[Arizona Carolyn]

Looks to me that he was given a less than honorable and then when Jimmy Carter took office he was among the "lucky" people who had their dishonorables reversed. The last paragraph gives the biggest clue -- all his medals were reissued on one day in 1985. Since when someone received a dishonorable the medals are all revoked -- they had obviously been revoked and thanks to Jimmy reinstated.

[politicket]

Wow! Good analysis...

We'll have to see what Rush, Sean, and Drudge do with this. If it stays only where it's at, then I give it a life of one day (the weekend will kill it).

[ClancyJ]

Makes sense and, of course, Jimmy would have condoned his visits with America's enemy during a war.

[TeleStraightShooter]

all his medals were reissued on one day in 1985

He threw away some or all during a protest in 1971.

Since John Kerry did have his discharge upgraded to "Honorable" in 1978, after a board of officers by direction of the President reviewed his discharge;
We are left to conclude that his Initial Discharge was Less Than Honorable.

[Sea2ShiningSea]

And if the were reinstated in 1985 it now makes sense why John Lehman the seretary of the Navy at that time signed the citations. hmmmmmm

[Another Thought]

This makes no sense. Carter wasn't president in 1985 -- Reagan was.

[TruthNtegrity]

Great analysis. Thanks.

Also bookmarking this thread for myself. ;o)

Truthy

[Pharlap]

I suggest that Kerry wanted the medals reinstated so he could use them politically, as he used his opposition to the Vietnam War. In this regard, see David Broder's column "Swift Boats And Old Wounds," washingtonpost.com, August 24, 2004, at p. 17, wherein he cites a conversation with Kerry and writes that Kerry told him that "he thought it would be doubly advantageous that 'I fought in Vietnam and I also fought against the Vietnam War.'" Broder observed that Kerry did not recognize that "some would see far too much political calculation in such a bifurcated record." Kerry's seeking the reinstatement of the medals was simply another calculation and part of his need to self-promote and manipulate his Vietnam experiences to advance his political ambitions.