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

[Ciexyz]

So give it back already, Mr. Kerry.

[Salvation]

**Chris Wallace and Bill O'Reilly both agreed that Kerry's story was more accurate than that of the SBV, even after the 1st PH and Christmas in Cambodia retractions.**

We'll have to see what these two say this week/weekend.

[Salvation]

**Two lies down.**

My woman's intuition tells me there are more..............

[Ciexyz]

Add O'Reilly to the list of losers. He's dumping on the Swifties now.

[Salvation]

**He owes us all another 234 days in Vietnam before he can come back and run for office.**

I thought of that yesterday too. Send him back to active duty! (But not in Iraq!)

[NormsRevenge]

Spot the 2 FRench items in the pic. :-)

Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Senator John Kerry (news - web sites) (D-MA) looks at the Statue of Liberty as he departs Liberty Island in New York Harbor August 24, 2004. Kerry made an unscheduled trip to the island via the public ferry. REUTERS/Brian Snyder US ELECTION

[WoofDog123]

this should be addressed to EVA post 82, i was just quoting from that post in your excerpt.

regards

[Salvation]

Kerry Lied and Good Men Died

Kerry Fled while Good Men Bled

[cousair]

I'll double that!!

[kabar]

Sounds right to me.

[MeekOneGOP]

See this group of Swift Boats patrolling together? They are NOT SERVING together!!! Only the ones on the SAME BOAT are serving together! Each group of personnel on each boat know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the personnel on the other boat, PERIOD !! If they say they do, they are Republican LIARS !! Unless the one talking is a DemocRAT. Then he is telling the truth, of course.

[DustyMoment]

The shoes keep dropping.

Meanwhile, Kerry is beginning to turn a nice golden brown on his way to toast.

[oreolady]

No matter how this ends, many, because oif the left-wing media, believe kerry, that the swiftees are lying. (media dem speak).
I was just watching judge Neopolitano on Fox with a dem "advisor", don't know his name, and the judge just let him ramble on and on about Bush could end this if he told swiftees to take ads off. Lies and all that spin again.
today's talking points.
WHAT ABOUT THE FIRST AMENDMENT?
Since when can a president order someone not to use their right of free speech?
Am I wrong? Why won't ANY newsperson mention this?
I am outraged, and am tired of emailing all the networks, doesn't seem to make a dent.
I am also afraid that even with a GW win (most important election in history for our country), the media has so brainwashed and damaged a HUGE percentage of citizens by anti-Bush propaganda these past few years, that we will have a divided forever country, which in turn will cause more dissent and constant fighting.
What a sad day that the media has arrived at such a huge amount of control.
It comes from the journalist's left leaning professors, and it will be years until they are weeded out, if ever.
End of rant.

[NYTexan]

"The Navy should put him on a SwiftBoat and have him finish out his tour patrolling the Tigris and Euphrates around Baghdad."

Yeah, but with no crew and NO ammo!!!

[FMS5]

A bit of a stretch on either the reporter's part or Sandusky's part to say Sandusky "drove Kerry's boat for nearly three months" according to Unfit, Sandusky was on PCF 94 and Kerry took charge the last day or two of January after Peck was injured. Kerry's last action was March 13 and gone by March 17 seems to me this is less than two months. Maybe no big deal but another stretch of the truth.

[oreolady]

Question:
Has anyone heard John Mc Cain speak yet?
I read on a blog he is overseas, but yet isn't he speaking at convention next week?
Can you imagine a president (ugh,no) kerry at a high level calling Putin or Chirac "liar".
The democrats are such kindergarten name callers, just like on DU, when they can't answer.

[Peach]

That's a very good catch!

[baseballmom]

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

LOL, you CAN'T go on any errands til Nov.3 !!! See what happens???

[baseballmom]

Kerry is not one of our own. He's a trust fund communist.

This is probably true, but for better or worse he is an American citizen, who (God forbid) could be our next president.

I still don't want to turn him over to the Hague. I do like your idea about turning him over to Bob Dole, who could still probably give him as a$$ whooping at the age of 80.

[Alberta's Child]

Check this out . . .