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Mystery Surrounds Kerry's Navy Discharge
New York Sun ^ | 10/13/2004 | BY THOMAS LIPSCOMB - Special to the Sun

Posted on 10/13/2004 12:54:03 AM PDT by politicket

Edited on 10/13/2004 1:07:27 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

Excerpt:

Mystery Surrounds Kerry's Navy Discharge

BY THOMAS LIPSCOMB - Special to the Sun
October 13, 2004
URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/3107

An official Navy document on Senator Kerry's campaign Web site listed as Mr. Kerry's "Honorable Discharge from the Reserves" opens a door on a well kept secret about his military service.

The document is a form cover letter in the name of the Carter administration's secretary of the Navy, W. Graham Claytor. It describes Mr. Kerry's discharge as being subsequent to the review of "a board of officers." This in it self is unusual. There is nothing about an ordinary honorable discharge action in the Navy that requires a review by a board of officers.

According to the secretary of the Navy's document, the "authority of reference" this board was using in considering Mr. Kerry's record was "Title 10, U.S. Code Section 1162 and 1163. "This section refers to the grounds for involuntary separation from the service. What was being reviewed, then, was Mr. Kerry's involuntary separation from the service. And it couldn't have been an honorable discharge, or there would have been no point in any review at all. The review was likely held to improve Mr. Kerry's status of discharge from a less than honorable discharge to an honorable discharge.

A Kerry campaign spokesman, David Wade, was asked whether Mr. Kerry had ever been a victim of an attempt to deny him an honorable discharge. There has been no response to that inquiry.

The document is dated February 16, 1978. But Mr. Kerry's military commitment began with his six-year enlistment contract with the Navy on February 18, 1966. His commitment should have terminated in 1972. It is highly unlikely that either the man who at that time was a Vietnam Veterans Against the War leader, John Kerry, requested or the Navy accepted an additional six year reserve commitment. And the Claytor document indicates proceedings to reverse a less than honorable discharge that took place sometime prior to February 1978.

The most routine time for Mr. Kerry's discharge would have been at the end of his six-year obligation, in 1972. But how was it most likely to have come about?


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: discharge; dishonorabledischarg; kerry; kerrydischarge; lipscomb; lurch; militaryrecord; napalminthemorning; navydischarge; thomaslipscomb; traitor
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To: AFPhys

John Kerry's choice of what to post on his web site and the fact he tends to brag causes adverse speculation.


481 posted on 10/13/2004 11:23:06 AM PDT by razorback-bert
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To: AFPhys
I'm guessing that Kerry's DD-214 is annotated with spin code SPN 686
Involuntary discharge - failure to resign under Chapter 16 - AR 535 - 120. when determined to be in the best interest of the government and the individual

...either that or SPN 263 - Bedwetter

482 posted on 10/13/2004 11:23:38 AM PDT by snopercod (I have no interest in streamlining government or making it more efficient, I mean to reduce its size)
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To: All

Hannity are you listening.....I think your afraid to discuss this issue on TV, Radio, also. If not ask them point blank about naval discharges.

SHOW YOU WANT TO BE THE LEADER OF THE PACK !!!


483 posted on 10/13/2004 11:25:01 AM PDT by wvromania (CHALLENGE KERRY to release DATE and TIME he Visited Troops at hospital!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: Dr. Eckleburg
"Does that mean he had to give them back, ..."

If it did, what better way for someone mean-spirited than to give them back in a very public way. Anything for a photo-op.

The more I think about it, the more I tend to believe Kerry would NOT have tossed his medals if he was honorably discharged at the time. We know he had designs on the White House even as far back as then, and he no doubt visualized his portrait hanging in one of the the hallways showing himself resplendent in all his regalia, including his medals, of course.

So regardless of his anti-war stance, if the medals meant anything to him at all, he would have treasured them if they were honorably earned, and tossing them for a photo-op would not have been in character.

But then, I'm assuming Kerry at least had some self-respect and a sense of loyalty and love for America at the time.

But then I've been wrong on many things. ;>

484 posted on 10/13/2004 11:34:52 AM PDT by Eastbound ("Neither a Scrooge nor a Patsy be.")
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To: Grampa Dave

Thanks.


485 posted on 10/13/2004 11:42:51 AM PDT by MistyCA
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To: Steel and Fire and Stone

"Of course Kerry's hiding his past. And, of course, his core 40% supporters know what he is, and they regard his pro-Communist treason during the Vietnam war as a real plus. Kerry is, in fact, the mainstream of the Democrat party, which today is just a bit to the political right of Lenin and Ho-Chi-Minh."

The choice for 94 BUSH CHENEY or HURRY REDWARDS


486 posted on 10/13/2004 11:44:43 AM PDT by RipSawyer ("Embed" Michael Moore with the 82nd airborne.)
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To: Dr. Eckleburg

Or, did he become "VVAW" because he had no choice - no "war hero" record to run on at that time?
This is getting good....


487 posted on 10/13/2004 11:47:02 AM PDT by mabelkitty (W is the Peoples' President ; Kerry is the Elite Establishment's President)
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To: mabelkitty

Good point. See my # 484.


488 posted on 10/13/2004 11:50:56 AM PDT by Eastbound ("Neither a Scrooge nor a Patsy be.")
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To: snopercod
I'm guessing that Kerry's DD-214 is annotated with spin code SPN 686

[snip]

...either that or SPN 263 - Bedwetter


Though I suspect you know this, then he would have had it scrubbed, reissued with the spin code removed, which anyone could get done without anything more than filing a form (no discretion involved).
489 posted on 10/13/2004 11:52:53 AM PDT by Mike Fieschko ("Quo usque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra?")
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To: reed13

You are saying that Kerry may have been in the IRR and had no duty to appear anywhere unless called up. That seems the most logical to me, since he was so visible in political circles during those years.

So Lt Kerry's active duty was 3 years and 18 days. Lt Bush spent almost as much time on 'active duty' given all his pilot training and subsequent flying hours.

I know this is not a big deal given that we have only 3 weeks to convince as many voters as possible that Kerry is Unfit for Command, but it is one more clue to the character of both men.


490 posted on 10/13/2004 12:24:18 PM PDT by maica (Vietnam Veterans Day is November 2)
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To: Grampa Dave

bookmark


491 posted on 10/13/2004 12:31:13 PM PDT by RebelTex (Freedom is Everyone's Right... ...and Everyone's Responsibility!)
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To: AFPhys
Normal Honorable Discharge DD-214 in the era like mine reference the service regulations not US Code.

Appeals of discharge I believe would site US Code.

492 posted on 10/13/2004 12:35:51 PM PDT by LowNslow (Retired CWO)
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To: mabelkitty

It's beginning to look to me that Republican or Democrat -- they all protect each other from "us"... the old them againstus routing!


493 posted on 10/13/2004 12:42:38 PM PDT by Arizona Carolyn
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To: maica

Right - however, even while in the IRR he was subject to the UCMJ and Naval procedures - up to and including potential administrative discharge for conduct unbecoming or other behavior detrimental to the naval service.

My opinion stands that it is likely - not necessarily certain - but likely that he was admin sep'd with a general rather than an honorable discharge, due to his post-(did you know he was in)vietnam activities. He could have then petitioned to have this upgraded to Honorable. Given the awards he attained (deserved or not is not the question) this would also likely have occurred. I have seen characterizations based on misconduct that were upgraded after a period of time, so it would not suprise me to see a general upgraded given the documentation the board would have had to review. Not saying I concur just that it happens.


494 posted on 10/13/2004 12:43:04 PM PDT by reed13
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To: AFPhys

Actually, a DD214 is a seperation from active duty document and as best I can remember will never include the kind of discharge you have unless you are discharged the day you also end your active duty. My DD-214 was issued 4 years before my 6 years of total duty was completed and all it says is I completed 24 months of active duty.


495 posted on 10/13/2004 12:45:45 PM PDT by Casloy
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To: afz400

That's right and Carters actions are directly responsible for the Soviet Union invading Afghanistan and his big response: Not send our athletes to the 1980 Olympics...


496 posted on 10/13/2004 12:47:08 PM PDT by Arizona Carolyn
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To: SkyPilot

Well at least ONE paper is reporting this -- in an important State, too.


497 posted on 10/13/2004 12:51:35 PM PDT by Arizona Carolyn
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To: Truth Table

I support your contention.
However, I would prefer to see the entire file so as to erase any doubt.


498 posted on 10/13/2004 12:59:28 PM PDT by quadrant
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To: Another Thought
Carter issued the Amnesty when he took office. Not having all the facts we don't know if or when Kerry finally had his paperwork reviewed and if he had received a less-than-honorable, when it was changed, etc...

so one can only guess. DID he throw his medals over the wall or was it ribbons as some have indicated? Somehow his medals were either lost, thrown or revoked and in 1985 he received new ones... without all the papers he refuses to release we're still missing a lot of the picture.

Personally, I'm incensed that Terry McAuliff is still going around talking about the President's National Guard Service and yet not one commentator ever looks him in the eye and says: Where is Kerry's 180 Form so WE can see HIS record!!

499 posted on 10/13/2004 1:03:27 PM PDT by Arizona Carolyn
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To: Pharlap

Is John Kerry Schizophrenic? How can a normal person think like he thinks?


500 posted on 10/13/2004 1:09:55 PM PDT by Arizona Carolyn
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