Former Secretary of the Navy weighs in on Kerry's Silver Star citation

Sun Times ^ | 28 Aug 04

[Zechariah11]

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

[rwfromkansas]

Why doesn't Kerry just say this then?

I will say that a couple weeks ago, Lehman said Kerry asked for a replacement. Apparently, with his latest comments, he is not so sure if that is even true or he would have just said that instead of wondering who signed the docs.

[rwfromkansas]

Just a note: Lehman said a couple weeks ago he thought he just gave a replacement to Kerry.

Apparently, he has examined the record and is now not sure if even that is true.....hence his statement that he does not even know who signed the docs with his name (via autopen).

I considered this issue resolved a couple weeks ago with Lehman's original comments on this matter.

But, with his latest comments, this needs to be investigated further. The Kerry campaign refuses to discuss this matter, and I want to know why.

I guess I will have to call up Mr. Meehan (and leave a dozen messages a day if necessary to get a response).

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP

[Jordan Vandenberg]

Here's the link to his DD214. Get it before they re-falsify it (again)!

http://www.johnkerry.com/pdf/jkmilservice/DD214.pdf

[Jordan Vandenberg]

Sure isn't:

The Valor device is an award of the United States military which is authorized by the military services as an attachment to certain awards and decorations. Also known as the “V” device, the Valor device denotes those individuals who were awarded a decoration as a result of direct combat with an enemy force. It may also denote accomplishment of a heroic nature or valorous acts in direct support of operations against an enemy force.

The first Valor devices were authorized in 1944 as an attachment to the Bronze Star Medal. Since then, the Valor device is authorized to medals which are awarded both for combat and non-combat actions. This is to distinguish those who were awarded a decoration through combat, compared to those who were awarded a medal for support roles or meritorious service.

An example of medals which are authorized the Valor device are the Commendation Medals, Achievement Medals, Air Medal, and certain unit awards. Awards which are commonly bestowed for valor, such as the Medal of Honor and Silver Star are never awarded with the Valor device since valor is indicated by the award itself.

The Valor device is awarded as a single one time decoration only. A service member may not receive several Valor devices on the same decoration.

See also: Awards and decorations of the United States military

Lucy! You got some 'splainin' to do!

[Wolverine]

[Wolverine]

[kabar]

Hard to say. The signature scandel was first noiced by Moondoggie back in April. But its a printed stamp, not a signature. The real question is wheres Kerry's original one signed by John Chaffey?

Actually, I raised it. It is not about Secretary Chafee signing the citations. Hyland, CINCPAC , was the final approval authority for the Silver Star and Zumwalt was the final approval authority for the Bronze Star. Kerry requested replacement citations and maybe medals in the 1980s when Lehman was SECNAV (1981-87).

[Political Junkie Too]

Does this mean that Radar O'Reilly supports John Kerry? How else can a CO sign a document without knowing that he signed it?

-PJ

[Mo1]

Kerry asked for a replacement, and that's what he received.

Why ask for a replacement of the citation??

Why not just request a copy of the original??

And why are there 3 different documents??

[ppaul]

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/2/prweb103472.htm

  

  

John Kerry's "The New Soldier" -- Why Is This Book So Hard to Find?

John Kerry's "The New Soldier" -- Why Is This Book So Hard to Find?

Kerry supporters are willing to pay hundreds of dollars to get a copy of Kerry's hard-to-find book, The New Soldier. Some of those bidding on Ebay reveal why.

(PRWEB) -- An unusual thing is happening over at Ebay. One of John Kerry’s books, The New Soldier, received a bid of $355 and didn’t even meet its reserve price. Another copy of the book is up to $147.50 and the bidding isn't over.

It isn't common for the books of presidential contenders to be that expensive. Wesley Clark’s book, Winning Modern Wars, is also available on Ebay. One copy has an asking price of $15.00, another is going for $9.99. Kerry's other books are selling at similarly reasonable prices.

One of the potential buyers says she was drawn to bid on the book because she is a Vietnam vet and interested in Kerry's viewpoint.

Another of the bidders said he'd recently donated to the Kerry campaign because he believes Kerry is the man to beat Bush. “John Kerry and his friends were right to do what they did in Washington, D.C. back then. I think the acts discussed in the book show great insight at an early age and quite frankly I want to read the manuscript to make sure my assumptions are correct.”

But the reason why a former library book with no dust jacket and “slight wear" might fetch an asking price of over three hundred dollars is somewhat more complex.

The description in one of the Ebay listings reads, "Due to the controversial nature of the book, most copies were pulled off the shelves when Kerry decided to run for office making this book a rare find."

The seller of the first book stated that he is a Republican with an open mind and had got his copy signed at the Old Capitol mall in Iowa City when Kerry was campaigning there recently. But he had some reservations about the item he was selling. “I am a marine and do not care for the cover of the book,” he said. Because “what they are actually trying to do is mock the Iwo Jima flag raising done by the marines in the past.”

Iwo Jima is where nearly 7000 marines died in World War II. Six marines were forever immortalized in a photograph as they raised the American flag over the island. Only three of the six ever got to go home again.

The cover of "The New Soldier" features a group of long-haired men mimicking the famous photograph with an upside down flag.

We'll probably be seeing a lot more of this rare book in the coming months.

[ex-Texan]

Back in my days working for Morgan Stanley one of my co-workers was a genuine Vietnam War Hero. He had two Silver Stars. His commendations were proudly displayed on the wall with other awards for heroic conduct and two purple hearts.

His certificates contained no additonal language of any type describing his "exemplary heroic conduct."

It is now time for others that won the Sliver Star to step forward. Voters deserve to know the truth. My friend's combat citations were also extraordinary, because he won both medals for missions behind enemy lines less than 60 days apart. Also, he was a licensed psychologist, and worked with wounded servicemen on a voluntary basis and at the Veterans Hospital in Los Angeles.

Something is very fishy about John Kerry's Silver Star citation.

[lainde]

I'm sorry...It's 2am on the left coast...A day later and a dollar short...But this is definitely series HUGH!!!!! I've been wondering for WEEKS about Lehman's signature!

[BlessedBeGod]

Already posted in Breaking News unexcerpted:

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

[Bob from De]

Wade Sanders, a political friend of Kerry, who also contributed to Kerry's 1971 book, The New Soldier, later became an Asst. Sec. of the Navy. Page 67 of Unfit For Command deals with Mr. Sanders. Coincidence.....again, and again...!

[Chong]

Thanks for the detailed information on V device. Currently I'm holding my breath waiting for the media to mention this (sure).

[McGavin999]

Normally, when you request a copy of your citation, that's what you get....a copy. This one was not only re-issued, verbage was added to it.

[XJarhead]

Normally, when you request a copy of your citation, that's what you get....a copy.

No, you don't. Or rather, when you request that you be issued a citation to replace on that has been lost, stolen, or damaged, they don't simply give you a copy that was run off some machine. They will retype it on official parchment and re-issue it. I know because it happened to me.

My citation originally was printed on parchment with the divisional symbol as a type of color watermark. A "copy" of that doesn't look anything like the original because of the differences in the paper used. When mine was stolen along with my car, my dad wrote HQMC and got the original award reissued. And I'm quite sure the signing authority changed because it was a different Administration. In Kerry's case, I'd bet some clown used 60's-era boilerplate instead of 80's-era boilerplate when retyping the citation, and that probably explains the minor differences in language.

Presumably, the substantive part of the citation hasn't changed a lick, or I'd assume that would be the aspect of this story upon which everyone would be concentrating. But all that's changed is just the routine boilerplate, and the addition of the redundant "V" that some knucklehead probably thought was necessary since the text of the citation supported that it was a medal for valor.

By focusing on this type of thing, which is likely the product of a simple human screw-up, we are going to de-legitimize the other very valid criticisms of Kerry's record. We're overplaying our hand, and that's something that has come back to bite the Rats in the butt throughout this campaign season.

Let's just hammer him on that 1971 testimony. His comments about us not being entitled to insist that our POW's be treated in accordance with the Geneva Conventions is outrageous. The Cambodia stuff is odd as well because even his campaign can't weasel out of that one. But this excessive focus on the medals is going to start offending more swing voters than it persuades.

[Chieftain]

Tired of the DemocRATS 'smear the messenger and disrespect the veterans' campaign?

Do SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Do what Reagan did - GO AROUND THEM AND GO DIRECTLY TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!

Get your own "EXPOSE KERRY'S FRAUD SWIFT BOAT VETERANS FOR TRUTH" STICKER!

I put this sticker on my truck the other day. I get lots of honks and 'thumbs up'!

The sticker serves 3 purposes:
1 - Shows visible support for "Swift Boat Veterans For Truth" to passing motorists, (encourages our side discourages the libs).
2 - Gets the swiftvets.com website visible to the public, so they can and find out more about 'Hanoi John' Kerry.
3 - Circumvents the lamestream media BIAS filter!

Made by fellow FReeper disabled vet who has a bone to pick with Kerry, like we all do!
Large (24" Wide 12" Tall) $20 (like mine above)
Small (12" Wide 6" Tall) $10
Profits go to SwiftVets.com

Ping your FRiends, let 'em know about this!

FReep mail / private reply for details on how you can get one for your vehicle!