[Robert A Cook PE]

Nope!

These new citations were rewritten (and re-signed) years after the fact, not re-issued to replace originals - because there is NEVER a reason to change the official record.

Unless you're John Kerry and want your Vietnam history changed!
No, these citations WERE SPECIFICALLY REVISED to make them "sexier" -

There is NO "standard form" for a medal citation like this, because each is written EXPLICITY to honor one action that ONE person or one unit did. They become official documents, and reflect the historical record of the award.

Kerry worked very hard over a period of YEARS to get the Navy dept to REWRITE his awards apparently to make them "sexier" and to get them signed by ever higher and higher officials.

NOT to "replace the medals" - YOU DON'T "replace" citations!

EVER.

Do you go back now to 1927 and add a few homeruns and strikeouts to Ruth;s record, just because you want him to overtake Aaron?
You've said several times that he is merely "replacing" the medals - that is dead wrong! If the paper copy of a citation is lost, you can simply get a new copy! It is a COPY of the original record, and WILL NOT be changed from the original record.

Look, citations are the official record.

If you lose your wedding ring, do you get a new certificate? Nope. You go to the jewelers and get a new ring - and the jeweler doesn't ask to see a wedding certificate to check if it is "legitimate" wedding either! Replacing medals is that simple - besides, Kerry has said many times he has KEPT his original medals - they are in the middle of the shrine in his Senate office!

If your wedding certificate was lost, do you go back to the county clerk and get him to RETYPE and RE-STAMP and RE-SIGN the wedding certificate, changing the place you were wed at so it looks like you got married in a cathedral instead of the Justice of the Peace?

[Ramius]

Fair points, all.

[SC Swamp Fox]

Well stated.

[kabar]

The only explanation that makes sense is that Kerry requested replacement medals or claimed that he never received them. I assume that since his records had been moved to the inactive records in St Louis, the only way he could receive the medals was for someone to dig up the old citations from his official personnel file. Perhaps, the regulations require that SecNav reissue them under his signature. It needs to be investigated. If Kerry was trying to pull a fast one, I doubt if he would provide both citations. There has to be an explanation.

I will reiterate that the only change in the wording of the citations signed by Lehman is the last sentence of the Silver Star citation. Otherwise they are identical.

[rwfromkansas]

Good point.

"If the paper copy of a citation is lost, you can simply get a new copy! It is a COPY of the original record, and WILL NOT be changed from the original record.

Look, citations are the official record."

Dang......folks......can we all save these documents to our hard drives?

Before the Kerry campaign takes them down when I start calling folks tomorrow to get this into next week's newspaper...

[MJY1288]

I have to agree with you, John Kerry had his Citations "sexed up" in the wording as well as who signed them. That's like going back a rewriting your wedding vows, it cheapens the whole meaning

[Mo1]

These new citations were rewritten (and re-signed) years after the fact, not re-issued to replace originals - because there is NEVER a reason to change the official record.

Unless you're John Kerry and want your Vietnam history changed! No, these citations WERE SPECIFICALLY REVISED to make them "sexier" -

What you are saying is very possible .. but the problem is .. it means someone in the Navy helped Kerry make it sexier and there is no proof of that

That's a pretty heavey charge which needs a bit more proof