Sen. Kerry: Did You Go AWOL from the Naval Reserves?

Crushkerry.com ^ | 9/5/04

[angkor]

Trying to make the case Kerry violated specific laws or regulations diverts attention

I would agree this would not be a good line for the SWIFTvets for that very reason. Legal nitpicking.

However, we're just hashing it out here on FR, which doesn't do much harm and could shed even more light. Kerry and his campaign have already tried to obscure the record from 1969 to 1978 in saying he was discharged, which he most clearly was not.

So back to the question raised by crushkerry.com, was he asked by the Massachusetts Naval Reserve authority to fulfill the terms of his service contract, e.g. 2 years of additional service? We have no evidence that he was or was not.

But we do know he served in quite another capacity at the Paris peace talks.

[angkor]

The 1978 date makes sense if Kerry had been given a discharge that was less than honorable

Nah. Not necessarily.

Under Naval regs a commissioned officer must apply for official termination from the SecNav, that's the only way out. After his six-year service obligation date of Dec 16 1972, he could have stayed on as Standby Reserve for decades or he could have asked for official termination as an officer. But for reasons known only to himself he waited until 1977/78 to make the latter request.

Occam's Razor, the simplest solution is the most plausible.

[quantim]

[TexasCajun]

Kerry is known to have met with the North Vietnamese Paris delegation twice in 1970 and 1971, and obviously as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy Ready Reserve.

This is BIG! This is what needs to be focused on now that the medals issue is out there and most everyone is now aware of the medal controversy.

Why was John Fn Kerry not court-marshaled for treason?

[colorado tanker]

The Swiftee's strategy has been brilliant. They are very well led.

My two cents in an academic discussion is that when Kerry falsely accused his fellow vets of war crimes with no evidence and met with the Viet Cong rep to the Paris peace talks without government authorization at the very least he was guilty of conduct unbecoming an officer and violating the statute against US citizens negotiating with foreign powers.

This guy must have an incredible ego to think vets would forget about his post-Vietnam actions and not say anything when he made Vietnam his main qualification for the presidency.