[sevry]

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!!!

Is that meant to appear more impressive - and if so, to who? And was this substitution something that many took advantage of?

[kabar]

I don't know what Kerry's motivations were. He could have been getting his info together and updated to prepare for his presidential run. Kerry is a self-promoter and narcissist, so he would do anything to burnish his record. I doubt that very many people go back into their military records and update their DD214 thirty years later, especially to make such an insignificant change. Personally, I could do something similar, but the thought would never occur to me. I left the USN in 1972.