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."
Got to put this to bed.
The Silver Star is an award for valor. It does not require a "V Device". It is NEVER issued "V Device".
The "V Device" is used in conjunction with other awards (such as the Bronze Star or Air Medal) that can be given either for Valor or Meritorious Achievement.
In those cases where an award can be given for either valor or meritorious achievement, the "V Device" is issued with the valorous award to distinguish it from the meritorious achievement award.
BTW, for those who my not be familiar with one, it is called a "V Device" because the recipient is enabled to attach a "V" to the ribbon or medal when worn.
Yep.
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.
Kerry didn't bother to attend any reserve meetings once he got back from Vietnam. Almost two years of no shows. If his military records get released, his ass is in a sling.
Terrific article, kristinn. But the source link doesn't display the original.
It's the Kerry campaign trying to breathe.
(Northern) NJ FREEPERS
If you live anywhere near Wayne (Passaic County) and you have not yet been able to find a copy of the "Unfit for Command" book...go to the Wayne Hills Mall (fka "Meyer Brothers Mall"). There is a Waldon Books store there that has a bunch of copies of this book. I bought mine tonight ($27.00).
Tom Lipscomb was a very active Freeper who left these boards about 3 years ago. He was at the March for Justice. He is also a relative of George Washington.
Obviously the officer's name was not John Kerry.
Kerry does, and Kerry stands silent while his minions wave his alleged heroism for the public to see. Kerry does not display the humility that heroes naturally possess. Kerry does not demand that those who speak in his name cease and desist from slandering those who served honorably and with esprit d'corp.
Kerry is a hollow man.
Kerry is "all hat, no cattle".
Thanks for the info.
From what I've read about SKerry it isn't his lies, his duplicity, his liberalism or communist leanings. What scare the heck out of me is his sheer stupidity.
The latest Dem attack is to
(a) shift the converstion to Bush and his "dodging" with his national guard service, and
(b) accuse the accuser of questioning ALL medal recipients and suggesting that they need to be looked at too.
IOW
(a) Bush wasnt even IN Viet Nam, so you should talk (false argument) and
(b) IF Kerry's medals arent legit, neither are a lot of others, because (all together now) EVERYBODY DID IT (the age old Clinton/Democrat response when they have no response).
The easy counter-response is
(a) who first brought up Kerry's military record and why? and
(b) who first brought up Bush's military record and why?
The who is the same, and the why tells you alot about their motives.
If they keep dragging out the failed counter-arguments about Bush missing guard service, these new Kerry revelations will not only bite them in the @$$, it will eat their @$$ !
BUMP
With all that's come out(and still more to come out)on Kerry, what do you think GWB's chances are to win NJ? BTW, any thing new on your governor? Thanks.
I was going to say that this was questioned more than once on FR ...I was one of them
GW showed each and every paycheck, plus his superiors said he never was AWOL. But I heard a liberal RAT, Jim Brody, say on the radio, WRKO, last week, that Bush was drunk and AWOL. Then, a few days later, the charge had changed to cocaine use. Brody didn't claim that, I saw it somewhere else. They're so desperate, they're throwing everything at Bush but the kitchen sink. He hired a P.I. to dig up dirt on the Swifties. We can look forward to more of the same, only worse. Get the spotlight off Kerry, change the subject somehow. This won't work because the Swift Boat vets aren't running for President, and my God, if you hear them on the radio or see them on tv or their ad, the truth absolutely shines. You know what they say is what happened. No fancy Yale baloney...despite O'Neill's fantastic background at U.Texas -- first in his class,and clerking for the Supreme Court...every word clear as a bell. Every fact rings true. Against that, Kerry's an empty suit. Nothing but lies. Dragging Cleland and Rasmussen to Crawford the other day for that sleazy photo op was a loser idea. A ten year old could have come up with something better, but they say Kerry's running the show now, and if so, this is how his mind works.
To hell with the drip, drip, drip.....
I'm waiting for the jugular slash and splash....
Semper Fi
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