SwiftVets.com

[integritycounts]

August 24, 2004
Has Kerry Backed Off Of First Purple Heart Claim?
http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/002317.php

A number of people have written to me overnight stating that a Kerry campaign spokesman has acknowledged on Brit Hume's Fox news show that John Kerry's wound on 2 December 1968 came from an unintentionally self-inflicted wound -- an accident, in other words. So far, I find nothing on this on the Fox web site, but they are notoriously poor at posting transcripts, or even summaries of their own programs. Can someone post the link in the comments section of this post if any confirmation can be made?

UPDATE: Here's the link to the Fox News report from Major Garrett. It mostly covers the Chris Wallace interview with John Hurley and CNN's interview of Bob Dole. Towards the end, Garrett talks about the first Purple Heart:

GARRETT: And questions keep coming. For example, Kerry received a Purple Heart for wounds suffered on December 2nd, 1968. But an entry in Kerry's own journal written nine days later, he writes that, quote, he and his crew hadn't been shot at yet, unquote. Kerry's campaign has said it is possible his first Purple Heart was awarded for an unintentionally self-inflicted wound.
Score another one for the Swiftvets, and another retreat for Kerry, this time on a key contention for both a medal (which some, including me, felt were too difficult to argue effectively) and for his truncated tour of duty. Without that first Purple Heart, Kerry would have had to stay on the Swiftboat assignment past March 17th and remain in combat. Now that the Kerry campaign seems to have retreated from Kerry's citation, the fact that Kerry pushed this award weeks later up a different chain of command takes on a great deal more significance. Instead of bravely taking on combat, he now looks desperate to get out ahead of everyone else and willing to falsify records to do it -- which is exactly the impression that his later assertions have given us.

CQ mentioned the 2 December/11 December conflict back on August 18th in this post, based on a tip from CQ reader Amelia and an article in World Net Daily by Art Moore. Today's links to the Fox News report come from CQ readers Jay Howard and Jim Leonard. Thanks to the entire CQ community for keeping the media on its toes.

UPDATE: Matt Drudge reports that Kerry has tried reaching out to the Swiftboat vets, although not John O'Neill, and according to the former commander he called, he sounded pretty pathetic about it:

The call lasted 10 minutes, sources tell DRUDGE.
KERRY: "Why are all these swift boat guys opposed to me?"

BRANT: "You should know what you said when you came back, the impact it had on the young sailors and how it was disrespectful of our guys that were killed over there."

[Brant had two men killed in battle.]

KERRY: "When we dedicated swift boat one in '92, I said to all the swift guys that I wasn't talking about the swifties, I was talking about all the rest of the veterans."

Kerry then asked if he could meet Brant ["You were one of the best"] -- man to man -- face to face.

Brant declined the invite, explaining that Kerry was obviously not prepared to correct the record on exactly what happened during Vietnam and what happened when Kerry came back.


What kind of defense is that -- "When I called American servicemen murderers, rapists, and war criminals, I didn't mean you guys"?? If Kerry truly thought that half-assed explanation (not even an apology) would fly after all these years, then his diplomatic talents have been blown far out of proportion. The obvious cluelessness of John Kerry may even outweigh his serial prevarications as the most vital impediment to his candidacy. (via Power Line)

[mr_mechanical]

Why are Kerry spokesmen beginning to back off claims? Could it be that they suspect that more contradictory and damaging facts are coming?


On another PH issue, I just learned that my father-in-law earned three PHs in Vietnam. He said that he had no idea at the time that you could leave early on receiving a third PH. (He served for months after his third PH.)

He went on to say that PHs were awarded for serious medical injuries that usually required evacuation and hospitalization and he had never heard of anyone putting in for their own.

[integritycounts]

Kerry "Gamed" the system, created the record to get himself out. Remember Kerry's quote saying "He could do more against the war back home" quote is from memory...did not look it up

[JCJR]

There seems to be a new Democratic talking point about Kerry's first Purple Heart--

"Yes, the arm wound from the sliver of shrapnel was minor, but Kerry deserves a Purple Heart because if the shrapnel had hit a foot higher, Kerry could have lost an eye!"

In this case, shouldn't the military issue Purple Hearts for all near misses?

If that sliver of shrapnel had passed one inch above Kerry's helmet, it would have come even closer to Kerry's eye, therefore even more deserving of a Purple Heart?

[djv]

Yes but Kerry injuried it again when he hit the sandbar that threw Rasmessan into the water after Boat 3 hit the mine..

[nakona]

[tvaughan]

[JCJR]

[Polaris]

So what? This is one thing we have to correct right away. You can have your LEG blown off (ask Max Cleland) and still not get a purple heart....if that wound was self-inflicted and there was no enemy fire.

Severity doesn't give a purple heart.
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-Polaris

Truth is Beauty

[ASPB]

Hell,

He could have killed himself with the M-79 and with no hostile fire, on AAR, and no combat casualty report....no Purple Heart.

Hmmm! Killed himself...........
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On Sale! Order in lots of 100 now at velero@rcn.com Free for the cost of shipping All profits (if any, especially now) go to Swiftvets. The author of "Sink Kerry Swiftly" ---ASPB

[kmudd]

I would like to ask Kerry's crew if this really was the most frightening night.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4772030/

MR. RUSSERT: The Boston Globe reports that your commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Grant Hibberd has suggested that you perhaps didn't earn your first Purple Heart and question whether you should have left Vietnam after six months. In order to deal with those kinds of issues, when I asked President Bush about his service in the Texas Guard, he agreed to release all his military records, health records, everything. Would you agree to release all your military records?

SEN. KERRY: I have. I've shown them--they're available to you to come and look at. I think that's a very unfair characterization by that person. I mean, politics is politics. The medical records show that I had shrapnel removed from my arm. We were in combat. We were in a very, very--probably one of the most frightening--if you ask anybody who was with me, the two guys who were with me, was probably the most frightening night that they had that they were in Vietnam and we're...

MR. RUSSERT: But you'll make all your records public.

SEN. KERRY: They are. People can come and see them at headquarters and take a look at them. I'm not going to--but I'll tell you this. I'm proud of my service. I'm proud of what we did. I know what happened. And the Navy 35 years ago made a decision and it's the Navy's decision and I think it was the right decision.

MR. RUSSERT: Your wife said recently--a few years ago--that you had

[cipher]

[7rrfs]

A repeat from my post of the sticky at the top of the baord.
I sux.
Sorry.



Now,

It is my understanding that Kerry's med file on the Purple Heart was signed off by a corpsman. Letson did NOT sign off. Is there a date associated with this? Was it that day ... the next? Or further down the line?

2nd - As Kerry's commanding officer did NOT sign off on the award - who did? What is the date associated with the paperwork recommending him for the 1st P/H? At what location was the paperwork initiated? Was it local or higher up the chain?

3rd- It is my understanding that THIS - his first P/H - was the actual medal that initiated the other officers approaching Kerry with "This is 3 - go home." The delay being the unusual circumstances of the events surrounding the citation.


Lit'l help?
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"I served admirably in Vietnam" John Kerry
"Yes, I committed atrocities in Vietnam" John Kerry

[Dimsdale]

"Yes, the arm wound from the sliver of shrapnel was minor, but Kerry deserves a Purple Heart because if the shrapnel had hit a foot higher, Kerry could have lost an eye!"

That came from the doctor that Kerry used to interpret his hidden medical files as seen in the following story.
(http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0404/141856.html)

Note the boldface parts, and the fact that this is Kerry's own doctor, and never saw more than the files Kerry allowed him to see.

***************************************

Kerry Has Shrapnel in Thigh From Vietnam
UPDATED - Friday April 23, 2004 4:49pm
I
Washington (AP) - John Kerry (website - news - bio) has a piece of shrapnel in his left thigh from an injury he suffered in the Vietnam War, his doctor said Friday during a review of 36 pages of the Democratic presidential candidate's military medical records.

The records shown briefly to reporters provided a few more details about the wounds that resulted in Kerry's three Purple Hearts and show that he suffered from respiratory ailments, a skin rash and a minor urinary tract infection during his four years in the Navy.

Kerry was wounded three times while commanding a swiftboat in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, an assignment that brought him close to enemy fire several times.

Some of Kerry's critics have questioned whether his injuries were serious enough to warrant three Purple Hearts and reassignment out of Vietnam. Kerry's doctor, Gerald Doyle, said he could not characterize the severity of the wounds since he didn't see them, but he noted that Kerry was in danger of serious injury several times.

Kerry got his first Purple Heart after he got shrapnel in his left arm above his elbow. Doyle said if the shrapnel had hit Kerry in the eye, it could have blinded him.

And Doyle said Kerry's third Purple Heart came from a dangerous situation on March 13, 1969, that could have been life-threatening. A mine had exploded near Kerry's swiftboat and enemy snipers were shooting around his boat. According to notes from a military doctor who treated Kerry three hours later, Kerry was thrown against the bulkhead, resulting in contusions on his right forearm. A small piece of shrapnel was lodged in his left upper buttock. He was treated with a tetanus shot, topical dressing and an ace bandage and advised to apply warm soaks to his right forearm.

Kerry also was wounded by a piece of shrapnel on Feb. 20, 1969, this time on his left thigh. Doctors decided to leave the shrapnel in place rather than make a wider opening to remove it. Doctors removed damaged tissue and the entry wound was closed with sutures, and no infection developed around the shrapnel, according to the records.

Doyle, who has treated Kerry since 1986, said Kerry still has the shrapnel in his thigh today, but has never complained about it bothering him.

Kerry was diagnosed with pneumonia in September 1966 and had an upper respiratory infection and bronchitis during his time in the military. The records also show Kerry had pneumonia in 1965 before his enlistment. Doyle said Kerry has hay fever and allergies to pollen and mold and is probably predisposed to pneumonia. Doyle said Kerry had pneumonia at least once since his time in Vietnam, but he usually recovers quickly from respiratory ailments because his immune system is healthy.

Kerry spokesman Michael Meehan interrupted Doyle to ask that he only comment on Kerry's medical records in the military, noting that the doctor had already issued a letter outlining Kerry's health during the 18 years that he has treated the senator.

Doyle said the skin rash on Kerry's chest, arms and legs in 1967 was probably an inflammation of hair follicles from the warm weather in San Diego, where he trained before going to Vietnam. It was treated with a steroid cream.

Two days after Kerry was treated for the rash, doctors noted that Kerry reported coughing and other symptoms and requested a chest X-ray. "This is a very aggressive patient," the medical notes say. Doyle said he couldn't know what that meant, but speculated Kerry might have insisted on getting the X-ray since he had pneumonia a few months earlier.

This week the campaign has posted on its Web site more than 200 pages of information about Kerry's military record. The campaign said when the Navy sent Kerry his military file, it did not include his medical records, and those shown to reporters Friday were copies that Kerry had in his personal files.

The Kerry campaign allowed 19 reporters who travel with Kerry to talk to his doctor and view the medical file for about 30 minutes. Reporters had to sign the file in and out and were not allowed to take a copy.

Kerry spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter noted that the 30-minute review was 10 minutes longer than reporters had with President Bush (website - news - bio) 's military medical files. She said the campaign will not release the record to the public because "we don't consider this information to be public in the first place."

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Is an "aggressive patient" just a nice way of saying that he was in the hospital for every little booboo?
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Everytime he had a choice, Kerry chose to side with communists rather than the United States.