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rbshirley
Founder
Joined: 07 May 2004
Posts: 394
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 Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 5:41 pm Post subject: The Purple Heart Hunter |
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As the attention concernng John Kerry turns to his 1971 anti-war activities
The Democratic talking points are becoming more shrill that accusations
concerning exaggerations and falsehoods in awards made to John Kerry
during a short two month period in 1969 have all been proven false.
Therefore, it is probably useful to boil down the facts concerning the three
Purple Heart awards into the main and easily understood facts in each
case in order to counter those that try to discount them without specifics.
The following presents the text of the few documents needed to make a
valid determination that John Kerry did indeed obtain his Purple Hearts
using less than truthful statements.
First Purple Heart
Citation Excerpt
| Quote: | February 28, 1969
On Behalf of the Chief of Naval Personnel, the Commander U. S. Naval
Support Activity, Saigon hereby awards you the Purple Heart for injuries
received on 2 December 1968 |
In an August 28, 2004 National Review article Admiral William Schachte stated:
| Quote: | I heard the distinctive sound of the M-79 being fired and turned to see
Lt. (jg) Kerry holding the M-79 from which he had just launched a round.
We received no return fire of any kind nor were there any muzzle flashes
from the beach. I directed the outboard motor operator to clear the area. |
In a July 21, 2004 Affidavit, Kerry’s CO, Grant W. Hibbard, stated:
| Quote: | In December 1968, Kerry came to my office in order to apply for a Purple
Heart. He had a tiny scratch ?? less than from a rose thorn. I had already
spoken to Lieutenant Wiliam Schachte USN (now Rear Admiral USN retired)
and others who were present during the incident and had reported that
Kerry had fired an M-79 too close, inflicting a tiny wound upon himself.
I turned dwon the Purple Heart request. I was shocked to later learn that
he subsequently received an undeserved Putple Heart for this wound. |
| Quote: | Tuesday, August 24, 2004
KERRY CAMPAIGN BACKTRACKS ON FIRST PURPLE HEART AWARD
Washington -— In a reversal of their staunch defense of John Kerry's military
service record, Kerry campaign officials were quoted by Fox News saying that
it was indeed possible that John Kerry's first Purple Heart commendation was
the result of an, unintentional, self-inflicted wound. |
Second Purple Heart
Citation Excerpt
| Quote: | March 5, 1969
On behalf of the Chief of Naval Personnel, the Commander U. S. Naval
Support Activity, Saigon hereby awards you a Gold Star in lieu of a second
Purple Heart for injuries received on 20 February 1969 |
From “John F Kerry: The Complete Biography by the Boston Globe Reporters
Who Know Him Best” by Kranish, Mooney and Easton, 2004
| Quote: | | He was treated on an offshore ship and returned to duty hours later |
From a Ft Smith Times Record Article on September 13, 2004
| Quote: | Two days later, he {Fred Short sic} heard a grenade explosion behind him
and saw his skipper, Lt. Kerry, on the deck with a bloody leg. He’d been hit. |
From “Unfit for Command” by John O’Neill and Jerome Corsi 2004 page 78
| Quote: | Van Odell, a sailor on PCF 93, recounts that when Kerry's crew came back
that day, he heard them say that Kerry had faked a Purple Heart from his
own M-79 wound. In addition, one of Kerry's crewmen, in a 2002 email
that he disowned after meeting Kerry, questioned this Purple Heart
and indicated that it was for a negligently self-inflicted M-79 grenade round
like the one occuring at Cam Ranh Bay |
In a Sunday March 17, 2002 email, Fred Short wrote:
| Quote: | I had advised him that the rain would set it off when it armed. He did, it did
and we both got a face full of wire. He got a heart for it, I said no way. |
Third Purple Heart
Citation Excerpt:
| Quote: | April 17, 1969
In accordance with the authority delegated by reference (a), the Commander,
U. S. Naval Support Activity, Saigon takes pride in presenting to you a Gold
Star in lieu of a third Purple Heart for injuries received on 13 March 1969 |
From “John F Kerry: The Complete Biography by the Boston Globe Reporters
Who Know Him Best” by Kranish, Mooney and Easton, 2004
| Quote: | At one point, Kerry and Rassmann threw grenades into a huge rice cache
that had been captured from the Vietcong and was thus slated for destruction.
After Tossing the grenades, the two dove for cover. Rassmann escaped the
ensuing explosion of rice, but Kerry was not so lucky – thousands of grains
stuck to him. The result was hilarious and the two men formed a bond. |
There is adequate evidence that Kerry falsified his Purple Heart Awards
Let the mainstream media argue over the uncertainties on the other awards.
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Last edited by rbshirley on Wed Sep 29, 2004 6:05 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Rdtf
CNO
Joined: 13 May 2004
Posts: 2209
Location: BUSHville
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| Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2004 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks- Good job of laying it all out, making it easier for some to understand. That can be copied and pasted into a good email..  |
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Bob Chamberlain
Lt.Jg.
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
Posts: 147
Location: Raleigh, NC
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| Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2004 5:45 pm Post subject: 3rd Purple Heart |
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There is another quote about the 3rd Purple Heart in JFK's own words from Tour Of Duty that is even more damning:
Page 313 - describing activites on the morning of 13 March
The Nung blew up some huge bins of rice they had found, as it was assumed, as always, that these were the local stockpiles earmarked to feed the hungry VC moving through the Delta smugling weapons. "I got a piece of small [sic] grenade in my ass from one of the rice-bin explosions and then we started to move back to the boats, firing to our rear as we went," Kerry related.
It isn't clear why they were "firing to our rear", since there is no mention of enemy contact at the location of the hut where the rice was blown up and there is no mention of enemy contact on the way back to the boats. I assume that this quote comes from Kerry's journal. The "firing to our rear" is probably just more of his "poetic license". In any case, this is the only source I have ever been able to find that clearly states how Kerry got shrapnel in his ass on the 13th. And it doesn't involve enemy contact.
Another point that I have wondered about. His job was OIC of a Swift boat. Who the Hell was minding the store back aboard the boat while Kerry was off skylarking?? Was this side trip even remotely part of his job description or was he derelict in his duty by "abandoning" his command??
_________________
Bob
Useful anti-Kerry campaign material at:
http://www.betrayed-vietnam-vet.info |
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RMalloy
PO3
Joined: 23 Aug 2004
Posts: 280
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| Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 5:42 am Post subject: |
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Has this been discussed before about PH #2? That part of the report from
FEB 20 states Kerry and the Thorson from PCF-94 were both hit from
Friendly Fire?
On Kerry's website from page 10 of 37 FEB Spot Reports -
FEB 20 - Day of action
| Quote: | | THIS UNIT RECIEVED SMALL ARMS/RIFLE GRENADE FIRE AND OING (Kerry) and THORSON EN3 RECIEVED SHRAPNEL WOUNDS |
At bottom of page is Casualty report on FEB 20 that day the action took place states:
| Quote: | CASUALTIES: FRIENDLY-WIA-LTJG JOHN F KERRY, USNF,
7136854, EN3 THORSON, EUGINE K., USN, 199702.
ENEMY: NONE
YOR/2022072/MF/PDJ 201400Z9(?) FEB 69 |
Yet his book Tour of Duty has it hostile fire with no mention of Thorsen
also getting hit, plus his book states it was one rocket-propelled grenade
no small arms fire, that the day was otherwise uneventful.
Page 287
| Quote: | PCF-94 had taken a rocket-propelled grenade round off the port side,
fired at them from the far left bank. Kerry felt a piece of hot shrapnel
bore into his left leg...... |
Kerry's Spot Report dated the next day on FEB 21 -
| Quote: |
LTJG JOHN KERRY SUFFERED SHRAPNEL WOUNDS IN HIS LEFT THIGH
WHEN PCF 94 CAME UNDER INTENSE HOSTILE A/W/ROCKET FIRE |
Summary - On Feb 20 - the day Kerry gets his 2nd heart, his book says
it was uneventful except for a single rocket propelled grenade fired from the bank injuring only Kerry.
The FEB 20 Spot report says there were three black pajama guys who ran behind the bank then says Kerry and Thorsen recieved shrapnel wounds.
By Feb 21, the action changes, Kerry now says there was intense hostile
A/W/Rocket fire.
The FEB 20 Casualty Report says FRIENDLY FIRE WIA for Kerry and Thorson, no enemy. |
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RMalloy
PO3
Joined: 23 Aug 2004
Posts: 280
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| Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 5:50 am Post subject: |
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Wouldn't the part of the Spot Report for FEB 20 that states that
Kerry and Thorson were injured by Friendly Fire back up the
Swiftvet claims that Kerry may have wounded himself?
Need to find out where or who "friendly fire" was?
Was it someone other than Kerry who put in that part of the Spot Report about the Friendly Fire?
Why is it contradictory to the initial Spot Report of hostile fire?
Why does Kerry omit Thorson also recieving shrapnel wounds in his book? |
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