Kerry question: How common is 3 purple hearts in 3 months?

[Conservomax]

I was reading about Kerry's service on this site: Vietnam Vets Against John Kerry after hearing my father, a WWII vet go on a rampage against Kerry's service record. Being from MA, I was of course, familiar with Kerry's war record and moreimportanatly, post war record, but I did not know the details. On this site it says that Kerry was wounded and awarded the PH three times in a little over 3 months. Is that common?

My father was shot, stabbed, and blown out of a landing craft during WWII, and never received any citation, I know that it was a different war. But I don't understand how Kerry could be so decorated in such a short period of time without someone pulling strings for him.

[Conservababe]

Kerry must heal really fast.

[faithincowboys]

good work. Kerry went their to get his number punched so he could run for high office. Kerry was in country for four months and petitioned to leave. He is a phony and he is hyping his service to the nth degree.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

He was a Vietnam vet, I didn't know that. You would have thought he would mention that sometime.

[finnman69]

or more likely they were minor superficial wounds.

[ken5050]

It's not worth looking at...it's a no-win situation..look Kerry dropped out of school, and enlisted, when thousands were going to Canada...and, from a military persepctive...the war was criminal , in the manner in which it was conducted...LBJ and McNamara killed 40,000 Americans needlessly, becuase they micromanaged the war..fed the troops in piecemeal, and refused to push for a strategy that could win the war...

[thesummerwind]

How common is 3 purple hearts in 3 months?

For a guy like Lurch, about as common as eating three ham and cheese sandwiches in 10 seconds?

[verity]

Depends on the severity of the wound!

[1066AD]

I read he missed a total of two days from the wounds.

[palmer]

I loved his closing pitch in his speech last week, "I'll be a veteran's veteran in the White House".

[r9etb]

I had the same question.

I'm not even close to being knowledgeable about it, but my understanding is that one can get a Purple Heart by receiving wounds in combat that require medical attention.

I don't know what the threshold is for "medical attention," but I think it's probably something more than tweezers and band-aids for splinters suffered during combat.

What I'm wondering is: did Kerry seek out those purple hearts, or were they given to him in the same way they were given to others?

Given his political connections (somebody recently posted a picture of Kerry on a sailing trip with JFK), I'm inclined to think that the threshold was lowered for Kerry for at least one of them.

[shiva]

He was a Vietnam vet, I didn't know that

Are You series? F'ing Kerry, the French looking dude in Nam? Wow! I didn't know that either.

[TomB]

I'd say give it a rest. There are plenty of reasons to go after Kerry. By all accounts he gave a great accounting of himself in Vietnam. It was well known that they gave out medals like candy there (and rightly so, IMO).

So leave him alone on this one unless it can be proven he lied to get the medals.

[ken in texas]

He probably got nervous when a heard a loud noise and cut himself shaving.

[chachacha]

JOHN KERRY NEVER SEEN A WAR HE COULDN'T PROTEST AGAINST

His anti-war protest days will forever make it difficult for him as President to call the Nation to war. Yes, even if he would have been President at the time of 911.

He will always be an appeaser and too late to the battle.

[mass55th]

I can't comment on Kerry's receipt of 3 Purple Hearts within a 3-month period, but I understand that his wounds were not serious at all. While I'm only speculating, it wouldn't be anything new for a soldier to finagle an injury in order to be shipped home or discharged. During the Civil War, soldiers would deliberately shoot or chop off their thumbs in order to be discharged. Since they needed their thumb to load and cock their weapon, they were rendered literally useless as a soldier by this action.

Regarding your father's wounds during WWII, I would say that he is more than entitled to the Purple Heart and you should check into it, even if he is no longer alive. I'd start with trying to get a copy of his DD214 if you don't already have it and a copy of his military record from the St. Louis, Mo. military personnel department. Many records were destroyed in a fire in the '60's, so it may be impossible for you to get a copy from them, but you can also try to see if the State Archives may have a copy, and you can always write your Congressman or Senator (Kennedy or Kerry). Having your Congress critter write for you forces the agency written to reply within a specific period of time. I've even used them (I live in New York State) to procure Civil War pension records that are still in the possession of the VA.

When there are Civil War vets still receiving Medals of Honor for bravery, there isn't any reason why your father shouldn't receive the honor of the Purple Heart that appears to be due him. It may take years, but I believe it's a worthy pursuit and something your children and/or grandchildren will be proud to have as a legacy. If you need any web links or addresses, I can probably help you out. Drop me a Freeper email if you want info.

[Old Sarge]

It doesn't matter how many or what medals he received.

He threw them all over the fence, didn't he?

Oh, wait... they weren't his...

[Ga Rob]

You have to understand that by the time Kerry hit 'Nam they gave out purple hearts for scratching your face out on an op. If you went to sick call with a "wound" you were put in for a purple heart. Not to take anything away from purple heart recipients. Both GrandPa's have them from WWII, my Dad spent 2 1/2 tours in 'Nam in SF. Has a box full of them, he's the one that told me the story.

Thanks for the vets against Kerry link...I wanted some info on his service record. I'm very skeptical of "war heroes" who run for political office. I was always taught that the "heroes" are at Arlington!!! "Rangers lead the way"!!!

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Kerry must heal really fast.

The man is a big target.

[NutmegDevil]

There were purported incidents of junior officers scratching themselves with can openers (younger freepers may not know what they were?) after mortar attacks that hit officers open messes to get Purple Hearts. Bronze Stars were prevalent - unusual for junior officers not to receive one for service in the Viet Nam. Silver Stars required a real good story teller/writing skills - often true, but maybe embellished. Kerry knows the truth, others will not. So we must trust Kerry. Rescuing the SOF/Green Beret soldier (out of the Mekong?) appears to be a genuine act that had a good result - bravery or opportune?