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

[NYTexan]

Ya got me! Chicken Sh!t?

[Liz]

What is amazing to savvy pols is the amateurish way in which Kerry has handled the SBC controversy. He and his team have been outmaneuvered by the SBV and the Bush team every time.

No surpise about the Bushies strategic sophistication, is it?


WashTimes reporter Bill Sammon wrote the book about Florida 2000 and quoted Gore as saying they were outlawyered at every turn by Bush as the event developed........that, of course, was James Baker's doing.

[TeleStraightShooter]

From what I gather from the book Unfit for Command
Kerry's commanding officer felt that after PH incident #3, it was in everyone's best interest that Kerry be shipped stateside.

[Victoria Delsoul]

I've been watching the evening news, and I haven't heard a word about this. How typical!

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

Read on...

JOHN KERRY = Enemy of Vietnam Vets

http://www.TheAlamoFILM.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1320

.

[Smartass]

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

Should also include Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA)in the request.

[happyme]

Can't get anything done walking backwards. Then again never saw Skerry do anything going forwards.

[OrioleFan]

In O'Reilly's mind, by expressing that in an e-mail, he considers YOU to be a right-wing kook.

I'm sure he does, and I don't care, because the information is out there, and he refuses to be objective.

[onyx]

The Swiftie guy, O'Neill is no dope.
He's amazing.
I watched him cream Alan Colmes a few minutes ago.

[Che Chihuahua]

You're right about the Hague. But I am still po'd at the prospect of the toy war hero running this country.

[Che Chihuahua]

You're right on all counts Sarge, I just get carried away with frustration that the left seems to get away with murder (e.g., Teddy "Lady Killer" Kennedy).

[Che Chihuahua]

Okay I'll concede that to you. Maybe history will be a better judge of these two slime balls.

[Pharmboy]

X42 did more damage to the demonrats than anyone ever could have thought. Y'see, as an "unusually good liar," x42 let the donkeys think that they could all lie easily and well, and even if they didn't do too well, the media would protect them.

No such luck (they didn't count on the increased potency of the Internet and talk radio). Pity.

[FreeAtlanta]

I love it!..... very nice;

Loser

Winner

[Libloather]

...NEVER FORGET...

The swift boat vets wrote a book about it...

[hershey]

The thing that hits you right between the eyes is that he fled the scene and only returned when there was no sign of firing. Despite the purple prose he wrote up to get himself a medal, common sense and deductive reasoning paints a very different scenario of what went down that day. The Swifties tell the truth. Kerry is a yellow bellied coward and a liar. Why don't Matthews and O'Reilly delicately pick away at this point? How many lies is Kerry allowed, how many flip flops, rich and dumb wives, the abysmal senate record, lies about medical records, military records, smears against Viet vets, God, the list is endless. Hill would almost be a relief. Speaking of which, at what point do the RATs give Kerry the hook and crown Hill Queen of the Universe?

[JLO]

Before I even peeked, I bet myself a $100.00 bill that headline wouldn't be slugged (AP) or (Reuters).

I won the bet.

Damn, I'm getting good at this.
===

YES you are, for sure! LOL It's still a good place for folks to find out about stuff, eh? Especially 'news' folks to find the truth.

Believe me, they check this place out. Seriously...they do. Smart ones do, anyway.

[potlatch]

Just in case you haven't seen this!

[stylin19a]

KERRY CAMPAIGN BACKTRACKS ON FIRST PURPLE HEART AWARD

SEN. KERRY HAS NOT BACKTRACKED !

It will never come out of his mouth in public.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!