He received The Pour le Merité with Knights Cross and Diamonds, the Croix de Guerre avec Palme, The cloud Banner with Thousand Elephants, The VC, The Southern Cross, The Congressional Medal of Honor, and innumerable other richly deserved awards. The work he so heroically did was so top super, cross-your-heart, if-you're-lyin'-you're-dying secret, that Lt. Kerry hisself had to write up the after- action reports.
I know. I was with him when we swam naked up the Mekong on Christmas Eve on the verbal orders of soon-to-be President Nixon. He earned every one of those medals. Me? Well, Upon Lt. Kerry's kind recommendation, I received my water safety merit badge and was sworn to silence until he became the Senior Senator from MA.