[AndyTheBear]

To arm you for an obvious counter argument:

I used to wonder why he would push for three purple hearts for minor wounds as his ticket out of combat so soon after he volunteered to go there.

Then I heard a story (which I have never verified, so maybe you should check first):

Apparently Kerry never intended to go in to any actual combat. First he served on a ship off the shore, and then volunteered for swift boat duty. However (as I understand it) the mission of the swift boats changed with unfortunate timing for him, going further inland where the fighting was. Which he had not anticipated when he volunteered.

[redlegplanner]

Questions that I have never seen the answer to:

1. How many other men rec’d 3x Purple Hearts?
2. How many other men were sent home after receiving 3x Purple Hearts? i.e., was this a common event?
3. What % of eligible servicemen took this route?
4. How are their wounds characterized, particularly wound #3?

[lepton]

Apparently Kerry never intended to go in to any actual combat. First he served on a ship off the shore, and then volunteered for swift boat duty. However (as I understand it) the mission of the swift boats changed with unfortunate timing for him, going further inland where the fighting was. Which he had not anticipated when he volunteered.

That's essentially correct. Ironically, When President Bush joined the Texas Air National Guard, he volunteered to a unit that was sending pilots to Vietnam, but that changed while he was in training.