SwiftVets.com

[kennyd1165]

Being a 30something and a little pup during the Vietnam war, having not served in the military etc... I have a simple question...

How uncommon was it for someone to earn 3 purple hearts that quickly in Vietnam. Not to offend anyone, but I have heard Gen Shelton, Ollie North and others comment in passing that medals weren't hard to come by there, but to me, it just seems like this must be some kind of world record for someone who wasn't in constant combat. I know people who were in all kinds of firefights over there for much longer time periods and don't have a purple heart to show for it. What percentage of Vietnam vets got a single purple heart? How many averaged .75 purple hears per month?

[eliptak]

This is one of those topics that really gets in my gut.

As a rifleman, fire team leader and finally squad leader in the 101st Abn Div., B/2/502, I spent a full year "in the boonies." We were not in a firefight every day, but had substantial contact, many, many times, over a full year tour.

An army platoon is normally 40+ people including medics, etc. At one time, my platoon was down to 28 people. On 5/18/67, those 28 people, myself included, walked into an NVA reigimental base camp. At the end of the day, 14 were left alive; of those 14, 11 were wounded. That's 25 purple hearts in one day, out of 28 people. Three people unwounded in a unit of normally 40+ people. Unfortunately, too many of my friends earned their one purple heart the hard way, POSTHUMOUSLY!!!

Over a one year tour, there were a few guys who got out with no purple heart. Many had one, some had two. One of our machinegunners had 4 purple hearts. He was still there. He at least spent a few days in the hospital evch time. These are guys who spent an entire year in active, INFANTRY, combat. Mano y' Mano; we had a rifle; they had a rifle, and we were our to kill, or be killed. I wound up with 2 purple hearts over a period of 25 months in country over a period of 4 years.

For John Kerry to get 3 PH's, a Silver Star (with "V" ha, ha, ha) and a Bronze Star in four months and twelve days is nothing short of miraculous. At that rate, most of the guys I knew, who spent a whole year, in almost daily combat, would have had 11 purple hearts, three Silver and 3 Bronze Hearts. Hell, John Kerry, was badder than Sgt. York in WWI, Audie Murphey in WWII, and John Wayne in "The Green Berets." In most real "combat units" you did NOT get a purple heart for a few stray shrapnel fragments in your arms. That was just an almost every day thing.

YOU CERTAINLY DID NOT GET A SILVER STAR FOR CHASING DOWN A YOUNG VC AND "FIRING HIM UP." THAT WAS LITERALLY AN EVERYDAY THING. THAT WAS YOUR JOB. I'VE NEVER HEARD OF ANYONE GETTING A SILVER STAR FOR DOING THEIR JOB. THAT'S WHAT A GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL IS FOR. In the 101st Abn. Div., 1966-1967, Silver Stars were only for the most conspicuous (and crazy) bravery. I suspect it was the same in most combat units.

John Kerry, if he had any conscience at all, would not be able to look himself in the mirror, let alone run for CIC of the US. I've heard talk of an apology. There is nothing he could say that would have any impact on my opinion of him. The only thing that MIGHT impress me is if he commit suicide in the traditonal Japanese warrior style. I might respect him then. MAYBE!! Short of that, Sorry!! He dissed too many people that I feel were true American heros. He may as way have pissed on their graves.

I can't express to everyone on this site what it means to me to know that there are many, many of us who feel this way. For years, I felt like I was the only one who felt this way.

After we whip Kerry in November, it might be time to take on the entire media/educational/intellectual/labor union - COMPLEX. If we don't, the country we all fought for won't exist in 50 years, OR LESS.

Thank you all for your service and dedication to our country.
_________________
Ed Liptak
B/2/502
101st Abn Div
1966-1967

[jrsdad]

Beautifully put, Ed.

I tried to get Colonel Hackworth to explain to me why he was defending Kerry on his medals. First he tried to tell me I "hadn't done my homework." When I listed all the problems with Kerry's medals in response, he settled on "I spent a couple of days on Swifts, and every man who served on them were heroes."

By that definition, everyone who was in combat or exposed to the enemy deserved SSs and BSs. What was the average lifespan of a point man in the infantry? What kind of target was a corpsman going to tend the wounded in the field?

To a degree, every man was a hero, so medals should be for exemplary valor. The lame defense that Kerry faced hostile fire and thus no one has the right to question his citations belies the every-day sacrifices and bravery of hundreds of thousands of young men.

I always come back to Kerry getting a BS for pulling out Rassmann, while Jack Chenoweth pulled a couple of guys from the river and got bupkiss. Chenoweth was closer to the "kill zone" of the original mine explosion, and thus more exposed to any fire. Yet his boat and actions aren't even mentioned in the AAR by Kerry. That alone should tell people who wrote the report and how accurate it is.

Thank you, sir, for your service. The one thing Hack and I agreed on in our little exchange was that without warriors like you, there would be no freedom.

[Stevie]

My eyes are blurry from all my reading on this site... so I haven't read every word of your posts .... just scanned them...

somewhere on this forum, someone checked with someone (???) probably DOD ... it was someone in the know and the results were something like:

ONLY 1 PERSON EVER - GUESS WHO?

Now, just in case I'm a bit brain dead also, and my memory is failing me, let's just say maybe the only 1 in the Vietnam war..... 10 yrs ... with guys over there in excess of 1 yr! WOW ! and he did it in only 4 months???? with no major injuries... I have to add that... we're not counting people who lost limbs or died.

Someone else might come upon these postings who remembers the exact posting better than I do... I admit my memory is not good... certainly not what it used to be....
_________________
Stevie
Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage
morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should
be arrested, exiled or hanged.

[Misty]

Most people do not make such a big issue of their medals either, do they?

Two years ago I was going through some old boxes and I found a Commendation Medal, a news article, and the papers describing what had happened for my husband to be awarded his. I never knew he had it before then. Even after I found it he only told me that the perimeter of the base at Bein Hoa had been violated and the barracks had been shelled. For some reason the person who was in charge couldn't perform so my husband took command of the situation and earned a medal. I haven't asked, but I know him well enough to know if he had received any minor wounds or scratches he sure wouldn't have expected a purple heart! A purple heart is sacred. My father in law received one during WW2 for a wound which weaped until he died a few years ago. John Kerry belittled the meaning of those medals, imo. Just as he belitted our Flag by watching it burned in front of him. Just as he belittled it the other day when he walked all over it's image during a campaign stop. John Kerry loves John Kerry. Symbols mean nothing to him, just like he said when he threw those medals away. JMHO.
_________________
Misty
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Dad was in the Navy Pacific Fleet
Brother was on the USS Regulus - Vietnam
Husband was AirForce 3rd (34th) Tactical Fighter Wing - Security Police Bien Hoa Vietnam