[Tamzee]

I don't know if this will help... kathy4500 put together a great list of Kerry's "heroic" (cough) activities while in Vietnam from items at his site and I bookmarked it because it looked like a terrific resource.

===

Kerry's Chronology

2/18/66 Applied for and accepted to the Naval Reserves
8/19/66 Entered service as E-4 (enlisted)
fall 1966 went to Officer Candidate School
11/17/66 Assigned to Gridley when in OCS. Was assigned as Public Affairs Officer. Was Officer in Charge only when ship was in port (for shore leave, not moving)
12/16/66 Out of OCS
Most of the fitness reports in the released docs on his website are for his OCS classes and how articulate and multi language he was on the Gridley creating press releases.
7/17/67 Awarded Natl svc medal.
10/31/68 Report date to Cam ranh bay for Swift boat duty
11/17/68 Reported for Swift boat duty
12/2/68 First Kerry wound
12/3/68 Sick call report
12/6/68 Begin Task Force SB 115
2/20/69 Second Kerry wound
2/28/69 PH #1 application for action Dec 2, 68
2/28/69 Action for Silver Star, beached boat, shot one VC
3/5/69 PH #2 application for action Feb 20, 69
3/13/69 Action leading to Bronze Star, Rassman rescue, injured arm. Self reported.
3/13/69 Third Kerry wound
3/17/69 Thrice wounded request
3/20/69 Left Saigon
3/31/69 End Task Force SB 115
4/7/69 PH #3 application for action Mar 13, 69
6/24/69 Travel to New Orleans
8/1/69 Travel to Goose Bay, Greenland, etc.
8/1/69 Award PH#1
8/12/69 Award PH#2
8/12/69 Award PH#3
8/21/69 Travel to Balboa, Canal Zone
11/24/69 Request for early release from Active Duty
1/1/70 Promote to Lieutenant
1/2/70 Released from active duty-Xfr to active reserve
7/1/72 XFr to Standby Reserve
2/16/78 Discharged

All dates are from the records that are posted on Kerry's website. Accuracy of dates may vary due to marginal legibility of the documents.

PH#1 Action to Application = 88 days
Application to Award = 153 days
PH#2 Action to Application = 13 days
Application to Award = 148 days
PH#3 Action to Application = 25 days Action to thrice wounded application = 4 days
Application to Award = 128 days

NOTES:
1. His anti-war testimony days need to be added. He was still under service oath.
2. It took him 88 days to figure out how to get the first PH.
3. He filed the thrice wounded application 4 days after the third wound and did not apply for the PH until 21 days later, at which time he was gone.

[AndrewC]

Interesting. Where did you get the information on the timing of the PH applications?

[christie]

Thanks for the list. Distinguishing between Kerry's stories and reality is what makes this a bit difficult. Maybe I need to do a two column chart with Kerry's version on one side and everyone else's on the other.

[jackbill]

I have a question about your dates for the Purple Hearts. From Kerry's web site, the PH Citations (which I understand to be the awarding of the PH's) are dated on the dates that you call Application.

Then you have August 1969 dates for the actual Awards. He was long gone from Nam by that time.

Why the confusion?

[oldngray]

This is of great interest... hadn't noticed this time span before. In 18 days he went from his first fradulent claim for a PH to a request to leave Vietnam because of being thrice wounded.

2/28/69 PH #1 application for action Dec 2, 68
2/28/69 Action for Silver Star, beached boat, shot one VC
3/5/69 PH #2 application for action Feb 20, 69
3/13/69 Action leading to Bronze Star, Rassman rescue, injured arm. Self reported.
3/13/69 Third Kerry wound
3/17/69 Thrice wounded request
3/20/69 Left Saigon

With regard to the "Vietnam tour" aboard the USS Gridley...
The only way to properly determine this is to check the official records of the dates (if any) for which crewmembers of the Gridley are authorized to wear the Vietnam Service Medal. I personally question the wearing of four "battle stars" which appear on sKerry's ribbon in his pictures.