[sevry]

We have no idea why Kerry demanded his official citations be changed some 14 years after he left the service.

I'm confused about two things, here. A) what did Kerry want amended? Did he change the date of his discharge? Was it '72, and he changed it to '70? Did he ask for that new medal with the four stars? It's on the form 215, correct?

And B) the Silver Star incident itself. I still don't get it. Was it policy to turn into the fire and beach these boats, or rather to run back to a safe distance and take ones chances with the weapon's range? And was the B-40 like a bazooka, that could be reloaded, or a one-shot weapon? They record being hit in the cabin. So one round was fired from the weapon. And some speak of 'twin-50' caliber machine guns. And others speak of 60. It was 50 caliber, correct, which if they hit anyone would not allow them to 'not miss a stride'?

[Robert A Cook PE]

Absolutely forbidden to (1) deliberately beach (run the boat aground) the boat (espicially under fire!) (2) abandon the boat (under combat conditions - because then the ones left on the boat have (a) no commanding officer, no body manning the radio/contacting other boats officially to get help or run things under combat (b) you could be shot or captured, then THEY (your crew) would have to leave the boat to try to go get you! (c) your absence reduces the boat's firepower (people who are running around on shore can't shoot the guns mounted on the boat!) (d) the boat could very easily be shot itself (it can't move to evade enemy fire once grounded!) (e) the boat could easily get stuck in the mud and have to be abandoned itself, or need pulled off by ANOTHER boat who has to endanger itself and ITS crew!

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I understand the RPG-type weapon is a fire once, no reload, weapon.

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The DD-215 Kerry demanded in March 2001 amends (changes) his previous DD-214 that ADDS additional campaign "stars" to his Vietnam service ribbon. Essentially, it "displays" to the public extra Vietnam "campaigns" that Kerry didn't really serve in during his 120 days inside Vietnam, nor during his previous 90 days offshore on the USS Gridley, an air-conditioned guided missile cruiser.

Read his DD-215 on Kerry's web site.