[kabar]

I am using the link below for the Silver Star citations signed by Hyland and Lehman. I don't have the Zumwalt copy, but it is quite possible that the chain of command for approval for a Silver Star goes up to Hyland for final approval. It could be reworked at that level It is not unusual to have awards take a long time to process, especially in Vietnam. I knew I had received an award for my service in Vietnam, but I didn't receive it until well into my next tour. It should also be noted that there is the actual write up for the award, which is more lengthy and then the citation synopsis, which can be put on one page.

http://www.johnkerry.com/about/Silver_Star.pdf

[Robert A Cook PE]

NO!

Once the citation is signed, the award is GIVEN. That's it! You've got the award. Pin it on on stop.

There is NO "chain of command" involved!

There is NO "rewrites and "do-overs" involved... (Unless you're Clinton taking four or five practice-swings (in the middle of the fairway) until you get the ball where you want it....

There is NO reason for a discharged, VERY JUNIOR OFFICER no longer in active duty, heck - there's no reason for ANYBODY EVER to get "new medal citations rewritten twice (much less three times!) for same medal for the same action in a war that's been over for 15 years.

Why distract the Secretary of the Navy (when he's fighting the Cold War, trying to prevent the scandals and repair the equipment the men so desperately need, trying to PREVENT nuclear war and find the spies and turncoats that were to soon give our precious submarine technology, our crypto ecrets, and our operational secrets to the Soviet Union)?

Why DEMAND that the Secretary of the Navy spend time giving "you" a third re-write of an old medal for the same action you ALREADY got changed when HE is trying to prevent nuclear war?