Posted on 09/05/2004 10:29:40 AM PDT by areafiftyone
Sen. John Kerry's campaign biographer Douglas Brinkley said Sunday that if an ongoing Navy investigation into Kerry's military decorations turns up evidence of "purposeful" deception, it could spell doom for the top Democrat's White House bid.
Praising reporter Thomas Lipscomb, who broke news of the Navy investigation on Friday, Brinkley told WABC Radio's Steve Malzberg, "Journalists are going to have to see whether there's a discrepancy on [the citations posted to Kerry's] web site - whether there's something wrong that's said there or not."
"If so," said the "Tour of Duty" author, "Kerry would have to fix it immediately - and it does raise some questions as to why that would happen."
"Is it sloppiness, is it purposeful intent, is there an easy explanation for it?" Brinkley wondered.
He said that while questions raised by the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth about Kerry's war record have been very damaging, "so far they haven't been lethal." But Brinkley predicted that a discrepancy with Kerry's medals could seriously escalate his political problems.
Asked if inconsistencies uncovered by the Navy probe could be the "death knell" for Kerry's campaign, Brinkley told Malzberg, "It could."
In the next breath he hastened to add, however, "Right now it's unclear. So we have to just wait to see what all this adds up to."
The presidential historian called on Kerry to authorize the release of his full military file, saying, "Clearly some of these military records should be made available to the press."
The first citation, was signed by Vice Adm. E.R. Zumwalt Jr., commander of U.S. Naval Forces.
Citation No. 2, however, signed by Adm. John J. Hyland, commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
To obtain Citation No. 2, Kerry would have had to prove that there was an error in Citation No. 1 and/or that the existence of that citation somehow constituted an "injustice." The same goes for citation No.3
So what we have here, is Kerry writting up his own medal, and modifying in in every single instance, including the origional action report.
Not to mention that kerry never deserved it in the first place
!Technically, there is only one official citation for the Silver Star, the one signed by ADM Hyland, the final approving authority. I suspect the Zumwalt citation on letterhead paper was put together quickly to make a hurried presentation of the medal. The Hyland citation came later, but not that much later. The Silver Star citation signed by Lehman is the same as the Hyland citation except for the last sentence, which is essentially boilerplate language. I agree there are some serious questions as to why Kerry was just not issued a certified copy of the Hyland citation. The Bronze Star citation signed by Lehman is exactly the same as the Zumwalt citation. To me, the most important question is whether replacement medals were issued.
It could be but by the time any evidenice is solidified the election will be over. Hey man, its the Navy.
Hope to see you on the 12th.
I'm going to try to make it, my friend.
The SS was awarded in a hurry without the usual vetting process. It could be that Zumwalt's citation came from the after action report written by Kerry and was created for the presentation ceremony on March 2. As to what influence Kerry had on the citation language, I seriously doubt that Kerry could have had any language expunged or been able to "upgrade" the citation to a higher ranking admiral. The system just doesn't work that way. The award process is very formalized and it is made clear who can approve what in the chain of command. If you notice, only Zumwalt signed the Bronze Star citation, a lower level award, because he was the final approval authority.
I don't subscribe to the 'Hillary wants Kerry to lose' thinking. There are too many Supreme Court Justices up for replacement this next term for the democrats to sabotage one of their own.
Lehman may have been asked if he remembers and he may have answered innocently 'No, I don't remember'.
I'll ask Freepers again what they think a good counter would be if these kinds of things were taking place out of the DNC playbook.
One Freeper answered 'let the Swiftees handle it'. That's probably wise.
One thing going for Pubbies is that people are growing tired of Kerry's lame defense of his military service. He can't effectively stand against hundreds of other Vets who served with him and along side of him. He also can't stand on his abysmal performance as an antiwar activist. And now the Swiftees are hammering him on his post-service activity.
On this matter, it must feel tons better to be on the Bush side of the camp than on the Kerry side.
Keep the Faith!
I think it was Lipscomb on the Limbaugh show with Rodger Hedgecock Friday who said that Kerry's discharge papers show he was discharged in 1978. If so the Navy could open a case on Kerry over his anti-war crap in 1971...
I guess he's finally realized the jig is up, and he's endorsing W!
The issue of the combat "V" device on the Silver Star is in fact a VERY BIG DEAL. This would never be the result of an administrative error or bureaucratic SNAFU. Only a prig who has limited knowledge of military honor and tradition but unlimited ego would gild the lily like this. It is a clear indication of an attempt to deceive. It is an indication of a very serious character flaw...a braggart...a ponce. This incident alone causes all with military experience to sneer in derision at the stuffed shirt that is Kerry.
That is my point. The improvident grant is abominable in the first place. Inflating it after the fact is, to me, minor in comparison.
Both aspects are windows into Senator Kerry's character. Which aspect resonates more strongly with the public? Don't ask me. I don't know.
You have old Joeeeeee Loooooocccckharrrt down pat.
He was a Clintoon Girly man, and now he is Komrade Kerry's Newest Hit Man.
Brinkley has had access to Kerry navy service documents that others have not had. So, what does he know and when did he know it?
Disagree.
Kerry has proven by his votes, speeches, and actions that he has no respect for the military, nor concern about it's traditions. Kerry never honestly considered the regulations or their original purpose. Kerry saw the potential of medals, and his BS award citations were very sloppy, just as has been all of his career upon close scrutiny.
It is only because he is an exploiter of military tradition and a disrespector of such, that he chose to invoke bogus claims and awards for valor. Kerry is clearly a fraud of the highest order, and I personaly am enjoying the watching of his fall from grace with great glee.
Kerry is a dirtball of a sort unknown publicly before, and finally he is being exposed as a total fraud. Where are the headlines in the MSM about that?
Bite me Boston Globe, NY Times, CBS, Peter Jennings, and all of you subversive reprobates in the media who abuse our constitution in order to impose a socialist agenda in our country.
"I think Thomas Lipscomb was on with Rodger Hedgecock Friday on the Rush Limbaugh show while Rush was fleeing the hurricane..."
Yes he was, and he hammered Kerry during his interview.
Yes,
but the difference between 1 and 2 is more interesting. Kerry adds to #2 to build it up even more.
Citation No. 2 reads:
"On a request from U.S. Army advisors on shore, Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY ordered PCF’s 94 and 23 further up river to suppress enemy sniper fire. After proceeding approximately eight hundred yards, the boats were again taken under fire from a heavily foliated area and a B-40 rocket exploded close aboard PCF 94. With utter disregard for his own safety and the enemy rockets, he again ordered a charge on the enemy, beached his own boat only ten feet from the VC rocket position, and personally led a landing party ashore in pursuit of the enemy. Upon sweeping the area, an immediate search uncovered an enemy rest and supply area which was destroyed.”
Citation 1 reads:
" ... Patrol Craft Fast 23 and 94 moved upstream to investigate an area from which gunshots were coming. Arriving at the area, Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY's craft received a B-40 rocket close aboard. Once again Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY ordered his units to charge the enemy positions and summoned Patrol Craft Fast 43 to the area to provide additional firepower. Patrol Craft Fast 94 then beached in the center of the enemy positions and an enemy soldier sprang up from his position not ten feet from Patrol Craft Fast 94 and fled. Without hesitation Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY leaped ashore, pursued the man behind a hootch and killed him, capturing a B-40 rocket launcher with a round in the chamber. Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY then led an assault party and conducted a sweep of the area while the Patrol Craft Fast continued to provide fire support. After the enemy had been completely routed, all personnel returned to the Patrol Craft Fast to withdraw from the area.”
Elliott is quoted as saying that Kerry "lied about what occurred in Vietnam ... for example, in connection with his Silver Star, I was never informed that he had simply shot a wounded,[14 year old boy] fleeing Viet Cong in the back." Elliott indicates that a Silver Star recommendation would not have been made by him had he been aware of the actual facts.
Then, there is this story:
Unmentioned is the account of Tom Bellodeau, who, unlike Rood, was actually aboard Kerry's boat when the VC in question leveled his grenade launcher at them.
"You know, I shot that guy," Bellodeau told the Boston Globe during a 1996 interview, correcting an earlier Globe report that echoed Kerry's claim that he alone had neutralized the enemy ambusher.
"He jumped up, he looked right at me, I looked at him," Bellodeau continued. "You could tell he was trying to decide whether to shoot or not. I expected the guy on Kerry's boat with the twin 50s to blast him, but he couldn't depress the guns far enough. We were up on the bank."
Only after the enemy soldier was wounded, said Bellodeau, did Kerry leap from the boat onto the beach and pursue him around the back of a nearby hut, where the would-be president finished him off.
Kerry's Silver Star citation credits him alone for taking down the Viet Cong soldier, making no mention whatsoever of Bellodeau, who has died in the intervening years.
There was no mention of a weapons cache or a rest point for VC in the first citation.
evey single vet who shot a VC deserves a sivlers star if this as all that happened, why should kerry get on for simple doing what soldiers do?
And, he can't very well run on his Senate record. Kinda boxes him in. Makes me wonder what he will have in his bag of tricks for the debates.
As for Hillary wanting Kerry to win or lose, she couldn't very well challenge him in 08 as a sitting prez, and I can't see her having any support to follow him after eight years in office. Her only hope is for Bush to spend four more years in the White House. When Bush wins in November, she'll have become the standard bearer for the dems before Bush is inaugurated.
I agree. he was probably sloppy. But, he should have known years later, at least when he applied for a change on citation #3 in 2001. He was probably polishing things up, having decided to make a run for president in 04.
Then again, Sloppyness is a habit...
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