SwiftVets.com

truthseeker · Seaman Recruit Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Posts: 34

I think all will agree, charges this stiff need d@mn good proof. Looking forward to release of the book.

My own disclaimer. No particular fan of Kerry, to put it mildly. I didn't serve in the military. They gave me a draft card toward the end of Vietnam days, then they stopped drafting. So far be it from me to criticize anyone's service.

But I am a doctor.

At that level, Dr. Letson, if around, or if anyone knows the facts........I assume Dr. Letson is a physician as in "Letson, M.D." No offense meant, I just want to make sure I got the facts straight.

It is said that Dr. Letson's name appears nowhere on the paperwork regarding Kerry's medical treatment. One side is saying that is evidence that Dr. Letson is making this up. To say something like was said about someone's medical treatment (or lack thereof), if not true, would be unethical enough, but even worse for a physician to misrepresent his treatment of anyone.

So......why is the doctor's name not on the report?

Perhaps multiple people involved, change of shift at an aid station, so maybe one person started treatment and another signed off, or similar explanation.

Forgive me if this question is answered somewhere on the site, I could not find it.

Thanks.

scotty61 · LCDR Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 419 Location: Glyndon MN

It has been talked about on another thread, but I can't recall where. But more simply, if someone else treated Kerry and could disprove the charge don't you think they would have brought him out by now?

Navy_Navy_Navy · Admin Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 5777

I don't know if you've ever served in a military hospital, so please don't think I'm speaking down to you if you have.

In the military, when you go to the dispensary (clinic) for treatment, you sign in on the sick call sheet.

When you are treated, your case's dispensation is noted on a treatment card by the doctor or the attending nurse or hospital corpsman and that card (or sheet) goes into your personal medical record.

Where you signed in on the sick call sheet, a corpsman or a nurse or doctor will make a note of what time you were seen and what time you left the clinic and perhaps other information.

Depending upon the procedures in effect for any given dispensary, the sick call sheet could be signed by the corpsman who takes you from the waiting room to the treatment room or by the corpsman or clerk who checks your dispensation and puts your medical record back into the filing cabinet or some other criteria.

It's possible that Dr. Letson didn't sign anything but prescriptions, just depending on the procedures in effect at that dispensary or field hospital - especially if he had an independent duty corpsman under training, for instance. (Someone getting ready to go out as a medic with a platoon or other unit) The corpsman would have signed everything by direction.

Nothing unethical about it - things were different back then. And you have to remember that documentation was not and is not as important for military doctors. They are immune from civil malpractice suits, so there never has been the same high level requirement for documentation that exists in the civilian world.

Hope that helps,
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Marine4life · Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2004 12:38 am Post subject:

I have a theory, maybe he didn't sign anything because just as he says, there was nothing to treat. Semper Fi.
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Helicopter Marine Attack Squadron 169 which is now HMLA-169. They added Huey's to compliment the Cobra effectiveness. When I served we just had Snakes.

Navy_Navy_Navy · Admin Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 5777

kate · Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2004 12:42 am Post subject:

Dr Letson was on the Kevin McCullough radio show today. Did a very good job, very credible. I dont recall details now, but explanation is like NNN outlines in her post.
One comment I recall was that when 'officers' came in, the medic{?} would have the Doc take a look.
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one of..... We The People

LewWaters · Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2004 1:40 am Post subject:

If Kerry knew the Swiftvets have issued an untrue ad, he could easily prove it simply by releasing his Military records. His continual refusal to do so says it all, in my book.
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Clark County Conservative

SharpTalons · Ensign Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Posts: 57

Me#1You#10 · Site Admin Joined: 06 May 2004 Posts: 6503

This question was answered back on May 5 in an article in the LA Times.
See the recent thread here:

http://www2.swiftvets.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=15354#15354

truthseeker · Seaman Recruit Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Posts: 34

Ah, I see. Thanks to all. Never worked in a military facility, though I do a fair amount of work with the Coast Guard and a National Guard base nearby. I get records on patients from Coast Guard and military facilities, signed off by "Lt. Smith or "Cmdr. Jones" etc., and I don't always know if I'm dealing with a physician, nurse, physicians assistant, etc.

The concept that another person actually did the paperwork for work done by someone else, is something I certainly could understand. More so in a facility fairly close to the action, and even more so a few decades ago.

I gotta put in my order for this book.............