Posted on 06/22/2008 11:27:28 AM PDT by neverdem
The DD-214 is a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. I have a DD-214 from when I was released from Active duty, but not one from my transfer to the retired reserve. (w/o enough good years to be entitled to retired pay or benefits)
If Kerry got in trouble over his activities in Gay Paris *after* his release from active duty, but while still in the inactive reserve, it won't show up on his original DD-214. His purple hearts would of course, but not the original citations, just the information that he'd gotten them... somehow or another.
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According to last week’s Newsweek, ‘unnamed sources’ close to Kerry say he wants to be Obama’s Sec. of State. Words fail.
Yes, you are. Maybe you don't understand what I am saying.
It was this anomalous PH, "earned" before he joined CD 11 but "claimed" and "awarded" afterwards, that gave him his ticket home. I.e., Kerry's Purple Hearts were not awarded in the same sequence in which he was wounded.
According to his PH award certificates and transmittal letters, Kerry received his first PH [CD 14 training mission--Dec 2, 1968] on Feb 28, 1969. His second PH for wounds received on Feb 20, 1969 was awarded on March 5, 1969 and the third PH for wounds on March 13, 1969 was awarded April 17, 1969. The bottom line is that they were awarded in sequence, but the first PH was awarded almost three months after the event.
There is an overlap between the second PH event on Feb 20 and when Kerry received official authorization on Feb 28 for the first PH. I find it dubious that Kerry could have initiated the paperwork for the first PH after Feb 20 and got it approved by Feb 28. That said, we really do need to see the documentation on how he was awarded the first PH. There are many questions, especially the fact that no after action report was ever filed.
Hence the need to have revised to honorable in 1986. Interesting how the signing authority (Sec. Lehman? [memory]) doesn’t remember signing.
Good point spookie.
Thanks for the ping!
Nonetheless, as you point out, there are questions...
Today, Newt Gingrich brought back the smear that the Swiftboat Veterans are liars. It’s disgusting a Republican would take Kerry’s side and insult veterans. He needs to be challenged just as much as Kerry was.
Etiam non princeps sed usque ad genua, Principis Pacis!
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