Free Republic

I've been receiving a lot of queries lately about things that did or did not happen during the time John Kerry and I served together in the Navy. I've also received large quantities of reading material, mostly e-mail and mostly unpersuasive, from people attempting to trash, for political purposes, his relatively brief combat service in Swift Boats. I have also declined offers to join groups attempting to discredit him on the basis of his naval service. Kerry and I served together on the Gridley in 1967 and 1968. The Gridley was a new guided missile frigate, later reclassified with the...

Col. Hackworth, Over the years, I have enjoyed very much your rather acerbic columns dedicated to rooting out corruption in the armed services. I was in the USN more years ago than I like to remember. On my first (and only) real sea duty, I was assigned to the U.S.S. Proteus (AS-19). I had the privilege of serving under two Captains there and the difference between the two was like night and day. One was a real leader and the other was a 'perfumed prince'. I cheered you on when you went after Admiral Boorda for wearing some awards he...