SwiftVets.com

[silenthunter]

Before I shoot my mouth off, does this look reasonable to you folks?

While it's true that Kerry's medals are still valid in discussion, and that there are many more worthy topics (so as not to put the apathetic public to sleep), this was interesting. If it's accurate, and it appears to be, then there may be another ticking bomb on the Kerry doorstep.

On the one hand it may just be a yeoman's screw up. On the other hand it may be a doctored document. If it's a screw up, why did Kerry never correct it? If it's a doctored document, is this guy demented or what?

Maybe someone with more smarts than I can dig into this and let me/us know what to do with it.

First, an article on the Silver Star with Combat V:

John Kerry's Mysterious Combat “V”
By Henry Mark Holzer and Erika Holzer
FrontPageMagazine.com | August 20, 2004
As the authors of Fake Warriors: Identifying, Exposing and Punishing Those Who Falsify Their Military Service, we receive scores of emails on our website either asking questions about the Fake Warrior phenomenon (which has reached epidemic proportions), or reporting sightings which sometimes lead to exposure and even fines or jail terms.
One Vietnam vet with nearly forty years of military service who retired as a major, spurred on by the revelations in our book, and, in his words. “having seen hundreds of DD 214s” (a veteran’s Record of Transfer or Separation), recently decided to take a close look at John Kerry’s DD 214, which is posted on his website. What the major called to our attention, which we have since verified, raises some extremely troubling questions about John Kerry’s Silver Star. Keep in mind that the Silver Star is the third-highest medal our Nation can bestow (after only the Medal of Honor and the three service “Crosses”).
Kerry's DD 214 lists a Silver Star with a combat “V” (for valor). As the major correctly observes, the “V” is never awarded with the Silver Star. But the actual wording on Kerry’s DD 214 (see www.johnkerry.com) is: “SILVER STAR WITH COMBAT ‘V’.”

There is an abundance of anecdotal evidence that a combat “V” (called a “Combat Distinguishing Device”) is simply not awarded with a Silver Star. For example, a former Vietnam War POW told us that he has “three SSs, and there was no V for any of them.” Countless other Silver Star recipients all say the same thing. Why? Because, among other reasons, it would be redundant to award a Silver Star for “gallantry” (the statutory term) and then embellish it with a “V” for valor.

Most conclusive, however, is that the law is very clear about the award of Combat Distinguishing Devices. According to the Navy Awards Manual:
Bronze "V" (Combat Distinguishing Device).
Prior to . . . 1974, the "V" was authorized for wear on the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal and Navy Achievement Medal. Between . . .1974 and . . . 1991, the "V" was authorized for wear on the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal and Navy Commendation Medal. [In] . . . 1991, the "V" was authorized for wear on the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. In all cases, the Combat Distinguishing Device may only be worn if specifically authorized in the citation. See also http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Valor_device.
Because the “V” is authorized for only the ten awards cited above, but not for the Silver Star, Kerry’s Silver Star citation (the “explanation” of why the award was made) does not even mention the “V” for valor (see www.johnkerry.com).

The presence of the combat “V” with Kerry’s Silver Star on his DD 214 raises two extremely disquieting questions. How did the unauthorized “V” get there, and why has Kerry allowed it to remain?
The first question should not be taken lightly because we are talking about possible federal crimes. We are talking about the possibility of a forged official document. We are talking, as well, about Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001, which states: “[W]hoever, in any manner within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the United States, knowingly and willfully . . . makes or uses any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years or both.”
Was the combat “V” added by a sloppy clerk or a yeoman’s typo thirty years ago? Was someone pressured or persuaded to add it? If Kerry had nothing to do with the gratuitously added combat “V,” why didn’t he have his DD 214 corrected when he was separated from the Navy?
Which gives rise to the second disturbing question: If Kerry was not a party to the unauthorized “V,” why, for all these years, has he allowed his DD 214 to remain uncorrected and to repose on his website?
In light of the recent Swift Boat revelations and the cloud they have cast over Kerry’s awards, one plausible answer is that this is yet another example of Kerry’s multiple, and increasingly transparent, lies about his alleged heroics in Vietnam.
Let’s hope it won’t take a controversial TV spot to spark a mainstream media investigation of how candidate Kerry received an unearned “V” for valor.
Henry Mark Holzer [www.henrymarkholzer.com; hank@henrymarkholzer.com], Professor Emeritus at Brooklyn Law School, specializes in federal appeals. Erika Holzer [www.erikaholzer.com] is a lawyer and novelist. They are co-authors of “Aid and Comfort”: Jane Fonda in North Vietnam.

Now click this link: http://www.johnkerry.com/about/john_kerry/military_records.html,

Click on DD214, which will open in Adobe PDF format. Read the thing, particularly the list of medals awarded. If the sanitizers don't get there before you do it should ***** your interest.

Kerry's Silver Star Citation does not say anything about a Combat V, so I can only think that this is just a snafu. But why wasn't it corrected? Kerry has a DD215 (amended 214) on the site for a pissy little detail...why not one for this?

Peanuts or substance? You tell me.

Gosh, I love this war!
_________________
R.E. Gleason, YN2
Navy '67-'71
Staff, Rear Admiral James D. Ramage,
COMCARDIV7, '70-'71
USS Oriskany, CVA34, '69-'71

"The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it won't be needed until someone tries to take it away." -- Thomas Jefferson

[Polaris]

Silenthunter,

There may be something to it. If you examine the USN regulations regarding medals for this period of time (or any period of time), you can not be awarded the "V" for the silver star. It is assumed that a Silver Star would only be awared for combat valor That makes the V redundant.
_________________
-Polaris

Truth is Beauty

[Navy_Navy_Navy]

Yes, there are other duplicate discussions on this topic - they might have fallen off to page two.

Now that the Holzer's have a grip on it, no telling what might happen.
_________________
~ Echo Juliet ~
Altering course to starboard - On Fire, Keep Clear
Navy woman, Navy wife, Navy mother

[tvaughan]

The Swift Boat Vets have been very careful to keep the charges on things they could personally verify. I congratulate them for this.

The Silver Star w/ V is extremely odd, and I doubt anyone could point to another instance where the two were combined.

BUT...

It could easily just be typo on someone's part. There is no indication of malice that I can see.
_________________
Talking point #1: Sign 180
Talking point #2: Sign 180
Talking point #3: Sign 180

[silenthunter]

Navy, Polaris & tvaughan:

Thanks for your responses. I rather thought it was most likely a typo--the lack of a correction is interesting but not worth more than a mental note, methinks. A conversational drop-in, but not an issue.

One can always hope, though. Thanks again. It's good to have people to bounce things off of here.
_________________
R.E. Gleason, YN2
Navy '67-'71
Staff, Rear Admiral James D. Ramage,
COMCARDIV7, '70-'71
USS Oriskany, CVA34, '69-'71

"The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it won't be needed until someone tries to take it away." -- Thomas Jefferson

[sixdogteam]

Yeah, it just gets curiouser and curiouser,huh folks? In those days, the silver star, unlike the bronze star, was only awarded for valor. A bronze star for valor would require the V device since the bronze star could be awarded for meritorious service. The DFC required a V then, also, since it was downgraded and was also awarded for merit. Kind of a slap in the face to the WWII vets who were awarded the DFC, and so proud of it, they put it on their tombstones, that susequent aviators could award it to themselves for "service"...
_________________
HHC 212th CAB MMAF RVN '70-'71

[cipher]

That famous photograph of Kerry testifying in front of Congress (the same one used in the second ad) shows him wearing his salad bar.

Can anyone amplify/computer enhance it to see if there is a "V" on that Silver Star? It *should* jump right out if there is.

On the other hand, it could be just a clerical error. I know when I got my first DD-214, I was there with the clerk and he asked "What decorations do you rate?" And I told him, and that's what he put in.

But that was the Marine Corps. The Navy might do it differently.
_________________
USMC 69-72, 7th Comm, 3rd MarDiv, FMFPAC
US Army 75-79, 97th Sig, SHAPE, NATO
Arkansas National Guard 79
Defense contractor for US Navy, SSPO, SP-20, SP-24, OP-12 84-92