Kerry Bronze Star Certificate signature questioned. Investigation warranted?

Kerry's PDF Military Files on his Website ^ | 4-15-04 | me

[William Tell]

kabar said: "This has to be for replacement medals or a response to claims that he never received the medals. Kerry has to provide more information on this."

Everything to which I am entitled appears on my DD214. I can't imagine anyone questioning the validity of what appears on that form as long as the form is genuine.

The only reason I can see for someone to request a certificate for a medal which is already on the DD214 is to be able to frame it. There may be information available regarding why the medal was awarded. Perhaps that appears on some types of certificates.

Also, after 35 years, memories grow dim. Apart from official records, it can be very difficult to determine exact dates. As with Bush, people will be expecting Kerry to account for his time in a manner consistent with his claims for how the time was spent.

Kerry's request to amend the DD214 to include campaign devices for the VietNam Service Medal seems very strange. The dates speak for themselves and it apparently was not the practice to include the campaign information on the DD214. The dates of specific "campaigns" were probably not determined until after the fact. This would make it difficult to include on a DD214 which a serviceman receives on date of discharge.

[Ramius]

hehehe... thanks. Love your tagline too. :-)

[kabar]

Good pick up. The citations are virtually the same, except for the last sentence. That is another question to ask whether it came from someone in Lehman's office or Kerry himself. Lehman is also a Navy vet and may have embelished it a little for a comrade. Still someone needs to ask these questions.

[mystery-ak]

Yes, I saw that....we're not the only ones who noticed his *wounds* in the records Kerry released.

[kcar]

Fake family jewels too? Is there anything about this guy that isn't counterfeit?

[kabar]

I agree. I could amend my DD214 now, but for what purpose? Adding some additional bronze stars to the Vietnamese Service medal in 2001? That is why I think this guy is certifiably nuts. Vietnam is an obsession with him.

[MediaMole]

The signatures are autopens. Almost all high-ranking govt. officials have autopens to sign correspondence and ceremonial documents.

It isn't too hard to determine if a signature is an autopen. First, they will match exactly. Second, the pen stops at the end of each word, so there is a little dot at the end of each part of the name instead of trailing away as the pen is lifted while moving as a person would do.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Nor am I.

What I'm saying is that Kerry deliberately got HIS OWN medal citations (the paper citation that officially describes the action!) NOT the physical piece of ribbon and bronze!changed and upgraded.

I don't care WHAT he did with his medals, regardless whether he threw over the fence for fame, or fenced them for cash! This has nothing to do with the bribbons and metal.

What he DID DO was to work VERY HARD and use his congressional influence to distract and disturb VERY high ranking Naval officials to merely REWRITE history decades after the fact. Further, he did this same thing under several different administrations, to rewrite his own citations - while WITHHOLDING those same citations and medical records from the public!

He DISPLAYED the physical medals in his Senate office, but DID NOT display the citations that were being rewritten.

It's like you commissioned Rembrandt to repaint your driver's license photo, then refused to show it to the cop when stopped for a traffic ticket. Why change a very old OFFICIAL navy record that nobody is questioning whetehr you earned it, and nobody cares about anyway?

[William Tell]

Robert A. Cook, PE said: "(WAHOO! Stand up! Take notice! Salute the flag!)"

The change in wording at the end may simply reflect that the form has been changed. All certificates of the newer date might bear that last statement.

The commendation certificate which I received is 95% pre-printed text attesting to how attentive to duty, etc. I was. Only the range of dates covered by the award are unique to my copy. If I requested a replacement certificate, I might see my very generic contribution described in a very different manner with the dates filled in to match the prior certificate.

[kabar]

DID NOT display the citations that were being rewritten

I think you exaggerate the rewriting of the citations. The Silver Star citation is exactly the same except for the last sentence. The Bronze Star citations are exactly the same. I think it is important politically if Kerry is found to have been lying about whether he tossed his medals away or not.

[OldCorps]

In the army, approval authority for awards is as follows:

Distinguished Service Cross/Distinguished Service Medal: 4 Star Commander

Silver Star/Legion of Merit:-3 star or corps commander

Bronze Star/Meritorious Service Medal: - 2 star or division commander

Arcom: Brigade Commander/O-6
Army Acheivement Medal: Battalion Commander O-5

Obviously, DSC, SS, BSM are awards for heroism and only given during wartime. Normally, the appropriate commander signs these awards; ie, for a DSC, you would see a 4 star general's signature. I'm pretty sure the Navy would have the same grade requirements for approval authority of the various awards.

[Mo1]

The change in wording at the end may simply reflect that the form has been changed. All certificates of the newer date might bear that last statement.

Thank you William Tell .. that makes more sense to me

[LikeLight]

"I actually did throw my medals over the fence, before I decided to keep them"

J. F'in K.

[Riley]

Sticks in mind that he already sheepishly admitted that he threw away somebody else's medals. If we nail him on falsifying award documentation, I hope that we make doggone sure it's the real deal before 'going public'.

[svcw]

Thanks for the link. I am confused - my dad lost an arm in WWII and his purple heart letter is extremely detailed. Kerry's doesn't really give any information. I am sooo confused!

[Nam Vet]

That's a damned UNIT CITATION!!!! Can I be a "War Hero" now too??? I think we have more than one. Talk about being a puffed up piece of cr*p ! I don't know what the hell this guy is trying to pull off.

Nam Vet

[TankerKC]

It is common to have a machine do the signing. I issue 150 certificates a month and don't "sign" a single one.

[kabar]

I believe you are correct, but there could be different approval authorities for replacement medals, especially if a significant amount of time has passed since the original awarding of the medal. Since the personnel records are no longer part of the active records, there could be a different chain of command.

Kerry really needs to explain why he has duplicate citations signed over a dozen years apart. There should be a cover or transmital letter as well for each citation.

[kcar]

That's a GREAT line. Thx!

[Piranha]

Best line of the night. Very funny.