This analysis is exactly on the mark. In reading the article and noting the described marks, the subject of these fitreps was definitely highly unlikely to have had a long military career (not that he sought one). It is common in the Navy, and I assume other services, to glowingly damn the ordinary officer performer with faint praise, as opposed to noting a really stellar performance with key (code) remarks. Thus to the casual observer, everyone looks really swell--only the codebreakers (ie NAVPERS) and senior leadership are aware of the actual tenor of the report.
That these reports have been released suggests to me that the Kerry camp may not have realized the negative tenor that they impart. Hopefully, (dream on) the media will insist that all reports be released (fat chance) a la the incessant demands for all the Presidents Guard records.
http://www.i-served.com/v-v-a-r.org/Bush-Kerry_POLL.html
LATEST PRESIDENTIAL POLL RESULTS, VIETNAM VETS
This is an ongoing poll. Please send any data to Magruder44@aol.com.
Results as of July 10, 2004:
GROUPS WITH DATA
6 Vietnam vets this weekend at HS reunion, all oppose Kerry. Dan Haney - 602nd Air Commando Sq. A1 pilot ’67
Out of 45 Vietnam veterans... all say pooh on JFK...100%. powmiavets
Our heli-vets pol shows 160 against and 6 for Kerry. Ron Leonard, 25th Aviation Battalion
I know about 650 Vietnam vets and their attitude toward about Kerry is 100% negative. Dan Decker, TSgt. USAF (ret.)
I know thousands of vets .I would say the opinion is about 98% against Kerry. Tony Cartlidge-Vietnam Combat Marine, 1968
Of 27 Vietnam Veterans I know, including myself, not one is willing to vote for John Kerry. Charles Banto, USMC 1958-1974
100,000 e-mails, almost all veterans, around 100 to 1 against Kerry. Don Bendell, Special Forces, Vietnam, 1968-69, noted author
Out of 25 guys, 90% against Kerry. Mike- mleonardos
240 vets, mostly Vietnam, 85% against Kerry. Tony Newcomb, Cpt.U.S.Army (ret.)
Of the more than 2500 veterans of all ranks who responded, 59 took umbrage with what I had to say (against Kerry). Mark A. Smith, former POW, Vietnam
An ongoing poll, with names and comments at 11thcavnam.com is running 16 for Bush, 4 for Kerry (80% for Bush.)
12 Vietnam vets, all of whom are against John Kerry. Vietnam vet, Tom Taylor
I’d make the numbers 80 to 20 against Kerry. Philip Topps, Cpt. Inf.(ret), 1st Inf. Div. 69-70
100 against Kerry - 0 for him. Storrs Warinner- Vietnam veteran
Bush 2115 (88%) - Kerry 275 (12%) - viperaqsh50
A summary of individual votes sent in to V.V.A.R. is running 16 for Bush, 3 for Kerry.
GROUPS WITH NO DATA
Every vet we know is opposed to Kerry. Chuck and Mary Schantag, P.O.W. Network
Rangers are 100% against Kerry. NOATLMUS44 - President
Every veteran I’ve talked to is against Kerry. Major General Carl Schneider (ret.), Air Force, Korea and Vietnam
I am anti-Kerry, as are most of my friends who are Vietnam veterans. Stud 369
I share the distrust I hear from my veteran colleagues. Peter McHugh, CW4 USA, ’67-’68 ,’71-’72
I would say 90% of the military here (power plant) are against Kerry. P.Rein
99.5% against Kerry - at www.paltalk.com
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Leonard Magruder
Founder/President, V.V.A.R.
Phone: 785-312-9303
Magruder44@aol.com
Possibly, but I believe they know the average American has no idea of the hyper-inflated evaluation system of the time. Joe Schmoe will see "superior" and some "outstanding" checks and read the (faintly) glowing praise in the narrative and have no idea they are looking at a marginalized officer.
The same situation for enlisted, especially if you wanted to make E-7 (CPO). Unfortunately, because there are so many more enlisted than commissioned, many enlisted were promoted to E-5 or E-6, just to fill the vacancies in their particular rate (specialty), with less than a 4.0 (top) eval. I have no idea how the eval system now works for enlisted.