SwiftVets.com

EODARMY · Seaman Joined: 22 Aug 2004 Posts: 168

Letter to Kerry says that all, to include the second Purple Heart was self-inflicted. What information am I missing to substantiate this claim? I know of the 1st and 3rd but I thought the second (frag in thigh) was legitimate. Help? Per the Swift letter:
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.:Affirm that the injuries for which you received your purple hearts never required any medical treatment beyond perhaps a bandage and that, in all instances, these injuries were self-inflicted and came from your own weapon. Further, that if any of these purple hearts were falsely awarded, that you would not have been eligible to leave Vietnam after serving only four months.

rbshirley · Founder Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 394

Billman · Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2004 12:37 am Post subject:

Also detailed in Unfit for Command.

Look, this just one of a *bunch* more events in the book that the media hasn't (yet) discussed. The average reader/watcher of mainstream media can be forgiven for thinking the only issue in dispute was "hostile fire on the Bay Hap, yes or no?"

To me, among the most reprehensible was the sampan incident, where an innocent baby and father were killed due to Kerry's negligence, an event witnessed and confirmed by all on board INCLUDING KERRY IN HIS BIO, yet Kerry wrote them up as "enemy VC KIA" in his after-action report. And the surviving mother and child were "captured VC". The report is on his site. Compare it to his biography. You don't have to believe a single Swiftee, just read Kerry's own words.

Just don't expect to read about it in the New York Times.
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-- Bill in Seattle

Tom Poole · Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2004 3:36 am Post subject: 2nd Purple Heart, Self-Inflicted?

cipher · Vice Admiral Joined: 10 Aug 2004 Posts: 902

I don't think ANYONE has EVER said that the wounds Kerry received were DELIBERATELY self-inflicted. In fact, every one seems to point to gross negligence, inexperience, incompetence, or just plain stupidity.

For someone to even consider TRYING to self-inflict a wound with a frag (or even worse, an M-79), or even a concussion grenade is just plain insane. You can get yourself real dead, real easy doing that.

Self-inflicted only means it was his own fault. Not that he did it on purpose.
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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

Billman · Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2004 4:51 am Post subject:

Exactly. An M-79 is serious f****** business, these are weapons built to kill, not some 4th of July joke. Admiral Schachte says he was furious with Kerry on the skimmer, "he could have put someone's eye out".
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-- Bill in Seattle

rbshirley · Founder Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 394

noc · PO1 Joined: 24 Aug 2004 Posts: 492 Location: Dublin, CA

cipher · Vice Admiral Joined: 10 Aug 2004 Posts: 902

Wait a minute. I take that back about no one saying Kerry deliberately wounded himself.

Chris Matthews said several times on his show that Kerry shot himself on purpose. He browbeat Michelle Malkin into agreeing with him.

That Kerry was never shot is a minor detail that can be ignored, since Michelle eventually agreed with him. I'm sure the records will eventually be altered to fit the facts he asserted in his interview.
_________________
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

rbshirley · Founder Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 394

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