerry, Louis Letson, is today a retired general practitioner in Alabama. Letson says he remembers his brief encounter with Kerry 35 years ago because "some of his crewmen related that Lt. Kerry had told them that he would be the next JFK from Massachusetts." Letson says that last year, as the Democratic campaign began to heat up, he told friends that he remembered treating one of the candidates many years ago. In response to their questions, Letson says, he wrote down his recollections of the time. (Letson says he has had no contacts with anyone from the Bush campaign or the Republican party.) What follows is Letson's memory, as he wrote it.

I have a very clear memory of an incident which occurred while I was the Medical Officer at Naval Support Facility, Cam Ranh Bay. John Kerry was a (jg), the OinC or skipper of a Swift boat, newly arrived in Vietnam. On the night of December 2, he was on patrol north of Cam Ranh, up near Nha Trang area. The next day he came to sick bay, the medical facility, for treatment of a wound that had occurred that night.

The story he told was different from what his crewmen had to say about that night. According to Kerry, they had been engaged in a fire fight, receiving small arms fire from on shore. He said that his injury resulted from this enemy action.

Some of his crew confided that they did not receive any fire from shore, but that Kerry had fired a mortar round at close range to some rocks on shore. The crewman thought that the injury was caused by a fragment ricocheting from that mortar round when it struck the rocks.

That seemed to fit the injury which I treated.

What I saw was a small piece of metal sticking very superficially in the skin of Kerry's arm. The metal fragment measured about 1 cm. in length and was about 2 or 3 mm in diameter. It certainly did not look like a round from a rifle.

I simply removed the piece of metal by lifting it out of the skin with forceps. I doubt that it penetrated more than 3 or 4 mm. It did not require probing to find it, did not require any anesthesia to remove it, and did not require any sutures to close the wound.

The wound was covered with a bandaid.

Not [sic] other injuries were reported and I do not recall that there was any reported damage to the boat.

[rolling_stone]

Reminds me of another Democrat, M. Larry "Arlington" Lawrence, seems he said he was in the merchant marines and tossed into the ocean and hurt his head, when he was actually in college...

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/abuse24.htm

[thoughtomator]

So in other words, far from being a hero, Lt. Kerry negligently discharged a mortar at a target so close that he himself was in the danger zone? And claimed a Purple Heart for this irresponsible act?

[arasina]

Hey! PD! You're online! Already back from Heathrow or are Delta's computers still glitching?

I've got your Purple Heart right here. ;o)

[jcb8199]

JF'nK trying to rest on his laurels has instead ended up hoisting him on his own petard...

[BykrBayb]

Took shrapnel in one testicle.

Did he get a purple ... nevermind.

[Pukin Dog]

There and back. Lots of fun. Babysitting a flying computer for big bucks. Woo hoo! Back on tomorrow through the weekend.

I've got your Purple Heart right here. ;o)

Don't tease me, baby.

[Michael.SF.]

Sorry to throw water on this parade, but it sure seems like a lot of detail for something that happened 35 years ago. Just call me skeptical at best on the Doc's report.

[rwfromkansas]

This is incredible...

This man has so much stuff to go on in criticizing his service it is ridiculous.

[tet68]

If I can be intimate with you for a moment,

No salad tossing allowed.

F-14s? Awesome. You have my respect.
My outfit was A-4 skyhawks, close air support.
Low and slow, have seen them come back with limbs and
foliage in the wheelwells, where they lowered their gear
to get in close. A grunts best friend.

Kerry, was an family friend of JFK, he knew how that
worked for him (JFK and torpedo boat service etc.) It
is NOT beyond the realm of possiblity that Kerry an ambitious young man rather like clinton would put 2 and 2 together and wind up with political office.

[O Neill]

..."some of his crewmen related that Lt. Kerry had told them that he would be the next JFK from Massachusetts."

This HAS come to pass...a visionary, no doubt. Of course, to continue the vision he would have to be assassinated in a plot by the Military-Industrial complex.

Somehow...that doesn't seem farfetched, either...

Of course...that would be very tragic...&etc. &etc.

[satchmodog9]

that was my smile for the day

[onyx]

Pray for W and Our Troops

Always.
May God bless them and
stand watch over them.

[ride the whirlwind]

JfK's bandaid:

[colorado tanker]

No wonder he's stonewalling on releasing the medical records.

[pookie18]

If you're referring to the cartoon, I usually post a bunch on weekdays. Search by date for "Today's Toons" to see a sample.

[texasflower]

Maybe Kerry will agree to release his medical record.

[Mo1]

TURN ON FOX!

[Peach]

Such a minor wound I wouldn't doubt he did it to himself.

[Sacajaweau]

That was always my favorite memory of the terminator or should I say terminated.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Awww, poor JFK. Did the doctor kiss it and make it better? My kids have gotten banged up worse than that, but he gets a Purple Heart?