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Regarding post #62:

Try this for a timeline if post #62 is correct (with additions from post #16 and the Kerry timeline thread):

January 20,1977 - January 20,1981: Carter pardons Kerry

February 1978: After Kerry was released from active duty in the Navy, he remained in the Naval Reserve until he was honorably discharged in February.
(Discharge papers were stamped on July 13, 1978.)

January 1985 John Kerry is sworn in as US Senator

January 25, 1985: LCDR D. W. Meyers, Office of Legal Counsel, Naval Military Personnel Command writes enclosure 1 to some letter. Enclosure shows key dates of service including transfer to Naval Reserve on 3 Jan 70.

24 May 1986: LCDR Schultz, Naval Military Personnel Command Liaison Office of the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis writes letter to Senator Kerry. Shows key dates of service and adds (inactive) to 3 Jan 70 transfer to Naval Reserve.

12 February 2001: DD215 (Correction to DD 214) issued
found at: http://www.johnkerry.com/pdf/jkmilservice/DD-215_Correction.pdf

The reason for the enclosure (e.g., what was that main letter all about) becomes more important. Something pretty important was being checked, and a lawyer from the Office of Legal Counsel had to be part of the reply (how many enclosures were there?). Was there a question as to whether the pardon was there and he could be sworn in?

Then a year later another records check is done. This time the transfer to the reserves indicates he went to the inactive reserves. Since this went directly to Kerry, he must have initiated the query.

The 2001 correction is just getting things cleared up about a few unit citations. Nothing unusual there (except, of course, not fixing the "V" on the Silver Star).

Much of this is supposition, of course.