Posted on 08/06/2004 12:44:00 PM PDT by gilliam
LEWIS LETSON EXPLAINS KERRY'S WOUND [08/06 03:33 PM]
Lewis Letson, who discusses Kerry’s wound in the Swift Boat Vets’ ad, is appearing on NRANews.com with me.
“I am the doctor [who treated Kerry],” he said. “Let me explain that. My critics are pointing to the [signature on the medical record], J.C. Carreon. If they look it carefully a scribble after the words, saying, “HM1.” HM1 is a hospital man first class. Jesus C. Carreon was one of my medics at that naval base. He was a top-notch fella. Real prince of a fella.”
“Unfortunately, my friend Carreon died about 1992. He’s not around to back this up,” he said.
“Kerry might have thought my name was J.C. Carreon. I was the only medical officer at that base. September 68 to Sept. 1969. I can verify that with commanding officer.”
“I didn’t want to be a public figure. This has its downside, don’t have any desire to be notorious. This has some ill effects on an individual and my family. I had TV crew on my front lawn in the last hour, they just appeared at my house and rang my doorbell.”
SO... tell them the truth. Doesn't really matter. They won't report it until Hillary says it is ok.
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MORE LETSON [08/06 03:40 PM]
More from Letson: “It’s unfortunate that it’s come to a lot of name calling. I’ve been called a Republican shill. I’ll stand by what I have said. They can call me what they want. I’ll stack my record of integrity against theirs anytime.”
Having concluded the interview, one gets the feeling that the Kerry campaign better have a better defense than, "he's not Kerry's doctor, because didn't sign the report, another guy did." It shouldn't be hard to verify that Letson was the doctor in that location at that time.
I am more and more disgusted with the media. These men are stepping out in truth and their integrity is being questioned. I hope they will and can stick this out.
My understanding is that without treatement by an M.D. there can be no Purple Heart. If this guy was the only medical officer at the base, Kerry is screwed either way.
Well, McCain gave them an out.
I just heard him on a NY radio station on the web it was a very revealing interview, it should be hard to dispute this guy.
It looks like Kerry's.."his is not the name that signed the paper" retort does not work.
Kerry's goons have been screaming that a different doctor signed off.....BUT THE GUY WAS NOT A DOCTOR.
Looks like the Swifties are gaining more and more credibility every day.
I noticed the liberal media...like the Globe..is now resorted to making stories up about the Swifites.
I saw the part on NRO about OK City. The thing is...there have been people who have called into Dallas stations from OK who say they believe the Swifties.
For all of them, really. They are indeed taking chances for their families and selves in standing up. Some are surely Democrats. Yet standing up for the truth is its own reward.
I hope they all keep their pets in.
This man is a hero once again defending his country. I wish he could know how much we honor his service and his integrity.
Not necessarily. Letson does say that he did treat kerry (removed the sliver, applied Bacitracin and a band-aid) but his Corpsman signed the report.
The truth hurts.
And if the truth makes Kerry look really bad, he won't have to worry about seeing reporters anymore, even if he wanted to talk to them. The media would avoid him like the plague.
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TV crew? To talk to a critic of the war hero Kerry? They must have been looking for directions. (Okay, it could've been Fox).
Seriously, I hope the press, as shock troops for the DNC, doesn't make these men regret the courageous actions they have taken.
See the following article for information on the treatment of the scratch: Doctor Describes Kerry's Disputed Purple Heart Wound
"I have a very clear memory of an incident which occurred while I was the Medical Officer at Naval Support Facility, Cam Ranh Bay," said Dr. Letson in the article.
"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," relates Letson. "The next day he came to sick bay, the medical facility, for treatment of a wound that had occurred that night."
In the article, Doctor Letson says that the story Kerry told him was different than what the crew had said 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," recalled Letson. "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," Letson recalled. "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."
According to Letson, he lifted the piece of metal out of the skin on Kerry's arm with forceps.
"I doubt that it penetrated more than 3 or 4 mm," said Letson in the NRO article. "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," said Letson. "Not [sic] other injuries were reported and I do not recall that there was any reported damage to the boat."
McCain is covering his own a--.
Kerry has some stuff on him.
The Vietnam POW hearings in the 90's.
Kerry and McCain had a witness coached and covered up other evidence.
an in depth view of Kerry's games on the issue...
http://www.villagevoice.com/print/issues/0408/schanberg.php
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I begin to hate the mainstream press more and more.
I feel for these good, good American vets, as well.
Standing for the truth can hurt. And it takes courage. And it is obvious that Kerry continues to consistent with the character these vets are trying to bring to life by allowing them to be challanged in this manner.
I am going to pray for these good men. They have done something wonderful for our country, in their desire to open the door and John Kerry.
If our press were worth ANYTHING, they would be talking about Kerry's record in the senate, informing America of how kerry votes on issues, enlightening all of us on his dealings as a US senator.
They hurt us all.
And they are becoming the enemy.
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