Bert:
I would be interested to see if he has a DD-215 ( which means his original discharge has been upgraded or changed) or a DD-214, which is an original seperation document.
Thats where the rubber hits the road.
He has a DD-215 posted on his web site, contains the Silver Star with a V.
http://www.johnkerry.com/pdf/jkmilservice/DD-215_Correction.pdf