Posted on 08/28/2004 7:30:49 AM PDT by 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
Yes. His legs are his own. He did not steal them from a Jaybird.
Does there have to be some kind of after action report to apply for a purple heart?
Boy, I hope you're right. There goes the "Bush was AWOL" argument out the window! LOL.
Could mean forgery, it could also mean that Lehman has a signature stamp and a staffer used it.
Let's not jump to conclusions.
I've been looking for "the manual" on this, but so far come up empty handed. Senators may get "special favors," too -- not that it's right. As for embellishment, the language that describes Kerry's action that day is unchanged. The laudatory language (sentence or two) at the conclusion of the Lehman-signed Silver Star citation letter is similar to many other Silver Star citation letters prepared for Vietnam era veterans.
http://www.securenet.net/3rdbn5th/valor.htm <-- Real heros
John F'n Kerry ~ caught lying again ~ must be GWB's fault ~ Bump!
PING
Words may pin a
medal rap on Kerry --http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/story/226243p-194342c.html
Off Topic a bit .. but if you look down the pictures you'll see a pic of Kerry with the Clintons
http://www.usvtc.org/People/Clinton/clinton_photos2.htm
This would seem to be a hugh story. Why are we not hearing this on the news?
The guy that "signed" Kerry's Silver Star citation says he never saw it!!! The language in the citation has been changed!!!
What is up with this?
bttt
Sorry: I may have already answered this reply of yours in passing by including you in another post. I'll answer it directly here.
It is my understanding that sKerry decided to get some kind of replacement copy of these citations so he could display these on the wall. I would assume that he claimed they had been lost. Now, we see that not only had they not truly been lost, but that the replacement citation has been altered.
In fact, not only has it been altered, but it has been altered in a way that is NOT clearly the intent of the writer. (I spent some time composing such citations when I was squadron exec officer - I agonized over every word I recommended to my commander for these things)
Your placing in front of us, Post#496, shows that there are clear "boilerplate-type" examples people who write these things typically use, and all of us who have done so were familiar with. Certain phrases were specifically EXCLUDED from sKerry's cite. If you read these and compare to sKerry's, you are clearly left with an impression that something was left out of the final sentence of sKerry's citation - it was a minimal impact statement.
I know you may not believe it, but I think that was very clearly intentional on the part of the original author. Whoever altered this from the very bland "his actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the US Naval Service" (I think was same sentence with Bronze, by the way) to the far more powerful: "By his brave action, bold initiative and unwavering devotion to duty Lieutenant Kerry reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the US Naval Service" knew exactly what they were doing.
That materially alters the document, and its emotional impact.
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The bronze stars in this case are devices meaning;
The BRONZE SERVICE STAR, smaller in size than the Gold Star, is worn to indicate participation in campaigns or operations, multiple qualification, or an additional award of the same medal or ribbon.
http://www.homeofheroes.com/medals/ribbons/1_devices.html
But he didn't lose them. Kerry's website posted them, so he still has the earlier versions. Maybe he reported them lost, but....well, another lie.
Note: Just to be accurate, Kerry's website posted two citations for the Bronze and two for the Silver. They did NOT post the earliest known Silver citation...the one signed by Zumwalt. We found that one at findlaw.com. And its language is significantly different from the two versions posted by Kerry.
Your post was also exquisite and a pleasure to read! Thanks!
drip .. drip.... drip..... drip..... drip...
Heheheh. He didn't lose the medals either. He threw them away on purpose.
They did NOT post the earliest known Silver citation...the one signed by Zumwalt. We found that one at findlaw.com. And its language is significantly different from the two versions posted by Kerry.
Yes, that one runs more than one page (against regulations) and contains a description of events that day that is helpful to reconstruct history. Elliott, who signed off on the Silver Star, says he would NOT have done so, if Kerry's after action report recited only the same events that are recited in Kerry's book, "Tour of Duty."
(darn, i knew i should have looked for a further comment from you before hitting post... grr...)
I again must emphasise: sKerry apparently got these "replacements" not just for his private scrapbook, but for a very public wall hanging in his office. By this time, he likely REALIZED there was a difference between the cite for his SS, and the typical cite for an SS, and it seems possible that he sought to alter that situation somehow.
And I'll reiterate what I said, I absolutely AGONIZED over wordings for things like this. It often took me a week of revisions, by the time all was said and done, having gone back over and over again to the outbasket and reworking phrasings. By the time it was done, though, these documents said exactly what my commander, and I, wanted to state, and in the way we wanted to state them.
.
The only conclusion is that Kerry padded the citation and got some Navy underling to get is signed via autopen.
I remember that John Lehman was a real workaholic back then. I doubt he had anything to do with this except to maybe nod yes to some underling without understanding what scheme John Kerry had hatched.
I just call them "MediaCrats".
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