SwiftVets.com

shawa · CNO Joined: 03 Sep 2004 Posts: 2004

From the WSJ article:

Navy_Navy_Navy · Admin Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 5777

Yes, the reporter is clueless! Newsweek went after Mike Boorda with a vengeance and "proved" that he had false medals.

Mike Boorda killed himself because he thought he had dishonored his precious Navy!

And all along, it turned out to be an error in paperwork and he was NOT wearing a SINGLE award to which he was not entitled. Mad

Yes, I'm still mad.

Hackworth also went after him in a particularly brutal way for this medals thing and ironically, it was then discovered that Hackworth himself was wearing a Special Forces tab (or something similar) to which he was no longer entitled to wear. This has made it very hard for me to say anything charitable about Hackworth's death except that I am sorry for his family and the people who loved him.

Mike Boorda came up through the ranks from E1 - he was much loved by and very loyal always to the enlisted people. He was a sailor to the end and probably more concerned about morale and working conditions and good leadership in the enlisted ranks than any other Navy leader I ever knew of. I still can't think about his loss without pain.

And it was all for nothing.
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~ Echo Juliet ~
Altering course to starboard - On Fire, Keep Clear
Navy woman, Navy wife, Navy mother

mtboone · Posted: Fri May 06, 2005 2:32 pm Post subject:

Snipe · Posted: Fri May 06, 2005 6:11 pm Post subject:

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/borda.htm

Actually, I think that Adm Boorda WAS entitled to wear
the Vs on his Navy Achievement and Navy Commendation
Medals.

You know that there's usually a difference in what is in
your service record that you carry around from ship to
ship and what is in your NAVPERS record. Stuff just doesn't
get mailed. I'm still not sure just how many stars to stick
on my Vietnam Service Medal. Lots of guys transfered and
got discharged before it was decided just what the dates
of the campaigns were. You need a current awards manual
to figure out most of that.
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Tin Can Sailor

George F. Thompson · Posted: Fri May 06, 2005 7:47 pm Post subject: Pseudo Heros

If you do a google search for Admiral Jeremey "Mike" Boorda, a link there states he started his career out as a seaman recruit. Oh by the way,
the anniverserary of Admiral Boorda's death is May 16. Here's an interesting point.Does the name Mike Boorda mean anything to you?
Posted by McQ

No?

Think back a few years. Admiral Jeremy Michael Boorda, Chief of Naval Operations? Suicide over a problem with a medal?

That's right, he felt what he'd done was so dishonorable that he took his own life. He also couldn't face the fact that the media was relentless in its pursuit of the story. It was clear to him that the media wasn't going to let it rest.

What was Boorda's sin?

Boorda was awarded commendation and meritorious service awards for his duty in Vietnam, which included combat operations. But copies of the citations released Thursday by the Navy did not mention that Boorda qualified for wearing a combat ''V.''
All over the "V" device. Not the medals, mind you. He was entitled to the medals, just the "V" device. And this was important enough for the media, at that time, to go after Boorda. To dig and investigate.

The nation's top Navy officer, distraught after some of his military awards were called into question, died Thursday, May 16, 1996, from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Adm. Jeremy Boorda was to have met about the time of the shooting with the Washington bureau chief of Newsweek magazine, which was working on a story concerning his medals.

If this was so important to Newsweek at the time, where in the hell are they today? Where's Time? Or the NY Times, USA Today, LA Times, and Washington Post? Why does John Kerry get a pass on his medals when in the past they've been known to hound some poor military guy to death over the same sort of problem?

They didn't hesitate at all about digging into Boorda's medal problem (which by comparison was tiny). But with Kerry, well its just not something they wish to do. With Boorda it was just some military guy ... who cares? But with Kerry, its a liberal icon who could replace the hated Bush.

You really expect the media to investigate Kerry like it investigated Boorda?

Heh ... nope. Instead you're going to get column's like Brownstein's and this one in USA Today. They're not going to do a real investigation of the Swift Boat Vet's charges.

They're going to ignore it. If they can't get away with that they're going to whitewash it. And if they can't do that they're going to attack the Swift Boat Vets.

Just hide and watch.

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Comments

wow! proves MSM bias yet again.
HAVE THEY NO SHAME!?!?!?!?

Posted by: dan at August 9, 2004 03:03 PM

George F. Thompson

Deuce · Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 4:19 pm Post subject:

army72 · Seaman Joined: 06 Sep 2004 Posts: 182

MSM bias is so obvious in this case compared to Kerry's that they must really think the people are either very stupid or just as biased.

They went after Boorda with zeal yet refused to even look into the damning info readily available from numerous sources about Kerry.
They can no longer claim that they did not want to affect the election. It's over, what's the excuse now?

Is there anyone left that honestly thinks there is no left wing bias in the media? I'm selling bridges!!!

It's really sad to think there are people that stoop to using unearned medals and the like to make themselves into heroes. Exposing these clowns for what they really are should be a priority. Those medals are honors for a job well done, often at a very high cost.

The media is falling short of doing its job. Exposing Kerry's real story to me is a basic litmus test for honesty in the media.
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Hillary and Kerry in '08? Something smells!!

Essayons · Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 10:15 pm Post subject:

My purpose is not to start any heated exchanges. All can post away in response but I will not reply. Below are my opinions

Whether Boorda was entitled to wear the “V” device or not it seems he believed he was not authorized to wear the “V” device. Otherwise, why blow your brains out.

As mentioned above it was all over, not an award but, a “V” device. Hmm. An ARCOM or Bronze Star without a “V” device is for meritorious service. In other words you can receive an ARCOM or Bronze Star for keeping your nose clean during stateside service.

The “V” device stands for “Valor in combat” thus elevating the medal far beyond “meritorious.” The “V” device sets that medal so far above simply meritorious that anyone who disparages it as just a “V” device obviously does not understand the significance of the “V” device.

Yes, DD214s can be incorrect as mine was. And my problem was a “V” device which I had the original medal that was given to me in Vietnam. I received a corrected DD214 two years ago from St. Louis. Boorda could have done the same if he felt his records were incorrect.

Also two years ago, I was alerted by a 101st vet who read a newspaper article about an officer (I was both enlisted and an officer) from the 9th ID who claimed 5 Silver Stars, 3 Bronze Stars w/V and a few other dubious valor awards during one tour in Vietnam. I contacted Mary Sontag at pownetwork.org and she filed a FOIA, even though the suspect would not release his SSN or Service number to get a copy of his DD214. Mary’s effort paid off – but all the medals he claimed were shown on his DD214.

I had posted on the battalion (which he served with) web site a scathing challenge for anyone to come forward and state that he had indeed earned all those medals. I expected to be tarred and feathered should his claims and DD214 prove to be true by the men who served with him. NADA.

At a reunion in 2003 three Company Commanders from that Company/Battalion and era stopped by to see me and explained the situation to me. I am under threat of court action should I pursue this guy any more so I have to stop here and leave you all in the dark as to how he was awarded the medals – at least on paper.

And you thought “I are a hero” Kerry was creative.

And I was amazed to see PVT Lynndie England arriving at court with three rows of ribbons. Medals are handed out today like candy. Maybe there is a “leash mother” medal or a “bunkmate of the month” medal or an “ain’t that a tiny one” medal that wasn’t around in the late 60s. And if she has a “V” device it must stand for “Volume.”

Regards,
Dick
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Essayons - Let us try - the code of the Army Engineer. Sappers First, the code of the Combat Engineer.