Ex-Navy sec to Kerry: Open up your records

worldnetdaily.com ^ | 11-1-04 | Art Moore

[treeclimber]

A former secretary of the Navy is urging Sen. John Kerry to open up his personnel files to resolve the question of whether the Democratic presidential nominee received a less-than-honorable discharge from the Navy.

William Middendorf, the Navy chief from 1974 to 1977, told WorldNetDaily today that Kerry, who began inactive reserve status in 1972, would have been issued a document three years later either for a reserve reaffiliation or a separation discharge.

An "honorable discharge" from 1978 appears on the Kerry campaign's website, but a Navy lawyer who served under Middendorf believes that document is a substitute for one that would have been issued in 1975.

However, no such document can be found among the records Kerry has made available.

"I should think it would be in his interest to open up the files, to clear up any misunderstanding," said Middendorf, who later served as ambassador to the Netherlands, European Union and Organization of American States.

Middendorf said he cannot comment specifically on any action taken on Kerry, because he is barred, under the 1974 privacy act, from discussing personnel matters.

However, he enthusiastically vouches for the character of Mark Sullivan, who formed the basis for a story today in the New York Sun by Thomas Lipscomb, the first to report discrepancies in Kerry's discharge record.

Sullivan, who served in the secretary of the Navy's office in the Judge Advocate General Corps Reserve between 1975 and 1977, says the "honorable discharge" on the Kerry website appears to be a Carter administration substitute for an original action expunged from Kerry's record, Lipscomb reported.

Asked by WorldNetDaily to address Sullivan's findings, Middendorf cited the privacy act.

"I shouldn't comment other than to say I respect Mark Sullivan as one of the finest Navy officers we had."

The Kerry campaign has insisted that all of the senator's Navy records have been released, with the exception of medical papers, but the Washington Post and others have reported at least 100 pages are still under wraps. Kerry would have to file a Standard Form 180 to grant permission for full release of his records.

If Kerry received something other than an honorable discharge, it likely was related to his anti-war activities while a member of the Navy reserve, says Jerome Corsi, a specialist on the anti-war movement and co-author of best-seller "Unfit for Command."

"We've been arguing that Kerry's cooperation with the enemy throughout the Vietnam War was widely known by the intelligence community," Corsi told WND.

Corsi believes this is the reason the discharge is not on the campaign website.

"If he didn't have reason to hide anything, he would have released it," Corsi said.

[MeekOneGOP]

My thanks to BulletBobCo for the concept of this
pic and to Conspiracy Guy for the captions!

[Tammy8]

I wish this had been investigate earlier and would have if there was any honor in the old media. I think everyone who would really care about Kerry's OTH discharge already has enough reasons to not vote for him.

My hubby is a Vietnam Veteran and he is determined to not allow Kerry to be elected. I have never seen him like this, he has never been one to discuss politics- though has always been a regular voter. This year he has been on a one man campaign to make sure everyone knows and understands that Kerry is a traitor and a liar. He felt betrayed that the Dems would even consider running someone like Kerry, though we are Republicans he just felt the Dems have no honor to choose Kerry as their candidate.

One of our daughters is going to College in AZ, and had planned to come home tonight to vote for Bush tomorrow. Her car is in the shop so hubby went to get her and will take her back after she votes tomorrow morning. He will drive almost 500 miles round trip to make sure W gets one more vote. Of course we are in NM, so who knows- she could be the one to make the difference.LOL

All of the Vietnam Veterans that we know feel just as strongly as my hubby does, so even though Kerry started off his campaign by saying the Vietnam Veterans supported him and would help him win- I think it could turn out that they are the ones who make sure he is defeated. I hope so, it would be classic- What goes around, comes around!!

I personally think W will win by more than enough to make sure there are no lawsuits and the fraud won't matter. I would still like to see this OTH story about Kerry, and the other issues the Swift Boat men have raised finally be investigated. I don't think Kerry should be dogcatcher.

[T. Buzzard Trueblood]

Geez, what took him so long?

[nadlo]

"Actually this can remain an issue as long as we wish!"

The REAL issue is that the MSM failed to address this issue. this is another nail in their coffin..Who needs'em?
If Kerry wins (he won't) this issue should remain front and center.

[txhurl]

I figured a trade happened, too. I've been stunned how quiet it is, and in a couple hours it'll be too late to spring anything.

[rolling_stone]

in his mid 80's now

http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ED081795c.cfm

[Lovebloggers]

Something is about to break on this...
- Chief

Above is Navy Chief's comments on this article.

http://www2.swiftvets.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15732&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

[Sola Veritas]

"Even if Kerry is elected, he may not be able to get the clearance needed for Commander in Chief. Once the Intelligence Agencies review his attendance at a meeting that called for assassinations of Senators they can't legally grant him clearance. This is why he never attended closed door Senate Intelligence Committee meetings because he wasn't allowed to review secret documents. Now that would be national security, a Commander in Chief that can't review intelligence even if our country is attacked."

Unfortunately this is not so. If you will remember, Bill Clinton would not have been eligible for security clearance either because of his Vietnam era antics. However, elected officials are automatically given clearance. Kinda sad isn't it? Besides, Kerry already has clearance as a U.S. Senator. Only employees of the government have to sweat out clearance, not elected officials.

[PhilDragoo]

[white trash redneck]

Middendorf said he cannot comment specifically on any action taken on Kerry, because he is barred, under the 1974 privacy act, from discussing personnel matters.

Those regs didn't prevent Ken Bacon from leaking Linda Tripp's personnel records.

[AmishDude]

The truth is, the Kerrybots will see any less than honorable discharge as a spiteful act of a bitter Nixon administration.

[Bob J]

Maybe too late, but every bit counts.

[TexasCajun]

I have to say that if I worked in the Navy Archives I would have to leak those documents. If I got caught, so be it. The American people have a right to know what type of man is running for President.

I've thought the very same thing for the longest time! And wondered why it hasn't happened yet?

And who was on this review board anyway?

[holden]

If Qerri got a less than honorable discharge, it would have a similar effect to me as "piling on" a downed quarterback. I don't care at all about swaying voters for this election. Any unbiased citizen with a brain should have been able to see that JFK2 is Unfit for Command.

However, it seems to me there is sufficient cause and doubt to have the Federal Election Commission (yes, I know they're conflicted) make inquiry to the Navy, as to whether there is even the slightest potential in his service record that Qerri was not eligible to be elected Senator and/or President, based on the 14th Amendment, Section 3, of the Constitution.

If that potential exists, a non-public hearing by such a body should be able to meet with the relevant Navy evidence in hand to decide if Jean is and at all times was eligible for the offices he has sought.

If there is a potential eligibility issue here, it should be possible to keep Qerri's records as private as anyone else's while this issue is laid properly considered by the appropriate "controlling legal authorities."

Proper functioning of the Republic demands this be fully considered soon, even if not tomorrow.

HF

[soozla]

This is A GREAT SYNOPSIS, THANKS, I'VE BEEN SENDING IT FAR AND WIDE!!!

[GOPJ]

bump

[joesnuffy]

If by an act of fraud Kerry wins....
or even if John F Kerry loses

This aint over by a looooong shot....

These guys are not going to rest until John F Kerry is brought to justice and brought in front of the American people...

I hope to see him shamed and humilitated and shown to be the lying traitor responsible for thousands of American deaths during and after the Vietnam War...and millions of deaths of SE Asians including those S Vietnamese killed by the north....Kerry helped to kill our friends and our allies and their families...

Kerry states he is 'for the family' well the family he must be talking sounds more like the Soros marxist crime family...given his record on 'the familes' of our veterans and our allies and friends.

Kerry will be shown to have been the traitor of the POWs and MIAs and their widows and orphans..

Justice demands John F Kerry is run out of the US Senate and out of this nation...he should be stripped of his US citizenship (as should his partner SOROS) and sent packing...he and Teraza can go live in France or in any of a dozen mansions he or she owns around the globe...

IMO

[cgk]

Bump...

[soozla]

I think people over at SBVT have been working on it since this summer........problem is that they have to go in"other" locations for dots to add up because Kerry has refused to release his files............THIS is why!!!!

[tobyhill]

The difference is Clinton never had a clearance and Kerry had his revoked. I think this is why he never attended closed door meetings? The American Revolutionary Congress set these safeguards up to assure that they weren't infiltrated by British Royalty sympathizers. Kerry may have a clearance but it probably isn't the top clearance and that's why he had Berger take the documents from the achieves otherwise he could have gone there himself and get them.