I responded to that question in post #110. Basically, the website is wrong. The subject of Kerry's letter of 21 November is "Early Release from Active Duty; request for.".....kabar
If that were the case, why did Kerry's web site not list "Kerry Requests discharge" under a 21 November 1969 date instead of a 3 JAN 1970 date?
If Kerry had the gall to ask for a ticket home after only 4 months of duty in his Vietnam combat tour because of three Band-Aid Purple Hearts........
If Kerry had the gall to ask for an early release of active duty on 21 November 1969 ......
What makes you think that Kerry would not have had the gall to ask for an early discharge on 3 JAN 1970 before his obligated service was completed?
But, why quibble with the details of a web site that was written in way way that was purposely meant to deceive, as I documented in the FR essay that I linked.
The question would still remain:
Why would a man that equated his service in the U.S. Navy analogous to the conduct of Ghengis Khan delay getting his Honorable Discharge from U.S. Naval Reserves six years after his obligated service was completed unless he was never able to get an Honorable Discharge until the Carter Administration Amnesty Program came about?
The Nov 21 date is when he requested release from active duty and Jan 3 is the date of the actual release orders. I have no idea as to why they used the wording they did. All I know is that we have the official documents, which show that Kerry was released from active duty and not discharged. Perhaps they want to cover up the fact that Kerry was still in the reserves subject to recall while participating in antiwar activities with the VVAW. I will restate my point that regardless of what Kerry's website says, we have official documents that say otherwise.
What makes you think that Kerry would not have had the gall to ask for an early discharge on 3 JAN 1970 before his obligated service was completed?
I have no idea what he might have asked for, but we have official USN records, which list the chronology of his service. If he asked for it, it wasn't approved. Check out the May 1986 letter from the Naval Records Center listing the milestones in Kerry's service.
Why would a man that equated his service in the U.S. Navy analogous to the conduct of Ghengis Khan delay getting his Honorable Discharge from U.S. Naval Reserves six years after his obligated service was completed unless he was never able to get an Honorable Discharge until the Carter Administration Amnesty Program came about?
Your basic premise may be wrong. I didn't request an Honorable Discharge and I spent nearly six years in the Standby Reserves after being released from active duty in 1972 and received my HD on Feb 16, 1978, the same day as Kerry's. Could it be possible that Kerry received his HD in the same way that I did? I think it is more likely than some cooked up story about a pardon or intervention by Carter.