SwiftVets.com

swing votr · Seaman Apprentice Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 85

First Impression: HAHAHA, Conservatives poking fun at Kerry for sustaining minor wounds in Nam. I was also happy to see that this was likely partly influenced by SBVFT. I expected to see a large number Vets wearing these joking about JK and such, having a good time.

So then I saw people who clearly had no Vietnam/Military record wearing them on their hands and faces and it made me think...

Thought about it for a bit: If i were a soldier, seriously wounded in combat, how would I feel about a large number of politicians who voted to send me over to Iraq ( or previous war ) who had, in general (I realize there are a lot of people with substantial military records attending these events), little if any military experiance wearing a purple heart band aid.

Now I realize the purpose was to poke fun at John Kerry, but he is not the only person who has received a purple heart, and basically my question is, do veterans here think it is in any way disrespectful for people to make light of this medal in this manner, or am I just being to up tight about this? Would you understand if a wounded soldier stepped up and said "That was a little out of line." ? Thanks for the input...

MikeM · Ensign Joined: 10 Aug 2004 Posts: 71

I'm not a vet, but I thought the PH stunt was in VERY bad taste. It did not belong at a national convention. Shame on those you did it and wore them.

Mooncusser · Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 3:06 pm Post subject:

I do have a purple heart and I paid a lifetime of pain and misery for it.
My purple heart cost me 9 months in the hospital and all of my youthful physical powers. I went from 19 to 99 years old in an instant.

I loved the band aids. They were making fun of Benedict Arnold Kerry's ridiculous war wounds and his childish illusions of grandeur.

They most certainly were not making fun of all purple heart vets.

ASPB · Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 3:09 pm Post subject:

The band-aids don't ridicule my Purple Heart they ridicule an empty uniform. Mocking Kerry actually increases whatever pride I have in the award.
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Mooncusser · Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 3:11 pm Post subject:

There ya go !

Rurik · Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 3:28 pm Post subject:

Mooncusser, thank you for your sacrifices and for your response. You are dead on right, and coming from you it means a lot.

In late 1969 I refused a PH. I was still a Cherry Boy at Chu Lai and one evenign I was doing the evening classified docs burn. by sheer stupidity, I grabbled the wrong part of the metal poker we used to assure the ashes were completely broken up. After finishing up, I steped across the company street to the medic's hooch. When I walked in, the first thing he did was ask if I wanted him to put me in for a PH. I dismissed the idea and told him all I wanted was some ointment and a bandage. I thought the guy was being sarcastic, later I learned he was not Twisted Evil

Toward the end fo my tour I got another insignificant but dramatic looking "wound" in the form of a minor scrape on my upper arm, which was a "bleeder", from shoulder all the way to tip of fingers. This second owie was worthy only of a personal bandaid. Neither incident happened during contact with the enemy. Neither deserved anything more than a bandaid and some unkind teasing. Both would have qualified for the "Kerry Heart".

It is a disgrace, but a toward the end, too many undeserved medals were awarded. I didn't want such a medal, but I'm also not the Prince Consort to the Ketchup Princess.
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integritycounts · Rear Admiral Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 667

Kerry gamed the PH system....Only Kerry is embarrassed.

FWIW the band-aids were a one day thing....done by one guy....5 packages of band-aids and a Sharpie pen ....does not make a conspiracy ...unlike what the Kerry's staff is saying

kman · Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 3:35 pm Post subject:

Navy_Navy_Navy · Admin Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 5777

The bandaids do not make fun of the medals.

They are bandaids with heart shapes colored on them with markers, not representations of the PH medal.

This was discussed at length yesterday - if you'd like to read the general consensus, the thread(s) are in the geedunk.

This one headed there shortly.

Thanks,
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