Kerry's wound not from battle, Navy doc told [Story is growing legs!]

Los Angeles Times ^ | By Stephen Braun

[johnny7]

WASHINGTON - A former Navy doctor who says he treated Sen. John Kerry for the wound that led to his first Purple Heart in Vietnam said Tuesday that several of Kerry's crewmates told him at the time that the injury did not occur in battle. Dr. Louis Letson, a retired Alabama physician who was medical officer at the Naval Support Facility at Cam Ranh Bay, said the crew's "confided" story contradicted Kerry's own report in December 1968 that he was wounded during a river firefight between his Swift boat and Vietcong gunmen ashore.

The doctor's account surfaced as part of a barrage of criticism of Kerry by former Swift gunboat officers who gathered in Washington to press the likely Democratic nominee to authorize the release of his wartime records to the public. Kerry did not respond directly, but campaign officials angrily dismissed Letson's account and questioned why another medical official's signature appeared on Kerry's own records of his treatment for the wound. The Kerry campaign also said it has already posted online a copy of all official documents Kerry received from the Navy in his military file. Campaign spokesman Michael Meehan suggested that, "if these people have different recollections 35 years later of what they saw or signed, they ought to take it up with the U.S. Navy." Several of Kerry's former Swift boat crewmates also appeared in Washington to stoutly defend the Massachusetts senator. Drew Whitlow, an Arkansas man who served as rear gunner on one of the Swift boat's Kerry commanded, said critics "are entitled to their opinions, but I served alongside of the man. I know exactly what he was like. And I know the integrity and compassion he had."

Full story ...

[Phantom Lord]

A lot of lefties are starting to use the defense of "this guy remembers what happened on this night 30 years ago? I don't believe it." And similar accusations of a fault memory.

Yet these same people go around claiming "no one remembers seeing Bush in Alabama 30 years ago."

Well, which is it? Can people or can not people remember what happened 30 years ago?

[prognostigaator]

legs..... L A Times bump

[jmaroneps37]

If the La times is running with this, Rush is right about the amount of buyer remorse the rats have. Deborah Orin's column today says " So on a 1 to 10 scale how high is the panic meter [ in lurch's camp ]?
Answer from a New York rat insider " Seven and climbing."
Sounds good to me!

[4everontheRight]

It was my understanding that this Dr. wrote down his account a while back due to the number of questions that arose. I think it was when Kerry came back and decided he had committed war crimes.

[Dr Snide]

I think the political hit is in. Hillary now thinks Bush is vulnerable so thinks now may be her shot. I just can't believe the L.A. Times would publish such a story without an ulterior motive.

[KellyAdmirer]

I think it is very believable that the good Doctor remembers treating Kerry, while President Bush's fellow Guardsmen might not.

I think you would remember a case of treating an apparent shirker like Kerry, where his mates come in and accuse him of trying to get a medal fraudulently, especially with such a superficial wound. That couldn't have happened too often. Then, this same officer becomes nationally famous within only a couple of years. That would bring up the relatively recent memory of treating him and make it a permanent one.

Meanwhile, Bush didn't become nationally famous for decades after his Guard duty and just did what everyone else was doing, so forgetting about knowing him is pretty natural.

[Vinnie_Vidi_Vici]

I think most of us, if we had a metal or wood splinter of the stated dimensions, sticking in our thumb, we would merely pluck it out with our fingers and go on with our life.

This as opposed to someone who needed to get it on the record, so he could claim it for a medal.

[AD from SpringBay]

It will never be on tha Tee Vee news.

[snooker]

Leggy bump

[R. Scott]

And I know the integrity and compassion he had."

Is this the same Hanoi John who bragged about committing war crimes?

[TC Rider]

Kerry, what do you have to hide?

[pabianice]

I was injured at NAF Cam Rahn Bay in 1971 when a sonobouy I was loading fell onto my hand, actually breaking the skin and causing me to miss several minutes of duty. Senator, where do I apply for my Purple Heart?

[Logic n' Reason]

I was serving in the USAF, 19th TASS, Bien Hoa AB, Vietnam from 67-69.

As an aircraft mechanic, I accidentally struck myself in the head with the shaft of a speedwrench. The wound required three stiches and caused me to miss over two hours of duty!

Senator, where do I apply for my Purple Heart?

[KarlInOhio]

It will never be on tha Tee Vee news.

It will be if Hillary! tells ABCNNBCBS to run it.

[KarlInOhio]

Senator, where do I apply for my Purple Heart?

You could have gotten one if you claimed it was a VietCong speedwrench at the time.

[moonhawk]

I kinda wish this stuff was coming out closer to the election...

I WANT this guy to be the rat nominee....not someone else we pubbies don't have time to "vet".

[Polybius]

[AD from SpringBay]

Good point.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

PT 109 he's not.