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Revealed: How 'War Hero' Kerry Tried To Put Off Vietnam Military Duty
The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 3-7-2004 | Charles Laurence

Posted on 03/06/2004 4:39:11 PM PST by blam

Revealed: how 'war hero' Kerry tried to put off Vietnam military duty

By Charles Laurence in New York
(Filed: 07/03/2004)

Senator John Kerry, the presumed Democratic presidential candidate who is trading on his Vietnam war record to campaign against President George W Bush, tried to defer his military service for a year, according to a newly rediscovered article in a Harvard University newspaper.

He wrote to his local recruitment board seeking permission to spend a further 12 months studying in Paris, after completing his degree course at Yale University in the mid-1960s.

The revelation appears to undercut Sen Kerry's carefully-cultivated image as a man who willingly served his country in a dangerous war - in supposed contrast to President Bush, who served in the Texas National Guard and thus avoided being sent to Vietnam.

The Harvard Crimson newspaper followed a youthful Mr Kerry in Boston as he campaigned for Congress for the first time in 1970. In the course of a lengthy article, "John Kerry: A Navy Dove Runs for Congress", published on February 18, the paper reported: "When he approached his draft board for permission to study for a year in Paris, the draft board refused and Kerry decided to enlist in the Navy."

Samuel Goldhaber, the article's author who is now a cardiologist attached to the Harvard School of Medicine, spent 11 hours trailing Mr Kerry and still remembers that the subject of the Paris deferment came up during long conversations about Vietnam.

"I stand by my story," he told The Telegraph. "It was a long time ago, and I was 19 at the time, so it is hard to remember every detail. But I do know this: at no point did Kerry contact either me or the Crimson to dispute anything I had written."

Sen Kerry's campaign headquarters in Washington refused an opportunity to deny the report. Despite repeated telephone calls from The Telegraph, a spokesman refused to comment. Another Democrat official said merely: "In Vietnam, John Kerry proved his patriotism beyond question. Everyone knows that."

A senior Republican strategist, who asked not to be named, said: "I've not heard this before. This undercuts Kerry's complaints about Bush and it continues to pose questions as to his credibility among ordinary Vietnam veterans."

He said it would fuel concerns over the way Sen Kerry made a name for himself by leading anti-war protests in Washington and Boston in the late 1960s and early 1970s after he had completed his service in the US Navy, even while his former comrades continued to fight and die.

A newly-published biography of Sen Kerry by Douglas Brinkley, A Tour of Duty, makes no mention of the requested deferment or planned year in Paris. At the time, it was still unclear just how long America would remain in Vietnam, and it might have seemed that a year's deferral of service could render enlistment unnecessary.

According to the Democratic Party's version of Sen Kerry's military history, he joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Harvard through eagerness to do his duty, and sailed with the Navy for combat as soon as he graduated in 1966.

Sen Kerry won a gallantry medal for his service as a gunboat captain on the Mekong Delta, and was honorably discharged with three "purple heart" medals after sustaining three wounds. He has consistently presented himself as a leader who argued against the war only after fulfilling his duty in the field. Supporters argue that his war record makes him a more trustworthy leader than President Bush, who served sporadically in the National Guard at home.

"This means that Kerry didn't jump into all that heroic service until he was pushed, and it is a very nice piece of information," said Lucianne Goldberg, a prominent Republican campaigner.

Republican strategists for President Bush were already investigating Sen Kerry's record of three wounds sustained in Vietnam. "We find that he had only one day off sick - with three wounds? What exactly were these wounds?" she asked.

Mr Goldhaber recalled that, during a day spent with Sen Kerry and one assistant during his congressional campaign, he had described his involvement, service and decision to oppose the war in great detail.

"I am not at all surprised that he wants to be president, because he exuded ambition from the word go," said Dr Goldhaber. "At the time, the idea that he tried to persuade the draft board to let him spend a year in Paris was just a detail."

A spokesman for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign declined to comment.


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 1970; 2004; bandaidwounds; bush2004; deferment; draftdodgerkerry; harvard; harvardcrimson; hero; jeanquerrie; johnfrenchkerry; kerry; kerrydeferment; militaryduty; revealed; vietnam; war
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To: onyx
The American media do not have access to the same information at our British friends?
21 posted on 03/06/2004 5:05:18 PM PST by Johnstone (carpe diem)
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To: blam; Timesink; Alamo-Girl; anniegetyourgun; kattracks; 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub; Bigun; ...
PUNK


PING.©


22 posted on 03/06/2004 5:06:13 PM PST by ATOMIC_PUNK (Is it time to water the tree of Liberty ?)
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To: Johnstone

LOL! That's funny. Sad, but funny.
23 posted on 03/06/2004 5:07:27 PM PST by onyx (Kerry' s a Veteran, but so were Lee Harvey Oswald, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Timothy McVeigh)
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To: blam
Bump for exposing Kerry for the phony that he is.
24 posted on 03/06/2004 5:07:38 PM PST by freeperfromnj
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To: Johnstone
The American media do not have access to the same information at our British friends?

Of course they do---------they just choose to ignore it..........bias anyone??????

25 posted on 03/06/2004 5:09:22 PM PST by Gabz (The tobacco industry doesn't pay cigarette taxes - smokers do!)
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To: Johnstone
The American media do not have access to the same information at our British friends?

Stuff our media finds but don't want to float first is leaked there, we return the favor broadcasting Princess Diana tapes.

With the Polier matter, the Wash post (fed by Clinton or Clark) and others leaked a little to Drudge, more then to the Brit papers.

26 posted on 03/06/2004 5:10:25 PM PST by Shermy
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To: Old Sarge
"Lucianne Goldberg, a prominent Republican campaigner."

I'm sure she'd be surprised to her herself referred to as a Republican campaigner. She's not even a registered Republican. (She's a registered Conservative.)
27 posted on 03/06/2004 5:16:31 PM PST by Hon
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To: Travis McGee; onyx; kcvl; Mo1; Amelia; Southflanknorthpawsis; DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet; deport
OMG, this is so great......not only did he try to defer, once he got in, he picked a boat that wasn't getting much action in the war (until he got on them.....LOL), and then he spent the rest of the time trying to get OUT of there.........LOL.

What a FRAUD!

Lord, life is SWELL!

Too funny!
28 posted on 03/06/2004 5:28:34 PM PST by Howlin (Charter Member of the Incredible Interlocking Institutional Power!!!!)
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To: Howlin
He'll be duly bloodied come November.
29 posted on 03/06/2004 5:30:53 PM PST by onyx (Kerry' s a Veteran, but so were Lee Harvey Oswald, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Timothy McVeigh)
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To: Howlin
I love it..........I love it.........I love it.
30 posted on 03/06/2004 5:35:50 PM PST by Southflanknorthpawsis
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To: blam
Another good find.
31 posted on 03/06/2004 5:41:56 PM PST by GailA (Millington Rally for America after action http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/872519/posts)
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To: GailA; blam
Yes, it is YET another great find by blam; I wonder what his secret is??
32 posted on 03/06/2004 5:45:01 PM PST by Howlin (Charter Member of the Incredible Interlocking Institutional Power!!!!)
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To: blam
Get ready for Waffles to put on the drama queen routine.
33 posted on 03/06/2004 5:54:28 PM PST by Paul Atreides (Is it really so difficult to post the entire article?)
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To: blam
John Kerry proved his patriotism beyond question. Everyone knows that."

"Everyone knows that"....

Which translates as: "This is a lie, but why let that whole 'fact thing' get in the way of what we want you to believe?"

"Everyone knows", and "we all know" are also the code words Hillary uses for every unsupported claim she makes. Apparently it's some kind of inside 'rat speak. Sort of like those hand signs that gang members throw.

34 posted on 03/06/2004 5:56:27 PM PST by ArmstedFragg
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To: Peach
"The long knives are out for Kerry. Those FBI files certainly come in handy for the Clintons."

I watched the "McLaughlin Report" awhile ago...One of the guys (who had predicted 2 years ago that Kerry would be the demo nominee this year) said he flat-out is sure that Kerry will win this year's election. When the suggestion was made that Hillary might run as VP, the luvly/talented Eleanor Clift quickly said, "No way, no way!"

I remain convinced that the Clintons/McAuliffe faction WILL somehow stymie Kerry so he loses the election. Or else, she decides to run after a convention battle of some sort (don't know how that works exactly).
35 posted on 03/06/2004 6:01:33 PM PST by Maria S ("I will do whatever the Americans want…I saw what happened in Iraq, and I was afraid." Gaddafi, 9/03)
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To: Maria S
There were three negative articles on Kerry in the last 2 hours posted on FR from mainstream press sources.

It makes me think Hillary is working behind the scenes.

UNLESS the administration does a better job getting the information out about the job situation, President Bush will lose, I fear.

I have found these two Investors Daily articles very interesting. The economy is in GREAT shape. The job situation is about what is was in the 90's - 5.6 unemployment.

BUT, the press is doing everything they can to downplay the administration's success.

http://www.investors.com/ibdarchives/ArtShow.asp?atn=157881731831636&sy=&kw=unemployment&ps=

http://www.investors.com/ibdarchives/ArtShow.asp?atn=158756559569663&sy=&kw=unemployment&ps=

36 posted on 03/06/2004 6:07:57 PM PST by Peach (The Clintons have pardoned more terrorists than they ever captured or killed.)
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To: blam
WHAT 3 WOUNDS ?......
I wanna know NOW... (not known for patience)
Somebodys saveing this for the home strech..

Kerry should be afraid very afraid...

37 posted on 03/06/2004 6:12:50 PM PST by hosepipe
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To: Howlin
We sure won't see any articles like these in our local fish wrapper the commie appeal in Memphis...it's the official water carrier of RATS.
38 posted on 03/06/2004 6:17:58 PM PST by GailA (Millington Rally for America after action http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/872519/posts)
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To: Hon
Lucianne Goldberg was a friend of Linda Tripp, a great American, and is the mother of Jonah Goldberg, who writes excellent columns. Good to know that she's still alive.
39 posted on 03/06/2004 6:18:19 PM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: blam; Coop
Vietnam? John Kerry? Who knew?
40 posted on 03/06/2004 6:20:28 PM PST by IGOTMINE (We are being incrementally criminalized by a government that does not trust us with firearms.)
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