Posted on 08/27/2004 4:41:58 AM PDT by kristinn
In the midst of the controversy between the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and Kerry campaign representatives about Kerry's service in Vietnam, new questions have arisen.
The Kerry campaign has repeatedly stated that the official naval records prove the truth of Kerry's assertions about his service.
But the official records on Kerry's Web site only add to the confusion. The DD214 form, an official Defense Department document summarizing Kerry's military career posted on johnkerry.com, includes a "Silver Star with combat V."
But according to a U.S. Navy spokesman, "Kerry's record is incorrect. The Navy has never issued a 'combat V' to anyone for a Silver Star."
Naval regulations do not allow for the use of a "combat V" for the Silver Star, the third-highest decoration the Navy awards. None of the other services has ever granted a Silver Star "combat V," either.
Fake claims not uncommon
B.G. Burkett, a Vietnam veteran himself, received the highest award the Army gives to a civilian, the Distinguished Civilian Service Award, for his book Stolen Valor. Burkett pored through thousands of military service records, uncovering phony claims of awards and fake claims of military service. "I've run across several claims for Silver Stars with combat V's, but they were all in fake records," he said.
Burkett recently filed a complaint that led last month to the sentencing of Navy Capt. Roger D. Edwards to 115 days in the brig for falsification of his records.
Kerry's Web site also lists two different citations for the Silver Star. One was issued by the commander in chief of the Pacific Command (CINCPAC), Adm. John Hyland. The other, issued by Secretary of the Navy John Lehman during the Reagan administration, contained some revisions and additional language. "By his brave actions, bold initiative, and unwavering devotion to duty, Lieutenant (j.g.) Kerry reflected great credit upon himself... ."
One award, three citations
But a third citation exists that appears to be the earliest. And it is not on the Kerry campaign Web site. It was issued by Vice Adm. Elmo Zumwalt, commander of U.S. naval forces in Vietnam. This citation lacks the language in the Hyland citation or that added by the Lehman version, but includes another 170 words in a detailed description of Kerry's attack on a Viet Cong ambush, his killing of an enemy soldier carrying a loaded rocket launcher, as well as military equipment captured and a body count of dead enemy.
Maj. Anthony Milavic, a retired Marine Vietnam veteran, calls the issuance of three citations for the same medal "bizarre." Milavic hosts Milinet, an Internet forum popular with the military community that is intended "to provide a forum in military/political affairs."
Normally in the case of a lost citation, Milavec points out, the awardee simply asked for a copy to be sent to him from his service personnel records office where it remains on file. "I have never heard of multi-citations from three different people for the same medal award," he said. Nor has Burkett: "It is even stranger to have three different descriptions of the awardee's conduct in the citations for the same award."
So far, there are also two varying citations for Kerry's Bronze Star, one by Zumwalt and the other by Lehman as secretary of the Navy, both posted on johnkerry.com.
Kerry's Web site also carries a DD215 form revising his DD214, issued March 12, 2001, which adds four bronze campaign stars to his Vietnam service medal. The campaign stars are issued for participation in any of the 17 Department of Defense named campaigns that extended from 1962 to the cease-fire in 1973.
However, according to the Navy spokesman, Kerry should only have two campaign stars: one for "Counteroffensive, Phase VI," and one for "Tet69, Counteroffensive."
94 pages of records unreleased?
Reporting by the Washington Post's Michael Dobbs points out that although the Kerry campaign insists that it has released Kerry's full military records, the Post was only able to get six pages of records under its Freedom of Information Act request out of the "at least a hundred pages" a Naval Personnel Office spokesman called the "full file."
What could that more than 100 pages contain? Questions have been raised about President Bush's drill attendance in the reserves, but Bush received his honorable discharge on schedule. Kerry, who should have been discharged from the Navy about the same time -- July 1, 1972 -- wasn't given the discharge he has on his campaign Web site until July 13, 1978. What delayed the discharge for six years? This raises serious questions about Kerry's performance while in the reserves that are far more potentially damaging than those raised against Bush.
Experts point out that even the official military records get screwed up. Milavic is trying to get mistakes in his own DD214 file corrected. In his opinion, "these entries are not prima facie evidence of lying or unethical behavior on the part of Kerry or anyone else with screwed-up DD214s."
Burkett, who has spent years working with the FBI, Department of Justice and all of the military services uncovering fraudulent files in the official records, is less charitable: "The multiple citations and variations in the official record are reason for suspicion in itself, even disregarding the current swift boat veterans' controversy."
Holy cow! He just doesn't get it,does he?
Exactly. If only he'd take the honorable way out...
Non of the left from Kerry down to their scum in the inner cities gets it any more.
They think that their lies and arrogance will elect Kerry in spite of his lies and arrogance.
This is good as their political world which was based on the Anti America bs of the 1960/70's is losing its wheels each day thanks to the Swift Vets and the internet.
They are like dangerous predators who have been wounded and have no other skills than snarl and act tough. We are no longer scared of them, and we are exposing them to the Holy Water, the Truth.
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JOHN KERRY = Enemy of Vietnam Vets
http://www.TheAlamoFILM.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1320
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If only there had been FNC and FR in the '60s,we would have been spared what the damned Dems and foul hippies brought down on this nation.
ROFLMAO****
I'm going to be busy putting my computer together in a new huge case this weekend, but it won't be a CRAY!
Great site thanks for the link.
IIRC, when things started "dissapearing" off kerrys' website,
a few freepers went "back in computer time" to a couple of sites that have information posted on it that a site might have changed or deleted, and SAVED it so FR could use it if needed......HELP ??...does anybody know if any freepers have the site saved before the "deletions"???
"If only there had been FNC and FR in the '60s,we would have been spared what the damned Dems and foul hippies brought down on this nation."
Even in the 1990's we lost because we could not get the truth out to defeat the Clintoons, Perorats.
Then we had no impact on the China gate stuff that got swept under the carpet. The final blow was the Monica mess where Bubba Clintoon skated away from impeachment.
Now that arrogant bs will not work.
Is this guy galling or what?
We save quite a bit when the Sandy Berglar stuff hit the press and we refused to let it die down. They eliminated a lot of the stuff re Dox in Sox and later their link with Joe Wilson. Those were saved.
A young and very conservative relative, who is in the computer software aspect, has said that before this election is over. The Kerry site may end up with only a donation page and some generic defeat Bush statement.
If you have any funds install a separate hard disk just to store Kerry BS before it is deleted.
Well I went there earlier today, and it's ALMOST to that point.....NO MEDAL PHOTO'S, and "after-action-reports" and "time lines", are from Feb,and March 69......THAT's IT !!
We just can NOT allow Kerry to win,nor the MSM to keep covering up for his lies.
You can tap into this via mail order at WWW.Outpost.com....
Watch the Foxnews Website, and or watch for the 9 pm replay.
Thanks for the feedback.
You have just visit the Kerry non site. It is like a visit to the Twilight Zone.
We have to use the talents, time and treasure that God has loaned us to defeat the vile Kerry.
If not, we can kiss America goodbye!
We are going out to dinner with two other conservative couples to keep the terrible economy rolling. So I will not be able to see it.
BTTT
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