I read it and it says that in 1969 Kerry says he would finish his Obligations at the end of that year, his enlistment contract states otherwise it says he signed up for six years with a six month attachment because he signed up during the Viet Nam war. You should read it more closely. Kerry is tallking about his active duty service of three years. He states after noting that his "regular period of obligated service would be completed in December of this year" that "However, I voluntarily extended my active duty until August 1970...."
If you were an officer surely you would know that unlike enlisted men drafted during that time, a greater commitment was required to serve as an officer, in Kerry's case it was six years of his life and he gladly signed away those six years to wear the uniform of an officer, and then he lied to get out in three years.
Kerry fulfilled his active duty requirment and the Navy released him from active duty in Jan 1970. He stayed in the inactive reserves until July 1, 1972 and then was transferred into the Standby Reserves (inactive). If you were around at the time of the Vietnam war, you would know that there was a large demobilization of forces in 1971 and 1972. The Navy was involuntarily separating officers from the service to reduce the numbers. It was similar to the case of GWB in the ANG. The military just didn't need that many people. We were entirely out of Vietnam in 1973.
As for you serving on The U.S.S. Iwo Jima, so did I, tell me the famous rumor about it that only someone that had served on it would know and I might believe you. </>
I don't care if you belive me or not. I served on the original Iwo Jima (LPH-2) homeported out of San Diego. We took over BLT 1/26 at the start of our WESTPAC Cruise in 1966, including passing by the island of Iwo Jima on the way over. We held a ceremony on the flight deck with 1/26, which included a couple of gunneys who had been in the battle of Iwo Jima. During our WestPAC crusie, we also had BLTs 3/26, 3/3, 1/4, and 1/9. When were you on the Iwo? I have no idea what story you are talking about, but I sure as hell served two years on the ship, which was the first one designed from the keel up as an LPH. It is no longer in the fleet, but it has been replaced by the Iwo Jima (LHD 7)
"I have no idea what story you are talking about." It's an old sea story that anyone that ever served on The Iwo Jima would have known, and it has to do with why The Iwo Jima was designated LPH 2 even though it was the first of the LPH's.
As legend would have it The Iwo Jima was originally designated LPH 1, but as the island was being installed it rolled over on it's side and sank, because the shipwrights that had designed her didn't compensate for the added weight of the island, After The Iwo Jima was salvaged and refloated it was redesignated LPH 2 and Concrete was added to the port side bilge to offset the weight of the island.
Proof positive of this was said to be the way she always tended to lean towards port at anchor or underway no matter how many aircraft or how much equipement was on board and positioned on the Starboard side.
Frankly I never believed the story, and chalked it up as a myth of the sea, an urban legend best told to young Marines that didn't know any better, but I could never explain the list to port the Iwo Jima always had.
As for when I served aboard her, 1978-79, and riding aboard her in a winter atlantic storm almost killed me, or at least I wanted to die before we made it to port.
I'll be honest, you haven't shown me anything that would lead me to believe that you aren't a troll here to clear Kerry's obviously soiled record and sorted past, but that's just my opinion.
And yes, this formerly young Marine has pictures of his time on the Iwo Jima.