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

[Nov3]

This document lists a "corrected" separation date of 03/01/70. Given his "post separation" activities what was the original separation date?

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks for the links!

I saved this to my Kerry Folder (from your 1st link):

http://www.johnkerry.com/pdf/jkmilservice/Silver_Star.pdf

And here is the text from your second one:

28 FEB 1969 Bay Hap River
Three PCFs were traveling up the Bay Hap River with 70 South Vietnamese Militia investigating an area where the boats were ambushed the previous night. During the patrol, the boats came under heavy fire from the shore. Kerry, serving as the Officer in Tactical Command of the mission, ordered the units to turn toward the fire and beach. As the boats approached shore, more than 20 Viet Cong troops stood up and ran. They were quickly overrun when the Marines troops reached the shore. While the Militia searched the area, PCFs 23 and 94 left to investigate another site where an Army advisor reported gunshots. Returning from the site, a B-40 rocket exploded close to PCF94, blowing out one of the windows. Kerry again ordered the units to turn into the fire and charge the ambush site. PCF 94 landed in the center of ambush and a man jumped up holding a B-40 rocket launcher and started to run. The forward M-60 gunner on PCF94 wounded him in the leg as Kerry jumped off the boat and chased him inland behind a hooch and shot him. Marines swept the area, and received fire from snipers and small arms that was suppressed with the assistance of mortars and gunfire from the swiftboats. The landing parties found vast stores of rice, ammunition and clothing. The boats were fired on one additional time as they were heading back down the river. The site of the second ambush was believed to be a major Viet Cong supply point. Kerry received the Silver Star for this operation.

[Mike Fieschko]

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

I don't know when Lehman issued the replacement citation except that he issued it while SecNav, and Lehman was SecNav before and after Kerry became a Senator.

A minor point, perhaps, but we can't say that Lehman issued the replacement citation while Kerry was a Senator until we have a date on the replacement citation.

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?"

Whoa ... hold on.

The original post. I was focusing on the adjective. Why add 'powerful'?

I thought you were implying something about Kerry and Lehman. I was mistaken, I apologize. You were implying something about getting a Navy underling.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Sanders could have done it...gotten the Lehman signature.

Very good....

[Lancey Howard]

Hey Grampa,

Check out this post and this thread:

"Sanders' connection with Kerry dates back to before when the two served in Vietnam. Sanders and David Thorn, Kerry's brother-in-law, were shipmates and shared an apartment in Belmont Shore, where Kerry "became a resident of our couch," according to Sanders. Through the years, Sanders said he and Kerry have remained friends. Sanders, who was a former deputy assistant secretary of the Navy, has been campaigning for Kerry across the country. He has also been critical of Bush on veterans' issues for many years."

[Cboldt]

Really? Then, how do you explain this:
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...."

It's boilerplate language. The descriptions of Kerry's action "in battle" are the same.

The only reason I am expressing my opinion on this matter is that I don't like to see well-meaning folks go off half-cocked, and/or tilt at windmills.

[Polybius]

Among other things, Kerry burnishes his Vietnam Service medal by adding four bronze service stars to reflect various campaigns. This was done in March 2001!!! Why anyone would go through that effort to make some meaningless changes is beyond me.

The Navy has also said that four campaign stars is also a falsification as Kerry is only entitled to two campaign stars.

The reason a politician would make those changes is to impress the liberal media and the uninformed voter.

When liberal reporters or uninformed voters read, "Silver Star with Combat V" on Kerry's capaign web page they think, "Wow! What a war hero!!"

When informed voters with military experience read, "Silver Star with Combat V" on Kerry's capaign web page they think, "Wait a minute! There is no such award!?!?"

[eno_]

I'm sure that Hugh, Sean and Rush will be discussing this next week. So even if the MSM spikes this story, it will have legs.

YES! We are back to the essence of what makes it fun to be a Republican. The MSM in denial, and Rush hammering on a story that the MSM leaves to him, while they get all angsty about not supporting the Party of the Left enough. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

[ride the whirlwind]

This is the kind of meat and potatoes information that will be JfnK's ultimate undoing. Developing............

[Robert A Cook PE]

I gee..........

THIS I never expected!

HHHHmmmmmn.

Could "this" be the "October surprise" that HIllary has been waiting for to replace Kerry?

[RS]

"I don't think he'll be able to avoid signing the Form 180..."

I don't thin he could ever sign it - he knows that it will be gone over with a microscoppe and everything he's done will come rolling out... His only hope is that Bush screws up really bad and it wouldn't matter...

[Momto2]

Excuse me - but are you saying that you see NO DIFFERENCE in these two citations????

First citation (as per Hyland), final comments:


The extraordinary daring and personal courage of Lieutenant (Junior Grade) KERRY in attacking a numerical superior force in the face of intense fire were responsible for the highly successful mission. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Second (Lehman) citation, final comments:


The extraordinary daring and personal courage of Lieutenant (Junior Grade) KERRY in attacking a numerical superior force in the face of intense fire were responsible for the highly successful mission. By his brave action, bold initiative, and unwavering devotion to duty, Lieutenant (jg) Kerry reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Even my little coffee deprived mind and read these ADDITIONS:
1.Brave action
2. Bold initiative
3. Unwavering devotion to duty
4. K. reflected GREAT CREDIT upon HIMSELF

Do you not agree???

[Robert A Cook PE]

I have paper copies of all three "original" pdf files.

[meatloaf]

Looks like Brinkley bailed!

[been_lurking]

Eveolution of administrative procedures.

Have you ever written a military citation? I have. The military procedures, the number of reviews, the number of edits and rewrites, just to get the final citation approved is a royal pain-in-the-ass.

The military is not going to issue a "revised" citation as a "replacement". It's just not done. Certified copies of the original from the service jacket are the norm.

There is something extremely smelly here. IMO your credibility is at greater risk by ignoring the obvious discrepancies in this whole matter.

[kabar]

And, as has been stated earlier, Kerry was only eligible for two of those four Bronze service stars during his tour of duty.

Kerry earned all four: two on the Gridley and two on Swift Boats.

[eno_]

In any case, the Lehman citation was the third given for the same decoration, with different language from the other two, which I understand is quite unusual.

Yessir! And the other shoe is that citation #1 IS NOT on Kerry's Web site. Kerry just painted a big bullseye on this: There is an excellent chance that citation #1 is a work of Kerryfiction ripped from his exciting memoirs, just like that trip to Cambodia.

[jpsb]

Replacement? Ok, thanks that helps clear things up a bit.

[Cooter]

4 bronze stars - one for each month.

[kabar]

LOL