Posted on 08/27/2004 7:26:26 AM PDT by Vortex
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.
(Excerpt) Read more at suntimes.com ...
I've always laughed at their "official Navy records" talking point. Kerry wrote reports and they are "official Navy records." What a joke!
Thomas Liscomb again. nice.
Plot thickens after checking records
August 27, 2004 BY THOMAS LIPSCOMB 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." Thomas Lipscomb is chairman of the Center for the Digital Future in New York. |
DELETE THIS IS NOT OK TO POST...
This was being discussed on FR a few days ago. Sounds like it was also being discussed on Milnet. Nice to see it getting bigger play. The fact that Drudge has it should propell it at least to Fox News. As far as the rest of the MSM, the only chance is if one of ours gets a chance to mention it on a talking head show.
Hope the Navy makes him give back the Silver Star, and starts an investigation into it.
Title: "Randog is Wonderful"
Author: Randog
I read the book "Randog is Wonderful" over the summer break. Don't bother looking for it--you can't find it in libraries or bookstores. But trust me, it exists and is a wonderful book. Randog truly is wonderful, and the book proves it.
Many FReepers are requesting this EXPOSE KERRY'S FRAUD SWIFT BOAT VETERANS FOR TRUTH sticker.
They are being made by a disabled vet FReeper who has a bone to pick with Kerry, like we all do!
Large $20 (24" Wide 12" Tall) like mine
Small $10 (12" Wide 6" Tall)
Profits go to SwiftVets.com
FReep mail for details.
Kerry probably wrote most of the "Records" himself. That's why we'll never see the other 94 pages.
Kerry's military record and his antiwar actions are just like manure, the more you dig into them the more it stinks!
The clown is a lying treasonous fraud and that's the bottom line!
And anyone who votes for him is an IDIOT!
Semper Fi,
Kelly
Maybe they are tearing down Leavenworth too early
What is interesting is that not one of these fools could name the vice-President, or even accurately get the name right of the democratic nominee.
God help this country.
This is a great article BUMP
The interesting question is not whether every detail of the records is correct, but whether they were based on Kerry's action reports, and whether the puffery in the citations is the result of Kerry inserting details that didn't happen.
Kerry might as well give a speach when he sees a rifleman in the balcony, he then could steal a baby from a Mother to protect himself from gunfire. This is what a Pres. candidate did in the novie The Dead Zone (Christopher Walken), but he is just as finsished.
Thanks for your post.
Five minutes ago, I went to johnkerry.com and looked at kerry's DD214. It says: Silver star WITH V !!
His DD215 to "correct" his DD214, does not "correct" the silver star with "V" mistake, which kerry could have and SHOULD HAVE at the time of his DD215 filing.....
...instead it says: subtract the VN service medal,....ADD VN service medal WITH 4 BRONZE STARS....
....geez....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
