[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.

[CholeraJoe]

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.

The standard is just that - medical attention for wounds. Having a tiny piece of shrapnel pulled out of your leg by a medic and heading back to the front gets a PH just as much as having a leg blown off. I knew plenty of combat vets who took minor shrapnel wounds, bandaged themselves, kept fighting and never put in for a PH.

[Michael.SF.]

We all should forget about going after Kerry's War record, even if he lied. Instead we should focus on what he did after the war as two of these pictures illustrate:

Cover of Kerry's book. The picture is intended to be an irreverent depiction of the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi.

Kerry at left, sailing with friends

[oldironsides]

It would be interesting to see if Kerry put his buddy in for the award while his buddy signed off on his awards? I am assuming he deserved the PH and others commendations. I never read he was there for 4 months. It was a stinking rat hole and more than a few went home after a short time. A question to ask Senator Kerry would be where did he go for his treatment? Repose? Sanctuary? Manila? How long was he hospitalized? 3 PH would leave some sort of hosptalization record? Would he share that part of his 201 file?