Cleland's Time At The Front

Various | Hon

[Hon]

I fill in more details as I find them.

Of course this is not to denigrate Cleland's service in any way shape or form. It is simply to clarify the record.

[Cathryn Crawford]

Okay.

[cweese]

...great post! any chance of finding similar details concerning sen. heinz's record?...

[sirshackleton]

While the clarification is appreciated, I don't think we should hold something like this against Cleland.

[TexasCajun]

Note to self:

Do Not Pick Up Hand Grenades I Find!

[Hon]

"While the clarification is appreciated, I don't think we should hold something like this against Cleland."

I don't hold his time at the front against Cleland. I do object to some of his self-portrayals, which would make him out to be Audie Murphy and Sargent York combined.

[NautiNurse]

Cleland was not eligible for a Purple Heart, as his injury did not occur while in direct combat with the enemy.

This last line was the most amazing.

[familyofman]

8 days at the front & he gets wounded. I can think of a lot of soldiers that spent less than a day at the front & never came home. Think Omaha Beach on D Day for starters.

Jessica Lynch wasn't even at the front & she came home a wounded "hero".

Some things in life just aren't worth trying to bring up to denigrate your political opponent & this is surely one of them. For pity sakes - quit going after our servicemen & women - have you no shame?

[Hon]

Cleland was not eligible for a Purple Heart, as his injury did not occur while in direct combat with the enemy.
This last line was the most amazing.

++++++

Yes, I actually posted that a while back on this thread:

The Purple Heart [Superstitions]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1079832/posts

And Ann Coulter also pointed it out in her last column.

[Wheee The People]

He was there. That counts, and I honor his service. I spit on his judgement after that, but here was there...

[Hon]

I am denigrating nothing. How can the truth be denigrating?

I take it you are not reading some of the remarks Cleland has been making for the last several months. You might start with this thread here:

His new mission: Elect Kerry [Max Cleland]

[Hon]

"And then, after demanding hugs from everybody in the little union hall in eastern Wisconsin, Cleland pressed on with his mission.

"The Bush slime machine," he barked, will stop at nothing to smear a genuine war hero, John Kerry. The president, he said, got his "daddy" to keep him out of combat in Vietnam, and now he's created another "quagmire" that's getting American "kids" maimed and killed.

"If he'd gone to Vietnam maybe he'd have learned some lessons," snapped Cleland, who lost three limbs in that war.

It's payback time for Max Cleland."

From the article linked in my reply above.

[Gippers Brigade]

Ann Coulter is braver and more of a hero than that pseudo-patriot cleland. how dare he expolit his 3 lost limbs for political gain, has he no shame?

[Robe]

inexperienced soldier who had incorrectly set the pin for a hair-trigger detonation

#1. How do you SET the pin on a grenade for a hair-trigger detonation?

The way I heard it... From Cleland"sown mouth at a dinner in Atlanta 'bout 6-8 years ago, was..... he had affixed the grenade to his webbing BY THE PIN RING!!!!...When he bent over the weight of the grenade pulled out the pin and it fell to the ground... he then bent over to pick it up when it went off !!!!

[familyofman]

"I am denigrating nothing."

You sure are!!! And it is not becomming at all. Is it denigrating to say "GWB was never at the front", which is also true. Either accept the service that each gave, or say nothing. Attacking those that gave service to our country is not something we should be engaging in here - leave that to the fools over at DU.

[bobo1]

I would make a minor protest. I simply consider heros to be heros. Cleland does not fit the definition, as does Kerry.

I am wearied of those that wish to claim the status without the substance. Cleland merely appealed to the sympathy vote.

Go ahead and flame me. He is a jerk using his war wounds for his own ambition, just like Hanoi John.

A pox be upon them.

Blessings, bobo

[Smartass]

Some people just can't stand the truth!!!

[wtc911]

All I know about you here is your consistant attacks on the service records of Kerry and Cleland. You need to find another bone to gnaw on. Both of these guys enlisted and both volunteered for combat zone assignments. What they did subsequent to returning to the US in no way diminishes their service, except for those of you who wish to believe so.

A serious question for you to answer or ignore...when did you serve and what hazardous duty did you volunteer for?

[Hon]

"You sure are!!! And it is not becomming at all. Is it denigrating to say "GWB was never at the front", which is also true. Either accept the service that each gave, or say nothing. Attacking those that gave service to our country is not something we should be engaging in here - leave that to the fools over at DU."

You're crazy. I have simply compiled material--ALL of which is from sites that are highly favorable to Cleland or neutral (as in the case of the chronology).

Get a grip!

[optimistically_conservative]

Your headline is misleading, not sure the battle for Khe Sahn can be considered the limit of Cleland's "front-line" experience in Vietnam. I've also done some research on this.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1080821/posts?page=92#92

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1080821/posts?page=104#104

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1080821/posts?page=155#155

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1080821/posts?page=168#168

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1076535/posts?page=220#220