Posted on 04/22/2004 10:49:24 AM PDT by moondoggie
How come the paperwork on Kerry's Bronze Star Award is signed by John Lehman, Sec. of the Navy????
In addition, the date Lehman (supposedly) signed it is not on the document.
Did Kerry not get the award when Chaffee was Secretary of the Navy? If not, why not?
Did Kerry get the award 15 years late?
Or is the paperwork a "sham" and somebody made a big booboo?
I'll post the document as soon as I find it again. Maybe somebody here has it bookmarked? And, if there's already been a thread on this that I missed....please direct me to the proper thread.
Thanks!
FYI, I emailed the Lehman information to the Boston Globe reporter who's covered Kerry for many years.
He wrote me back within 20 minutes, saying "very interesting, can't explain it, will check into it."
Still holding my breath, but at least it's "out there".
"Admiral John S. McCain, Jr., submariner, became Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Command (CINCPAC) in July 1968, a position he held until 1972. As such, he directed all U.S. military operations in the vast war theater during the Vietnam war, exercising command through CINCPACFL (Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet) and CINCPACAF (Commander- in-Chief of the Pacific Air Force). He exercised command over ground and air operations in Vietnam through CONMUSMACV (Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam), U.S. Army General Creighton Abrams."
CINCPACFLT
Admiral John J. HYLAND, USN
30 November 1967 - 5 December 1970
The Silver Star Medal authorized in 1932 was designed by Rudolf Freund of Bailey, Banks and Biddle. Silver Star Medal number #1 (with six oak leaf clusters) was issued to General Douglas MacArthur in August of 1932
The statutory authority for the Navy/Marine Corps to issue a Silver Star Award is 10 USC 6244. For the Army it is 10 USC 3746. For the Air force it is 10 USC 8746.
10 USC Section 6244. Silver star medal
The President may award a silver star medal of appropriate design, with ribbons and appurtenances, to a person who, while serving in any capacity with the Navy or Marine Corps, is cited for gallantry in action that does not warrant a medal of honor or Navy cross -
(1) while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States;
(2) while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or
(3) while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.
SECNAVINST 1650.1G of 7 January 2002
NAVY AND MARINE CORPS AWARDS MANUAL
The first page provides points of contact, including the Navy Department Board of Decorations and Medals: (202) 685-1770
Paragraph 113. AUTHORITY TO APPROVE AWARDS
Subparagraphs (3) and (4)
[at page 12 of the PDF file, page 1-4 of the instruction]
"3. The Navy Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, and Silver Star Medal are approved and awarded by SECNAV in the name of the President."
4. The Legion of Merit, Distinguished flying Cross, Navy and Marine Corps Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and Air Medal (Strike/Flight) are awarded by SECNAV and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) or Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) under delegated authority from SECNAV in the name of the President.
SECNAVINST 1650.1G, page 2-43, [At page 82 of the PDF file] appendix C to Chapter 2, provides a sample SILVER STAR CITATION which appears to show that the signature of SECNAV is required.
For info, the info addresses appearing as "AIG 7403" and "AIG 7406" do not indicate one addressee. AIG = Address Indicator Group and each represents a great big gaggle of addressees.
The current policy shows Army delegation for a Bronze Star but not a Silver Star.
https://www.perscomonline.army.mil/tagd/awards/Delegation_of_Wartime_Approval_AuthorityUSJSOC.doc
231306Z APR 03
FROM: CDRPERSCOM ALEXANDRIA VA//TAPC-PDO-PA
TO: COMUSJSOC FORT BRAGG NC
INFO:
COMCFLCC DOHA KUWAIT KU//C1//
COMUSARCENT-CDRUSATHIRD FT MCPHERSON GA//AFRD-PA//
HQDA WASH DC//DACS/DAMO/DALO/DAPE//
USCINCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCJ1-MPSA//
CDRFORSCOM FT MCPHERSON GA//AFAG-PSS-S//
AIG 7403
AIG 7406
UNCLAS
SUBJECT: DELEGATION OF WARTIME APPROVAL AUTHORITY-USJSOC
A. AR 600-8-22, MILITARY AWARDS, DATED 25 FEBRUARY 1995.
B. DOD 1348.33-M, MANUAL OF MILITARY DECORATIONS AND AWARDS, SEPTEMBER 1996.
C. HQ, PERSCOM MESSAGE, DTG 121305Z, NOV 02, SUBJ: SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT AWARDS OF THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN AND COMBAT MEDICAL BADGES.
D. HQ, PERSCOM MESSAGE, DTG 091135Z, JUL 02, SUBJ: CLARIFICATION OF PURPLE HEART CRITERIA-CORRECTED COPY.
E. HQ, PERSCOM MESSAGE, DTG 110501Z, MAR 02, SUBJ: AWARD OF THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE AND COMBAT MEDICAL BADGE-OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.
F. HQ, PERSCOM INFORMATION PAPER, DATED 13 JAN 03, SUBJ: CRITERIA AND PROCESSING PROCEDURES FOR ARMY AWARDS TO FOREIGN MILITARY PERSONNEL.
G. HQ, CFLCC/ARCENT MEMORANDUM (AFRD-PA), DATED 20 APR 03, SUBJ: CFLCC WARTIME AWARDS POLICY FOR OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF).
1. ON 18 APR 03, THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY DELEGATED, AS AN EXCEPTION TO POLICY, AUTHORITY FOR YOU TO APPROVE WARTIME AWARDS, BRONZE STAR MEDAL AND BELOW, TO U.S. ARMY PERSONNEL ASSIGNED OR ATTACHED TO YOUR COMMAND WHO DEPLOY INTO THE USCENTCOM AOR IN SUPPORT OF JSOC COMBAT OPERATIONS. THIS AUTHORITY WILL NOT BE FURTHER DELEGATED.
2. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AWARD OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR, DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS, DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL, SILVER STAR, LEGION OF MERIT, DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, AND SOLDIERS' MEDAL WILL BE FORWARDED TO HQ, PERSCOM (TAPC-PDO-PA) FOR CONSIDERATION BY ONE OF THE ARMY DECORATIONS BOARDS.
[snip]
Did he or didn't he? After reviewing Kerry's service records, as released by him, I find it hard to believe the media have not picked up on the John Lehman connection. It should set off all kinds of alarm bells, especially considering the current flap over whether he threw his medals away or not.
A very curious question arises over Kerry's multiple Silver (3) and Bronze (2) star citations. Two of the five were signed by John Lehman who was Secretary of the Navy in the Reagan Administration 5 Feb 1981 - 10 Apr 1987. There are three Silver Star citations supplied by Kerry. One was signed by ADM Zumwalt, one by ADM Hyland, and one by Secretary Lehman. The Bronze Star citations were signed by Zumwalt and Lehman. Specifically,
Zumwalt: ADM Zumwalt served as Commander, US Naval Forces Vietnam from Sep 1968-May 1970. The Silver Star citation is more than likely the original citation taken from the award submission. Normally, as part of the nomination form, the nominator must provide a synopsis of the award (citation) that can fit on a single page suitable for framing with the certificate. Zumwalt's citation covered two pages. I suspect that Zumwalt forwarded the award to CINCPAC, ADM Hyland, for the final signature, including the citation. It is worth noting that the requirement to go to CINCPAC applied only to the Silver Star, hence only the Zumwalt and Lehman citations for the Bronze Star, i.e., Zumwalt as the final approving authority and Lehman for the replacement/reissue.
Hyland: CINCPAC probably edited the Zumwalt Silver Star citation to make it fit on to one page and to clean it up a bit to fit the existing format. ADM Hyland was CINCPAC 30 Nov 1967 - 05 Dec 1970
Lehman: Except for the last sentence, the Silver Star citation is the same as Hyland's. What makes this curious is that Secretary Lehman signed the citation at least over 12 and up to 18 years after the events occurred. Kerry served in Vietnam from November 1968 to April 1969. I doubt, in any event, that the final approval authority for Silver Stars had to go to SECNAV for approval. We also have photographic evidence that Kerry had the Silver Star medal pinned on in 1969. Kerry also acknowledges that he received them by at least 1971. How else could he have admitted and then denieds that he threw them away. My take is that Kerry requested replacement medals and due to the fact that Kerry was no longer an active duty service member, administrative requirements mandated that SECNAV's office had to approve the issue of the replacements once it was verified from official records that Kerry had actually earned them.
The bottom line is that Kerry probably did throw away his medals and then requested replacements in the 1980s. Someone needs to raise this issue with Kerry, i.e., why did Secretary Lehman sign duplicate Bronze and Silver Star citations at least 12 years after you left Vietnam? Kerry needs to release all of his military records including the nomination forms, which will give us the chronology and the approval chain of command.
Kerry's latest reaction on Good Morning America fits his MO. He wants it both ways. When he discovered that throwing away your medals was politically a negative, he came up with the story about his ribbons and someone else's medals. Kerry realized that he couldn't walk away from the story entirely, especially since he has the medals displayed prominently in his office. However, the fly in the ointment is that we now have the citations, released by him, signed by Lehman. If he indeed requested replacement medals, he has a real problem, i.e., he was telling the truth initially, lied in the 80s, and is lying now.
I recognize that confronting Kerry on his military service is fraught with problems politically, but I believe there are plenty of inconsistencies that need to be made public. His antiwar activities and associations (Fonda, Ramsey Clark, the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, et. al) also need to be exposed fully. The fact that Kerry was a member of the inactive Naval Reserves (1970-2) subject to involuntary recall and could meet with the Communist Vietnamese in Paris (per his sworn Congressional testimony) while our forces were engaged in hostilities is disgraceful. Kerry is unfit to be Commander-in-Chief.
Kerry is frozen in a time warp when it comes to his service in Vietnam. His preoccupation with his medals borders on being an obsession. If you check Kerry's released military records, you will notice that Kerry amended his DD214 with a DD215. Among other things, Kerry burnishes his Vietnam Service medal by adding four bronze service stars to reflect various campaigns. This was done in March 2001!!! Why anyone would go through that effort to make some meaningless changes is beyond me. Hundreds of thousands of veterans, including myself, could do it, but beyond self-gratification and ego, what is the point?
I agree with the others that the signatures is like a stamp, and perfectly legit.
I wonder, and maybe I'm naive, but why didn't Kerry just get some used medals from a surplus or pawn shop, or something? Or before ebay, were they that difficult to come by? He had the original documents, or they were available at any rate.
Was this done in any other case? I've seen various websites of those awarded Silver and Bronze Stars. They only have the one document. Does anyone know how many received two citations, two certificates, for the same medal? at the time.
Is that meant to appear more impressive - and if so, to who? And was this substitution something that many took advantage of?
I don't quite understand your question. Kerry received a Silver and a Bronze star. Normally, the nominations are passed through an approval process using a standard form. The Silver star was signed by Zumwalt, the area commander and passed up to Hyland as CINCPAC for final approval. There is only one reasonable explanation for Lehman's signature on a citation since he was SECNAV at least 12 years after Kerry received his medal. It was for a replacement medal. The Bronze star only had two signatures, Zumwalt and Lehman. As I speculated, Zumwalt was probably the approval authority and Lehman for the replacement medal.
Normally, there is a certificate accompanying the medal plus a one page summary suitable for framing next to the certificate. Some editing at the approval level may take place for various reasons, e.g., grammar, lenght, etc.
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