Posted on 09/05/2004 11:13:26 AM PDT by Tacis
In an earlier posting, I laid out my thesis that Kerry is hiding the fact that the USN court martialed him or took some action against him terminating his service under other than honorable conditions and that he was pardoned in 1977 by Jimmy Carter under Proclamation 4483.
The facts are that Kerry served with distinction in Viet Nam in 1968 and 1969. There may be some quibbling about his self-promotion and whether he truly deserved the awards he received, but there is no question that his record for those months is one that any naval officer would proud of. Kerry’s military documents are available, in general, only through the early 70s. In 1978, Kerry was discharged from the USNR.
Kerry is asking American voters to assess his fitness to serve as CinC based on his record in-country. But, he refuses to release (Standard Form 180) his total military record so that we can judge the totality for ourselves. It is not that he is asking us to weigh the pieces of his record differently, he is saying, “You can’t see it, you have no right to see, take my word!” Always remember that Benedict Arnold had a wonderful combat record and reputation as a patriot until he tried to betray the cause by turning over West Point to the British.
Kerry and, probably, McAuliffe and Kerry’s evil handlers at the DNC have made a conscious decision. They are saying that the secret(s) in Kerry’s military file is so terrible, so horrible, that the damage that can be done by revealing it is greater than the damage that is done by burying it. Such an analysis might be sound considering the compliant, lap dog, left wing media that licks the boots of the ultra-liberals. But, around here, that don’t feed the bulldog! The left wing media won’t even ask the questions, much less follow up with the hinkey answers they’d get.
Thus, Kerry’s mendacity leaves no choice but for us to guess at what’s in his background that would cause even more voters to believe that he is unfit to be President (and, Senator, for that matter). My guess was that he had a major and formal blemish in his naval record that was cleaned away by a pardon from Jimmy Cater under his Proclamation 4483 and, if not under those provisions, under Carter’s Constitutional authority, some time in 1977. One respondent mentioned the "bad paper" discharges that Carter upgraded.
A number of responses have taken exception to my thesis. Some have pointed out that Carter’s pardon dealt with “draft dodgers” who violated the Selective Service Act. Others suggested that the terrible secret in Kerry’s file is that he was a snitch for the FBI and reported back on the anti-American, pro-Viet Cong groups with which he was associated. We all know how the flaming liberals in Hollywood feel about such patriots.
The fact is, I don’t know, I have no idea what the facts are. While Carter’s pardon does seem to apply to draft dodgers, I don’t know what else is in the Selective Service Act. But, I have to believe there were a couple of “catch all” provisions. Nor, do I know what charges might have been brought against Kerry. Remember, Nixon was Navy and might not have wanted a decorated Viet Nam hero tried for treason in war time. Some lesser, administrative charges may have been substituted.
Kerry a snitch? Sure, it is possible. But, it is also possible that he became a snitch only after the Navy convinced him that, Nixon good will or no, unless he cooperated, he’d spend a long time in some hard labor brig. In return for reporting back on what the Viet Nam Veterans Against the War (VVAR) were plotting (remember, at one time, they discussed the assassination of 6 sitting Senators), who knows, Kerry might have just been kicked out of the Navy rather than do brig time.
The juxtaposition of Carter’s Proclamation, Kennedy’s clout in a democrat administration and the date of Kerry’s discharge, coupled with the lack of other records immediately before or after the discharge leaves too much to coincidence for me. Even if Kerry’s possible offense did not follow under the purview of Carter’s pardon, it could have been swept through a compliant Department of Justice in a stack of other documents. It is just a thesis!
Others might suggest that Kerry must have had a clean record in 1973 because he applied to and was admitted to law school. Maybe. In March, 1970, Kerry dropped out of the primary race to be the democrat candidate from the Third Congressional District in Massachusetts. The notorious Father Drinan, Dean of Boston College Law School, became the candidate and, I believe, won. Kerry went to this same law school. Could the admission procedures have been adjusted to allow Kerry in despite a negative Navy record? Who knows, Boston’s politics are reputed to be arcane.
Am I accusing Kerry of being dishonorably discharged? Absolutely not. I simply don’t know the truth. And, that’s my complaint. Kerry has the ability to reveal all details about his total military record and refuses to do so. This allows me, us, to make any guess we can about his motivation. It also allows all Americans to draw conclusions about his claims of openness, honesty, integrity and candor and the charges he makes about integrity of others.
Again, it is indeed unfortunate that a man who would be President, so distrusts the American public and his own background that he hides the material information in his military records in the hope of hornswoggling the electorate, of tricking us into believing he is one thing when, in fact, he may be another.
As troubling is the fact these are questions and issues so apparent that an objective, heck, a competent media should have explored them long ago. Kerry’s arrogance and his willingness to lie to America may, in fact, be supported by the fact that he has gotten away with this deception for more then 25 years. The Boston media, like the national media, appears to have no interest in looking behind the representations of liberal or democrat politicians.
While I am not a lawyer, I did play one in the Navy when I was the legal officer of USS Charles F. Adams (DDG-2) from 1981-1984.
I have a hard time believing this because as I understood it, for an Officer in the US Navy to be Courts-Martialed and discharged under OTH conditions would require the Courts-Martial to be a General Courts-Martial...and the resulting conviction would be the equivalent of a federal conviction, and as such, would be the matter of public record.
Like I said, I'm not a lawyer (military or civilian) but if I'm wrong here, maybe someone with more military legal expertise can set me straight.
Then this shouldn't have been posted once, let alone two threads on it.
If one is going to do "research" into a serious accusation, they need to really do it right or not do it at all. To make this kind of accusation without even reading the act involved is absurd.
It is called astute observation and predictability.
I suppose some might have said: "Why would the Yankees/Red Sox bother with a chubby pitcher from the slums of Baltimore?
I do not think that John Kerry served very well in Vietnam.
amazon.com says my copy of Unfit for Command is on its way -- can't wait to read the details. A friend who read the book says it's much worse than the few details that have been posted.
Bookmark.
Having played a lawyer while in the Navy (which says much about lawyer intelligence) can you now go on FOX news as a "former federal prosecuter?
Thank you.
Having participated in a number of research projects here at FR including; the Clinton Impeachment, Waco and ChinaGate I am of the opinon that the facts will either show the premis is valid or not.
**This may be interesting**
Under the newly released Nixon files there is a file on John Kerry. It looks as though one has to actually go to the national archives to view these (anyone in DC?)
http://www.archives.gov/nixon/white_house_central_files/name_files.html
& http://www.archives.gov/nixon/communications_agency/video/1971.html
May be nothing new.. The file lists this as: File/ID# WHCA VTR# 4337 Format: 2" Title/Event: "Seven Days" AND "Face The Nation" Names/Participants: John Kerry, leader of "Vietnam Veterans Against the War"; "FTN": U.S. Senator Robert Dole Date: 5/2/1971 Time of Day: 1200 Source: WTOP Producer: CBS Restriction(s): COPYRIGHT Program Time: 1:00
Probably his old testamony.. I do find it interesting that with ALL of the protests going on, his records are the ones kept in the National Archives under Nixon's personal files..
http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/fbifiles/100-HQ-448092/Section%2011/Section%2011.pdf
most interesting and useful. From post 50.
How many Senators past and present do you suppose know exactly what is in Kerry's past? Did you ever hear any one bring it up? The senate is an incestuous organization.
Like it or not, nothing will come of this, and the President has the power to shut it all down, or do you not remember how he closed everything on x42?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.