Kerry citation a 'total mystery' to ex-Navy chief (John Lehman)

Sun Times ^ | August 28, 2004 | Thomas Lipscomb

[Grampa Dave]

Kerry citation a 'total mystery' to ex-Navy chief

August 28, 2004

BY THOMAS LIPSCOMB

Former Navy Secretary John Lehman has no idea where a Silver Star citation displayed on Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's campaign Web site came from, he said Friday. The citation appears over Lehman's signature.

"It is a total mystery to me. I never saw it. I never signed it. I never approved it. And the additional language it contains was not written by me," he said.

The additional language varied from the two previous citations, signed first by Adm. Elmo Zumwalt and then Adm. John Hyland, which themselves differ. The new material added in the Lehman citation reads in part: "By his brave actions, bold initiative, and unwavering devotion to duty, Lieutenant (jg) Kerry reflected great credit upon himself...."

Asked how the citation could have been executed over his signature without his knowledge, Lehman said: "I have no idea. I can only imagine they were signed by an autopen." The autopen is a device often used in the routine execution of executive documents in government.

Kerry senior adviser Michael Meehan could not be reached for comment on Kerry's records.

Thomas Lipscomb is chairman of the Center for the Digital Future in New York

[kabar]

Those are boilerplate differences. No substance in them covers the action that lead to the award.

Agree as I indicated, but why was the Lehman signed Bronze Star citation identical to Zumwalts and the last sentence on the Silver Star citation cahnged from the Hyland version? Rather odd, don't you think?

[Bahbah]

Whoa, Nelly. So the completely fake citation wasn't laudatory enough. He had to concoct and even better one. When Kerry and surrogates started yelling all over the place about "them" questioning his patriotism, I kept looking around and it just wasn't happening, so I wondered. Now it's pretty clear that he knew his patriotism was (and is) very questionable, and it was nothing more than a cheap trick to try and innoculate himself against the TRUTH. Thank you, Swifties, again and again. You too, hm, for the ping.

[foreshadowed at waco]

I saw this Lipscomb guy on TV last night--Scarborough maybe--he was terrific--he has been doing some real investigative journalism under the radar and deserves our respect.

[jpsb]

Yea, what's up, 3 citations? What's up with that? Is someone trying to rewrite history?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Who else would have PH3 on his license plates?

Tells where he lives doesn't it.....he has built a facade to buttress his case for always taking over the Oval Office....

Talk about leaving a LEGACY .... this guy makes Clinton look like a piker in his intense preparation to achieve HIS goal....forget about any of his concerns in serving the people.

I wonder, does he kiss the babies only while campaigning?

[SkyPilot]

Lehman was SecNav 1981 to 1987, I believe, and Kerry wasn't in the Senate until 1984.

Correct--and the dates you yourself cited show that Lehman was SecNav while Kerry was a Senator. What is the dispute?

Unless all Senators are 'powerful Senators', a first term Senator ought not necessarily be called powerful.

Oh give me a break! There are only 100 of them in the entire United States! You do not believe a Senator, any Senator, can be classified by the term "powerful?" Being a "junior" Senator makes little difference in this case. Any Senator has enormous clout, power, and privilege.

[kabar]

Good point. Perhaps, Kerry didn't want any attention on what he was doing because it would raise questions given the fact that he stated in 1971 that he threw away his medals.

[Bushiefan]

I, too, wondered and wondered. Finally decided it means Main Stream Media.

[independentmind]

If he just asked for replacement citations, then it says something about Kerry's character and mental stablility.

I am beginning to have some serious questions about the latter.

Earlier this morning, I spent some time reading the transcript of David Limbaugh's interview with O'Neill. I was struck by O'Neill's tale about Kerry's theatrics in front of the camera, which several of his crewmates found odd.

About a month ago, another poster on FR who was discussing Kerry's rumored dalliances with Hollywood starlets, posted something similar. Apparently the gossip is that Kerry had an odd penchant for watching himself in the mirror while otherwise occupied in bed.

[martin_fierro]

"It is a total mystery to me. I saw it before I never saw it. I signed it before I never signed it. I approved it before I never approved it. And the additional language it contains was written by me ... before it wasn't..."

[been_lurking]

Why would he need a replacement citation if the original Silver Star citation is on record and available for comparison?

Why would anything, even "boilerplate" language, be changed in the replacement citation?

There is something very "smelly" here, but apparently you have become accustomed to the odor.

[Mo1]

Hmmmmmm...I just saw Lehman the other morning(I think Fox & Friends) say that he signed the papers authorizing the replacement medals/ribbons for Kerry...which were *lost*....(someone should look on the WH lawn)

OK then .. why is this article reporting something different??

[crude77]

bump

[MeekOneGOP]

That's really corny!:^)

hehe! :^D

[hoosiermama]

He's so in the habit of lying and manipulating I wonder if John Fraud Kerry even knows what is true and what is false.
God help us if he get elected.

[Travis McGee]

In the 1960s and through the 1980s Navy admin ran on triplicated standard forms. The forms were kept in the custody of Navy enlisted yeomen and personellmane (YNs and PNs). This was pre-computer, folks! The way the system worked was that orders, evaluations, citations etc were typed on these standard forms, and signed by commanding officers or other authorized signers.

The copies of the filled-out and signed form were sent by Navy internal mail to other commands and up the chain of command for review and action. Eventually, citations became part of your permanent record, after review by the appropriate higher authorities.

This is where Kerry's personal typewriter may have been very very handy in Viet Nam.

I wonder if he put himself in for his first PH, which went in again after being denied, months later?

I have an example of misuse of bogus Navy forms: I knew a very clever Navy enlisted man during my time in SEAL team in the 1980s. He was assigned to the West Coast SEALs, and didn't want to get an apartment or live in the barracks during 5 or 6 months he would be in San DIego between cruises. He filched a Navy standard form for "orders" assigning him to the Navy Marine Mammal detatchment in San Diego. He made up a bogus name, "Ensign Smith" or whatever. He presented the bogus "orders" to the night staff at the Bachelor Officers' Quarters in San Diego, and was assigned a room. He lived there for 6 months, just keeping a low profile, coming and going in PT gear or civvies.

That's just one example of how Navy standard forms could be misused. I have also heard of "imposters" joining ships' companies by presenting bogus "orders" they created. Some were very gifted nutcases who just wanted to be in the Navy, but for whatever reason couldn't join. By filching Navy standard forms, and filling them out correctly, they were able to jump into the system, as it were. In time they'd get caught because other records didn't exist.

In Kerry's case, he may have "created" some of his own after action reports and valor citations, with his personal typewriter, and misappropriated Navy standard forms.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

MilitantSocialistMedia

I like that one!

[Nov3]

Reread the article. This isn't a replacement citation. There is added strong language praising Kerry.

[garyhope]

Also see "SLIMES"

[Semper Paratus]

I thought everybody went to journalism scholl wanting to be the next Woodward/Bernstein. Kerry's medalgate is too target rich to pass up.