Posted on 09/08/2004 7:44:19 AM PDT by Tacis
It is indeed unfortunate that a man who would be President so distrusts the American public and his own background that he hides 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.
Kerry is asking American voters to assess his fitness to serve as CinC based on his brief record in-country. But, he refuses to release his total military record, about 12 years, 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, you have to take my word!” Always remember that Benedict Arnold had a wonderful combat record and reputation as a patriot until he turned traitor and tried to betray the cause by turning West Point over to the British enemy.
In an earlier posting, I suggested that Kerry had a major blemish on his military record and had applied for and been granted a pardon under President Jimmy Carter’s January 21,1977, Proclamation 4483 which granted “... a full, complete and unconditional pardon to: (1) all persons who may have committed any offense between August 4, 1964 and March 28, 1973 in violation of the Military Selective Service Act or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder; and (2) all persons heretofore convicted, irrespective of the date of conviction, of any offense committed between August 4, 1964 and March 28, 1973 in violation of the Military Selective Service Act, or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder, restoring to them full political, civil and other rights.”
And that, further, the Office of the Pardon Attorney, United States Department of Justice, as a matter of public record, might be able to prove or disprove this thesis. This hypothesis remains open.
Note again, that Kerry’s refusal to be honest with America, his refusal to trust the judgment of Americans to evaluate his total military record and draw our own conclusions, forces us to guess what is in his past, a stain so terrible that he chooses to lie to America rather than reveal the truth. And, what he hides and why, weighs in determining today if he is fit to be President or fit to be Senator.
Maybe Kerry wasn’t actually court martialed. There is another possibility, a variant. It is that Kerry was issued a bad conduct discharge, was booted out of the USNR and was unable to reverse the BCD until Carter took over in January, 1977. Kerry has remorselessly bombarded us with repetitions of his 4.5 months of Viet Namese heroism as proof that he is fit to be CinC. Even former President Clinton, from what might have been his death bed, is said to have warned Kerry to move on, presumably, before Kerry is forced to tell the truth.
A subset of the bad conduct discharge would be a bad “spin” code on an honorable discharge. It, too, would be a blemish that would have to be kept hidden. A Google search on “bad paper discharge” and “special program number” suggest a couple of possibilities about why Kerry is lying while talking only about his time in-country.
The Attorney General of the State of Illinois posts, “Defending Your Rights, Veterans Rights: The Legal Rights of Illinois Veterans” (http://www.ag.state.il.us/rights/vetsrights/ch01.html) that is especially informative. According to this site, there are basically two types of discharge, first, “other than dishonorable,” I.e., “Honorable Discharge, General Discharge (under honorable conditions), Hardship Discharge and Medical Discharge “ and, second, "Bad Paper" discharges i.e., Dishonorable, Bad Conduct, Undesirable, and "other than honorable".
According to another site (http://www.socialistworker.org/2003 1/437/437_05_LaborAgainstWar.shtml), “In the Vietnam era alone, 375,000 men and women received a variety of discharges, all coded less than honorable. There was no hearing, no trial, no review. They were just given this bad paper and turned loose on the street.”
Even those separated under “other than dishonorable” conditions could carry a bad mark. At some point, perhaps as early as 1953, the Department of Defense began to code the DD 214 of a terminating serviceman with a number that was designed to let the military recruiting officer handling the individual’s request to re-up, to immediately be able to characterize his past tour of duty.
There are some surprisingly rich sites that explain the intricacies of a DD 214 . One such site is: "http://www.dallassecurity.com/Published_Articles/Proof_of_Military_Service/proof_of_military_service.html." It describes the Special Program Number (SPN) or “spin” number used on DD 214s that could brand the vet for life.
One source (http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/mt/mt comments.cgi?entry_id=3280) claims “ but there was no official ‘recall’ or notice to vets, [but it is] estimated about 200,000 vets had honorable discharges with bad spin numbers, and who did not know it.” My analysis did not determine whether this 200,000 was in addition to the 375,000 veterans mentioned above or inclusive.
Perhaps, the most extraordinary finding in this brief research project was in a site that is a dictionary of military slang and terms from the Viet Nam era, http://www.twobittraining.com/CAP/glossary.htm. That site defines “bad conduct discharge” as follows, “ Also known as a BCD, "bad paper" or a Boston College Degree. This is what the Marine Corps did to guys convicted at court martials for mid-level felonies like theft, fraud, drug abuse and assault. It's one step below a dishonorable discharge. Boston College is, of course, where Kerry went to law school, 1973 -76 and from which he got a Boston College diploma.
We know Kerry was issued a DD 214 in March 1970 even though his military obligation wasn’t supposed to end until March, 1972, a total of about 6 years (there is an issue of whether his agreed upon total obligation was 6 or 6.5 years). It may be they “turned him loose.” We also know that Kerry received a discharge in March, 1978 but have not seen any associated DD 214.
Here’s my hypothesis. Kerry did not turn bad without reason. Just as Benedict Arnold turned bad when he did not receive the recognition he felt he deserved, so to, I believe, did Kerry respond to some slight, real or imagined by the Navy. His true record will show, I believe, some action/inaction by the Navy (passed over for promotion/assignment?), then his request to be released to run for Congress, the 3/70 DD 214 and transfer to the inactive reserve, and then, in 1970, 1971 or 1972, a bad conduct discharge (or “Big Chicken Dinner” as one respondent described it). Maybe, it was a bad “spin” number, but then that would not explain the seemingly strange dates and 12 year period of military service.
There would also be a DD 214 associated with a bad conduct discharge, one we have not yet seen. Note that Nixon was in the White House and he and his staff might not have appreciated Kerry’s anti-war efforts. The ultra liberal media would have us believe that Nixon could be vindictive. This scenario might also suggest that, since Kerry had been discharged, he was no longer an officer in the US Naval Reserve when he went to Paris to collaborate with representatives of the Viet Cong. It may still have been treason in the broad sense, but not in the technical sense because he may not have held a military commission.
Whether Kerry’s BCD was covered by Carter’s blanket pardon or not, Kerry’s pull with Kennedy and the democrat administration that took office in January, 1977 ought to have been enough to get him pardoned under some catch-all provision. There should be records. If my thesis is correct, Kerry’s military file should also include a completed Form DD 149, “Application for Correction of Military Record Under the Provisions of Title 10, U. S. Code, Section 1552” and Form DD 293, “Application for the Review of Discharge or Dismissal From the Armed Forces of the United States.” The submission of Form DD 293 requires, as a precondition, that applicants “obtain copies their military personnel records by submitting a Standard Form (SF) 180, Request Pertaining to Military Records...” Note that these specific forms found on today’s internet were not the same versions that would have been used in the period 1970 through 1978.
Thus, if the above be correct, we can hypothesize some of the documents that would have to be in Kerry’s official military record (and in his own personal files) but continue to be hidden from the eyes of objective observers, and their approximate dates. There would be a bad conduct discharge letter (1970-71) and related DD 214 (and, perhaps, some documents related to the termination process, but no Certificate of Honorable Discharge), a DD 293 (1977), a SF-180 (prior to the date of the DD 293), a DD 149 (maybe, 1977) and a transmittal letter responding to the SF-180 and correspondence related to the resolution of the DD 149 and 293 applications. There would have to be a DD 214 associated with the Navy letter of Feb 18 1978 honorably discharging Kerry from the Navy and a copy of the Honorable Discharge Certificate, mentioned in the Navy letter but not included on Kerry’s site. There should also be a request from Kerry for the specific documents (and only those documents) transmitted Navy National Personnel Records Center letter of 24 May 1986. There also has to be a form/request to which the Correction to DD Form 214 dated 3/12/2001 (authorizing, in part, 4 bronze stars on Kerry’s Viet Nam Service Medal) was issued as a response.
It is a crying shame and a disgrace that a man who would be President and has based a portion of his claim of qualification on his military service, refuses to allow American voters to judge that service in toto. His deception and lack of candor forces us to guess what might be in that record, a terrible stain that makes in safer for him to risk the accusations of mendacity rather than the certain damage of honesty. Sure, he could have been a spy in Paris, informing on the Viet Cong or on all his friends in the VVAW and the other anti-war folks he dealt with. But, even proof of that would give us insights into the character of the man who would be President. Kerry has the opportunity to confirm to us his bravery, service to nation and integrity. When he fails to take that opportunity, he proves himself to be a worthless (no offense, Teresa) liar. Question his patriotism? Hell, yes!! Benedict Arnold was a heroic patriot until he turned bad and became a traitor.
I am a big enough man to admit when I’m wrong. If Kerry didn’t receive a bad conduct discharge from the Navy, all he has to do is file an SF-180 and make the package available to trustworthy, honest evaluators for publication to and review by all concerned American voters. Then, a list of simple questions and his direct responses. If Kerry’s record proves he wasn’t cashiered, I’ll admit I was wrong and apologize. But, if he refuses, if his record won’t be available for review by all America, if he is as unfit today as the Navy found him to be 30 some years ago, I urge him to step down immediately and resign from both the national ticket and the Senate seat he sometime fills.
Last night Bill O'reilly said that he had found anti war speeches given on college campuses by John Kerry when he was a student. This tells me that Kerry was pursuing an agenda when he went to Vietnam.
skerry was against the VN war BEFORE he went. Which btw he did after being REFUSED a deferment.
Expect no unbiased behavior from the media. Expect no serious investigative journalism, like the old days. Those days are gone and they have chosen the far-left as their political icon, and their elitist arrogance keeps telling the duped portion of the public what is real and right.
It is tragic for this country that some people still believe what they read or hear in the media is credible and complete. Sad.
1. Slander
2. Dumb. Listen to the tapes of Noxon going off on Kerry. Is they ANY chance he would not have found out and brought it up if Kerry had such a blemish on his record? NO.
3. Counterproductive. There are plenty of things to knock Kerry for that can be documented. Wasting time and bandwidth on Kerry was court martialed/ Kerry was got a bad conduct discharge fantasies doesn't just use up resources better put to good uses, it gives Kerry's supporters in the MSM the chance to dismiss ALL charges against Kerry as unfounded, because some people are making clearly unfounded charges.
I think Brinkley knows something about kerry's war record or discharge and he's aware that it will be revealed. That is why he's backpeddling.
An officer cannot get a BCD. An officer gets a Dismissal from a General Courts-Martial ONLY. You cannot and do not get Bad Conduct Discharges, Dishonorable Discharges or Dismissal from an ADMINISTRATIVE action. Period.
bump
While highly conspiratorial (and maybe true) if there is a skeleton in the closet, the Clintoni family will leak it...I wonder what else they are saving for the near future??
(chuckle)
Where are this a-hole's med and military records. I am getting so pissed off about all this. This guy is getting a free pass.
What you propose is sheer speculation. While it makes for an interesting thought experiment, it's almost certain that it didn't happen.
In the first place, if I understand correctly, an officer cannot receive a BCD. Only enlisted personnel can receive that class of discharge, and that would have been reflected on his DD214.
I suggest you put your considerable energy and intellect into some area that's likely to bear fruit. This one's a sure loser.
I do not deny that he served. It's the why of his service that I'm thinking about and the why of using the Purple Hearts to renig on his commitment.
Ding ding ding, we have a winner.
It seems more likely to me that there are some extremely unfavorable fitness reports squirrelled away in there, and possibly some medical records indicating treatment for something he doesn't want widely known (got clap?).
Young Kerry, son of a diplomat and friend of the Kennedys, would only be escorted out of the Navy with (false) decorations. If only Zumwalt were alive. Perhaps, only perhaps, Kerry's service records will have the true facts about how and why Kerry's "tour of duty" was cut short.
So? It is a pressure point. And documents like this can leak: Kerry had his own copy. Who knows who else saw it, or has a copy?
Anybody doing actual research on this should shut up, because it's
1. Nasty unless proven,
2. Useless unless documented, and
3. Counterproductive unless both proven and documented.
Premature spec makes us like the "Bush lied- and kids died!" crowd.
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