Posted on 08/30/2004 9:46:39 AM PDT by Tacis
I have reviewed the available documents related to Kerry’s military service. They all appear to have been posted on Kerry’s site and then reposted on an amazing number of other sites. Where they came from, I.e., Kerry’s personal home file or in response to a request (Form 180?) to the Navy or a combination, is unknown. My source is a hostile site, “awolbush.com”.
In an “Officer Candidate (OCS) Agreement between the United States of American, Department of the Navy and ...Kerry,” “The Obligor [Kerry] agrees to serve a total period of six years in the Naval Reserve of the United States Navy, including active and inactive duty.” This page has no date but contextually can effective in early 1966. Several other forms show “Normal Date of Expiration of Enlistment” to be “17 FEB 72.”
In late 1969, Kerry asks to be released from active duty to run for Congress. In a letter dated 2 January 1970, Kerry was released from active duty and specifically notified that his status was “member of the Naval Reserve on inactive duty.” In additional to some housekeeping issues, this letter says, “In the event that you plan travel or residence in foreign countries for a period in excess of 30 days, notice of intent will be submitted to the command having custody of your service record.”
There are no official documents available indicating Kerry plan foreign travel in excess of 30 days. This could mean that he didn’t travel (we do know he was in Paris helping the Viet Cong), he traveled but didn’t comply with orders, or he traveled and complied with orders but is concealing the documents.
There is no document that explains why Kerry wasn’t discharged effective Feb, 72, how/why his period of enlistment was extended or what happened from 1972 to 1978. In a letter dated Feb 16 1978, the Secretary of the Navy informed Kerry that he was honorably discharged from the USNR. This decision was made after a board of officers met to determine whether “...officers of the Naval Reserve on inactive duty ... Should be retained on the rolls .. or separated from the naval service...” This language may be boilerplate or it may mean that a process preceded Kerry’s discharge. While this letter enclosed an Honorable Discharge Certificate, no such document appears to be available for review.
Thus, Kerry was not automatically discharged after the agreed to 6 year period of enlistment but was discharged exactly after 12 years. This may have been a simple result of war time policy. Yet, I’ve never heard Kerry brag about his 12 years of military service, a credential that might significantly add substance to his Nam experience of 16 weeks.
Most intriguing are the Kerry military documents after his discharge (not including the undated citations allegedly signed by Zumwalt and Lehman). The first is an undated list of the key events (there are 8) in Kerry’s service from “Inducted” to “Discharged for [sic]U. S. Naval Reserve.” This list is headed, “The following information was compiled from the service record of John Forbes Kerry by LCDR D. H. Myers, JAGC, USN, NAPC-06P, Office of Legal Counsel, Naval Military Personnel Command,” and ends with an entry that says, in part, “TYPD: 01/25/85.” There is no document that indicates why this list was written, what it was used for or what it means.
The second is a letter dated 24 May 1986 from LCDR Shultz of the Navy “National Personnel Records Center” in St. Louis to “Senator Kerry.” Shultz writes, “Your request of the 9th of May concerning documentation of your Naval Service ...” and list nine items/dates (substantially the same as the JAG list and adds as another item what appears to be the transition from officer candidate school to commissioning as an Ensign). The letter ends with, “If additional copies or information is required from your official Naval Records ...”
Thus, it appears that a Form 180 was not submitted, only a “request” for a specific list of documents included in the overall record. No copy of the May 9 request appears to be available for review. It might be that the 1985 JAG list was an accommodation and prepared for a Senator to identify only those selected documents that Kerry wanted to have officially sent to him. This would allow him and his office to claim that “you have all the official records that the Navy sent.”
Finally, on March 12, 2001 (“20010312”) a DD Form 215, Correction to DD 214, was issued, correcting the “Original” Form DD 214 dated 03-01-70, item 24. Four medals/ribbons are listed and then the entry, “Delete: Vietnam Service Medal; Add: Vietnam Service Medal with 4 bronze stars.” There is no document to show why the revision was made, who asked for it or what else was done to the record. This revision is instructive because, in a letter dated 27 March 1969, Kerry was notified that he was “...eligible for the Vietnam Service Medal with 02 stars.” Thus, after more than 30 years, Kerry is paying close enough attention to the differences between his records and the official records to ask that the official records be changed (in his favor) by two bronze stars on a service ribbon (didn’t he say he threw that away?).
In summary, it is clear that there must be additional documents in Kerry’s official Navy file, documents that he is concealing (by refusing to have them made public) and documents that he apparently has not requested of the Navy so that he can continue to claim that they don’t exist. We don’t know if the Navy court martialed Kerry in the early 70s for a treason related offense but there must be some dark secret involved for him to resist release of his WHOLE official file so tenaciously. Stated another way, he has released so much personal information (what appears to be Kerry’s social security number is contained in the records he has released), why would he NOT authorize an independent researcher to have his ENTIRE official Navy file.
No, Kerry is hiding something not related to his service in Viet Nam (it might involve his service FOR Viet Nam), but clearly related to his time in the USNR. And, the USNR is not about to reveal anything without specific authorization about a sitting Senator who might, God forbid, become the next CinC.
There are other items in the portion of Kerry’s military record not censored that are of interest. For example, he claims to speak Vietnamese.
Not according to reporter Thomas Lipscomb who has done some heavy investigating on this.
"Kerry may have been one of the informants the FBI and DOD had in VVAW."
I've been thinking that thought too...
It doesn't take any heavy investigating. The Gridley's operations are listed on Kerry's fitness reports. (I don't think there's any dispute about his November 1968 - April 1969 Swift boat time.)
Tet Counteroffensive (30 Jan - 1 Apr 68)
Kerry arrived in-theater on Gridley at some point during March 1968.
Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase IV (2 Apr - 30 Jun 1968)
Gridley departed the operating area on 5 May 68 for transit home via New Zealand.
Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase VI (2 Nov 68 - 22 Feb 69)
Kerry reported for Swift duty in November 1968.
Tet 69/Counteroffensive (23 Feb - 8 Jun 69)
Kerry left Swift duty in April 1969.
Kerry's Reserve status -- If you check Kerry's release from active duty orders, you will see that he was transferred into the Inactive Reserves and was not obligated to attend any drills. His only obligation was to keep the Navy informed of his whereabouts since he was subject to recall. On 1 July 1972 Kerry was transferred into the Standby Reserve (Inactive) and then received his Honorable Discharge on 16 Feb 1978. The Navy's 24 May 1986 letter to Kerry gives a good synopsis of Kerry's service.
I can recall a similar timeframe for my naval career. I had served almost eight years, but it was years later until I was finally discharged. I had a regular commission, but I was transferred into the Naval Reserves (inactive) and then Standby Reserves. I can recall that I was sent some sort of letter asking me if I wished to continue my service in the Standby Reserves. In any event, I wouldn't make too much of Kerry's status as he moved through the Reserve process.
There are several issues that need to be raised relative to Kerry's Reserve status. Kerry met with the Vietnamese Communists in Paris, per his sworn testimony before the Senate, while still being in the Naval Reserves subject to recall. He returned and advocated acceptance of the Communists' negotiating points. Kerry also participated in the VVAW as a national officer and was involved in the infamous Kansas City meeting where discussions were held about assassinating USG officials. The question is whether Kerry was violating the UCMJ by being involved in these activities while still serving in the Reserves and being subject to recall.
What I found curious on Kerry's initial website many months ago was the fact that he listed his military service as 1966-1970-Active Duty and 1972-78-Reserves. He conveniently left a gap between 1970-72, which I can only believe was done intentionally so as not to raise questions. Currently, his service timeline no longer includes his reserve service. Curiously, it ends with the following: April 29, 1970 Kerry listed as Registrant who has completed service.
I have no idea what listed as a Registrant means because Kerry remained a member of the inactive Reserves until he was transferred into the Standby Reserves on July 1, 1972. This could be a smokescreen to inoculate Kerry from charges that he was giving aid and comfort to the enemy while still being a member of the Reserves. We definitely need more information on this one.
Kerry, the gallant trooper.....phew...smelly thought
Well, I hate to even be considering some possibilities, but will speculate this at least for the sake of discussion:
If he was in fact a gummint spy at the time of his bizarre VVAW activities, he could have been creating bona fides which would make him appear as a 'friendly' of reknown to the commies when he went to Paris and elsewhere.
One thing for sure. If ALL be known, Kerry will be found to be a man of mystery who took part in a disastrous intel operation or the quintessential and consummate fraud . . . and as you infer, a favored protege of Kennedy.
If the former, it was not without dire consequence, but my gut feeling says go with the latter.
There is no 6-month requirement for campaign stars on the Vietnam Service Medal. One day in-theater during a campaign period qualifies you to wear a star for that campaign.
BTTT
If the former were true and he was a FBI/DOD mole, it would distroy him in the Democrat party and with Socialists for sure.
However, for the latter, his dad was very connected with the Socialist movement in the USA.
Freeper Fedora did a nice post the other day re: his family and communism in the USA.
Stockpirate is on to something.
What is the M.O.(modus operundi) of a weasle like Kerry? Get in as good as you can with your bosses so that you can get attaboys.
What did Kerry do? Got in as good as he could. Wrote up flowery after-action-reports, making KERRY'S superiors look really good.
What has Kerry shown in the past 30 years? A BRAZEN ability to take completely diametrically opposed positions (War hero to anti-war peacenik to public warhawk).
The documents seem to indicate that Kerry re-uped for 6 years, although Kerry won't reveal that.
Here are two totally opposed thoughts on that:
1# - Stockpirate is correct. Kerry was acting as the mole in the anti-war VVAW movement. That would explain where some of that info was coming from. In that case, Kerry would TOTALLY betray he fellow anti-war comrades. But, so what? Kerry had already shown that he would betray his fellow comrades who were still in Vietnam.
2# - Kerry was arrested and charged with treason or conduct unbecoming. Fullbright and/or other powerful senators talked the Navy into covering it up. Part of the agreement was that Kerry had to re-up for another six-year hitch to keep him quiet. Notice that about 1972, his anti-war diatribes went away.
Ooops! My Kennedy reference in # 26 was for mumzie.
Ping.
There are speechs and such that have Kerry listeda s a national leader well in to 1972.
I think it is tinfoil hat time.
RESERVE RESERVE RESERVE RESERVE RESERVE RESERVE RESERVE RESERVE RESERVE.
He volunteered for the navy RESERVE -Just like Bush volunteerd for The ANG.
Kerry did NOT volunteer for the Navy.
We need to get this message out.
Naw, just plucking the straws out of the water so he won't find any to grab.
LOL
I dunno. The whole Kerry timeline is confusing me.
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