Retired admiral says Kerry had 'absolutely no respect' for military

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[The Bandit]

Retired admiral says Kerry had 'absolutely no respect' for military

By STEVE SCHULTZE
sschultze@journalsentinel.com

Posted: May 6, 2004

Mention the name John Kerry to Roy Hoffmann and the fuming begins.

Kerry was an opportunist, an exaggerator, even a liar, said Hoffmann, a crusty retired U.S. Navy rear admiral who oversaw Kerry's Navy swift boat unit in the late '60s when Kerry did his service in Vietnam.

"He had absolutely no respect for the military," Hoffmann, 78, said in an interview Thursday. "His idea was to get some medals and gild his future ambitions."

Like others in the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth group he recently founded, Hoffmann liberally blasted Kerry at a news conference in Washington, D.C., this week that coincided with two new Kerry TV ads that portray him as a war hero.

Hoffmann, who headed the Port of Milwaukee from 1978 to 1986, is now retired and lives in Richmond, Va.

Hoffmann shares the distrust of some anti-Kerry veterans, who question whether Kerry deserved his combat decorations. But Hoffmann acknowledged he had no first-hand knowledge to discredit Kerry's claims to valor and said that although Kerry was under his command, he really didn't know Kerry much personally.

Kerry was awarded three Purple Hearts, as well as the Bronze and Silver stars.

Hoffmann said he once scolded Kerry for "cowboy tactics" in a meeting with Kerry and other swift boat commanders, though he didn't name Kerry specifically. Hoffmann said he'd been told that Kerry on several occasions had left his boat to go on dangerous patrols, something he said had "put his boat in jeopardy."

[VisualizeSmallerGovernment]

You mean the guy that just asked for the Secretary of Defense to be fired? Who'd a thunk?

[Mr. K]

anyone who was on a boat in Viet Nam was told "NEVER LEAVE THE BOAT". Even pinko movie makers like those who made "Apocolypse Now" knew that and used it in the movie.

Once you get off the boat you make the boat a target- they cannot fire to the shore because you are there, and they cannot leave because you are on shore.

Kerry disregarded this

[afraidfortherepublic]

I can't believe the Journal-Sentinel posted this story. I don't think it has actually run in a print edition, has it?

[Condor51]

So if I understand correctly,
LtJg Kerry had no respect for the military - before he REALLY and publicly had no respect for the military.

[bitt]

He HAD to go ashore, he had his new movie camera and had to dress up in camos and stalk thru the jungle looking for the enemy to save for his BIG RUN, you guys just don't understand...{whine}.

The first time he landed, he dropped the camera and it had to go to the shop, so he had to plan a landing AGAIN. (Can't you SOB's get this landing and stalking in the jungle RIGHT?"
The next time he landed, the Captain saw him from another boat and yelled at him, so Kerry had to shout, "Hey, you SOB, I have to go #2, doncha know?"

The third time, the film we actually get to see over and over, didn't turn out too well, either. He has obviously lost something in the ground cover, and it is only now, from good authority, that we know that he was saying, "some SOB made me lose the key to the BOAT" , and that is why there is no audio, because he is crying and swearing because he knows the Captain is going to yell at him again.

And he will get a 'Black Mark' from Hoffman, instead of a 'Feather in his Cap'.

[Young Werther]

Is there any way that we Freepers could bring an indictment against John fn' Kerry for the war crimes which he has admitted to?

[SpottedBeaver]

Apparently, that is one instance where Kerry didn't flip-flop before he actually did.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

To Swift Boat Veterans for Truth:

Please keep up the sustained high rate of fire. This country has learned a lot about people with this overwhelming ambition during the Clinton years. In Clinton all the flaws were blended with a degree of charm which, while I could never see it, seemed to fool a lot of people - and to the great  detriment of the country. Kerry has none of the charm, but he does have the assistance of a lot of Washington insiders who may pull off a genuine October Surprise. Thanks to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth for hammering Kerry - the view you had of him at that critical time is very telling. Keep it up!

[The Bandit]

See also: http://idexer.com/kerry_silver_star.htm

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

The MJS is no conservative paper, either - is it?

[Maria S]

"Is there any way that we Freepers could bring an indictment against John fn' Kerry for the war crimes which he has admitted to?"


Probably not...but we CAN write letters to the editor and call in to talk radio. THIS is the stuff that needs to be gotten out...get off defense and get on to offense.

[rolling_stone]

from your link:

The most telling of all is Admiral Zumwalt's suggestion that he was motivated to award Senator Kerry as a means to "improve morale." This I think is an honest appraisal of the entire Kerry Silver Star episode - Kerry was not awarded for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action" on February 28, 1969, but given the Silver Star by Admiral Zumwalt in attempts of improving moral (Kerry became his Rambo poster-boy.)

Anyone remember Admiral Zumwalt and his Z grams...he changed unpopular regulations and greatly increased moral, something that fits with the above paragraph..

rs

[The Bandit]

Anyone remember Admiral Zumwalt and his Z grams...he changed unpopular regulations and greatly increased moral, something that fits with the above paragraph..

The Z-grams did not come along until July 1970.

[mtntop3]

"Jim Wasser, an electrician from Kankakee, Ill., who served for six weeks with Kerry, countered the criticism of Kerry's record."

Well, that clears all that stuff up........