KERRY BACKTRACKS ON PURPLE HEART

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ^ | August 24, 2004 | Swift Boat Veterans for Truth

[Nick Danger]

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, August 24, 2004

KERRY CAMPAIGN BACKTRACKS ON FIRST PURPLE HEART AWARD

Campaign Says May Have Been Self-Inflicted

Washington—In a reversal of their staunch defense of John Kerry's military service record, Kerry campaign officials were quoted by Fox News saying that it was indeed possible that John Kerry's first Purple Heart commendation was the result of an, unintentional, self-inflicted wound."

"GARRETT: And questions keep coming. For example, Kerry received a Purple Heart for wounds suffered on December 2, 1968. But in Kerry's own journal written nine days later, he writes he and his crew, quote, "hadn't been shot at yet," unquote. Kerry's campaign has said it is possible this first Purple Heart was awarded for an unintentional self-inflicted wound -- Brit." (Special Report with Brit Hume Aug.23, 2004)

A recent television ad from Swift Boat Veterans for Truth featured Doctor Lewis Letson who treated Kerry for his minor injury and Grant Hibbard who served as John Kerry's direct commander on the mission where he claimed his medal. Both men say Kerry did not deserve the medal given the fact that Kerry received a very minor wound requiring no more than band-aid treatment and because the wound was not a direct result of hostile fire, a requirement for a Purple Heart commendation.

"When Grant Hibbard and Doctor Letson appeared in our ad, they were attacked and vilified by the Kerry campaign but now we see news reports saying the Kerry campaign is now sheepishly acknowledging that what we said was true," said Admiral Hoffmann, founder of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. "John Kerry's own journal reinforces the fact that neither Kerry nor his crew had seen hostile enemy action. John Kerry's first Purple Heart medal is based on fiction."

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is calling on the Kerry campaign to apologize to Grant Hibbard and Doctor Letson as the men did nothing more than come forward to speak the truth about the situation involving John Kerry's first Purple Heart medal.

This is not the only incident in which Kerry campaign officials have changed their story concerning Kerry's prestigious war medals. The incident on the Bay Hap River in which Kerry received his third Purple Heart and Bronze Star has also been the subject of considerable waffling by Kerry officials. 

During the Democratic National Convention, Kerry used the Bay Hap River incident to suggest that he alone returned to rescue Jim Rassmann—a Special Forces solider—who was on Kerry's boat and was tossed into the river.  Kerry described this incident to the American people as "No man left behind."

However Kerry officials were forced to acknowledge that Kerry's boat actually left the scene when another swift boat—operating on the other side of the river—was damaged by an underwater mine.  Kerry officials now admit that Kerry's boat returned after several minutes to pull Rassmann from the water while three other swift boats remained on site to render assistance to the injured crew of the one damaged boat.  Campaign officials once claimed that Kerry returned to the scene under withering hostile fire to rescue Rassmann after all the other swift boats left.  But other accounts from eyewitnesses of that day confirm that the other boats stayed on site and that Kerry returned to the scene, facing no enemy fire, only seconds before another swift boat was preparing to retrieve Mr. Rassmann from the water.

"John Kerry's stories are falling apart," added Hoffmann. His statements don't even match up with his own journal entries.  We are going to continue telling the truth about John Kerry's military service record so that the American people can make their own decisions about John Kerry's qualifications to be the next Commander in Chief."

Direct media inquiries to media@swiftvets.com

[Gunrunner2]

Ditto

[baseballmom]

Have to disagree with you. We take care of our own, good or bad.

And I haven't heard, except from his own mouth, any evidence that Kerry is a war criminal. And since I don't believe too much of what he says, I doubt this to be true.

[Gunrunner2]

I heard reference to Kerry still carrying around in his body shrapnel? Is this true?

[Cannoneer No. 4]

TFTP. I would have missed this otherwise.

[Republic]

It's time to demand that John Kerry return the Purple Heart and request that the Navy change his discharge to "Dishonorable"

And this shell of a real man, this girlish metro-sexual, arrogant, ambitious clown who FILMED HIMSELF DOING REPLAYS of his job in Vietnam and presented this at his convention, this flip-flopper who apparently has the convictions of a dedicated and dependent poll watcher, WANTS TO BE OUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF?

A man who sought and RECIEVED a FAKE PURPLE HEART? Received a incredibly important medal offered to genuine heros and LIED about it....what in the HELL does this do to those who really EARNED their purple hearts?

This man, THIS FAKE of a MAN, wants to lead our military? What CREEP would EVER vote in this dispicable piece of liberal garbage?

This is getting scary.

The network press corp had BETTER start reporting on the truthfulness, as facts keep coming forward, of the Swift Boat Vets for Truth or at least BEGIN their broadcasts with the words..'This network is supporting John Kerry for President'...or we need to start boycotting, BIG TIME, their sponsors.

[kabar]

Supposedly, he is according to his doctor who has reviewed his closed medical records and briefs the press. I suspect he may have some little pieces of metal in his thigh, which would not be worth the effort to fish them out.

[QQQQQ]

"Christ Matthews"


How did I do this?! OOPS!

[<1/1,000,000th%]

He was injured by the enemy before he was not injured by the enemy.

[Peach]

Kerry could solve this so quickly. Just sign one little form and authorize release of ALL those military records.

But the faux war hero can't risk exposure of his lousy record.

[Cuttnhorse]

I have been saying for some time now that Kerry is a mental case. I truly believe he is nuts.

[onyx]

OOoh, #911.
How appropriate.
Let me look.

[Gunrunner2]

Thanks.

[Che Chihuahua]

Have to disagree with you. We take care of our own, good or bad. And I haven't heard, except from his own mouth, any evidence that Kerry is a war criminal. And since I don't believe too much of what he says, I doubt this to be true.

---

Kerry is not one of our own. He's a trust fund communist. Confessions always work in any American criminal court, unless the confession was coerced. And I haven't heard any evidence that Kerry was coerced into an admission that he is a war criminal. But if Kerry isn't a self-confessed war criminal, then he is a barroom bulls**ter and should have his a** kicked soundly by Bob Dole. Kerry forfeited his right as an American by being an icon of the North Vietnamese and having his picture in a Hanoi museum

[Chode]

and the hits... just keep right on coming!!!

[Always Right]

I actual e-mailed Chrissy over his attempted ambush of O'Niell. I just thought Chrissy was such a prick and did not let the person he interviewed explain anything. I hadn't watched Chrissy in such a long time and told him I wouldn't again. Although if I was flipping through and saw Michelle Malkin on I would of had to stop and watch. I just think she is such a cute babe and very intelligent to boot.

[Salvation]

**Washington—In a reversal of their staunch defense of John Kerry's military service record, Kerry campaign officials were quoted by Fox News saying that it was indeed possible that John Kerry's first Purple Heart commendation was the result of an, unintentional, self-inflicted wound."**

Oh, my gosh! I was gone for errands and just saw this!

[Prost1]

ping

[Salvation]

**request that the Navy change his discharge to "Dishonorable"**

Amen to that, friend!

[lemura]

"Wait until it becomes more widely known that Kerry had his silver heart citations rewritten to omit the fact that he shot that kid in the back behind the hooch."

You should change tack - this is the one incident where the SBVT think Kerry finally acted creditably. They don't have a problem with him shooting the enemy, in the back or elsehere.

Their problem is that he wrote up a report claming that they attacted a superior force and that he charged a bunker full of VCs firing rockets at their boats.

[doubled]

I have read somewhere on FR that the piece of shrapnel is one quarter the size of a BB. The incision to take it out would have done more damage that leaving it in. Sorry I don't have a link, but it has been in the last couple of days that I saw this.