John Kerry's Purple Heart Questioned?

[fearfulone 0]

Kerry faces questions over Purple Heart

By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff, 4/14/2004

WASHINGTON -- John F. Kerry's tour of duty in Vietnam, distinguished by Silver and Bronze stars and the close-range killing of an enemy fighter, is highlighted in his campaign ads and cheered on the trail. Even the campaign of President Bush, who did not see combat, hasn't tried to make an issue of his opponent's service record.

But as the presidential campaign heats up, some Vietnam veterans are using the Internet and talk radio to question the Democratic candidate's military record. They complain that Kerry's three Purple Hearts were for minor wounds and that he left Vietnam more than six months ahead of schedule under regulations permitting thrice-wounded soldiers to depart early.

A review by the Globe of Kerry's war record in preparation for a forthcoming book, "John F. Kerry: The Complete Biography," found that the young Navy officer acted heroically under fire, in one case saving the life of an Army lieutenant. But the examination also found that Kerry's commanding officer at the time questioned Kerry's first Purple Heart, which he earned for a wound received just two weeks after arriving in Vietnam.

Full Article

Seems Mr. Kerry wasn't as big of a hero in Vietnam as he would like some people to believe?

Back at the base, Kerry told Hibbard he qualified for a Purple Heart...Kerry's wound resembled a scrape from a fingernail.

the man who praises himself for "combat experience" left early cause a scrap the size of a fingernail? and this guy wants to be the fearless leader of the free world?

[<bleeding_heart> 0]

http://www.snopes.com/politics/kerry/service.asp

[fearfulone 0]

interesting link...but the Boston Globe wouldnt print it in today's paper if it had already been proven "false"

[Stamford 0]

It would seem to me that questioning a war veteran's war record and his awards for bravery is very low indeed (this is not aimed at you fearfulone, but the paper reporting it, which I assume is pro-Bush).

[Aslan 2]

the Boston Globe wouldnt print it in today's paper if it had already been proven "false"

Your faith in the press outstrips mine by an order of some magnitude.

[<bleeding_heart> 0]

If you read the link it does say how his medals where earned and that his wounds required little medical attention. It also states that the awarding of Purple Hearts for minor wounds at the time was the rule rather than the exception.

There were an awful lot of Purple Hearts ? from shrapnel, some of those might have been M-40 grenades," said George Elliott, Kerry's commanding officer. "The Purple Hearts were coming down in boxes. Kerry, he had three Purple Hearts. None of them took him off duty. Not to belittle it, that was more the rule than the exception."

And according to Douglas Brinkley's history of John Kerry and the Vietnam War:

As generally understood, the Purple Heart is given to any U.S. citizen wounded in wartime service to the nation. Giving out Purple Hearts increased as the United States started sending Swifts up rivers. Sailors ? no longer safe on aircraft carriers or battleships in the Gulf of Tonkin ? were starting to bleed, a lot.

[fearfulone 0]

It would seem to me that questioning a war veteran's war record and his awards for bravery is very low indeed (this is not aimed at you fearfulone, but the paper reporting it, which I assume is pro-Bush).

The Boston Globe actually is not a "pro-bush" paper...it is, like most newspapers here in the states...slanted toward the left.

I think the reason this was brought up at all by the paper is because a month or so ago they questioned bush's national guard service...so they probably looked into Kerry's record and noticed somethin fishy...

i'm not taking away from john kerry, from what the article says, he fought bravely and protected his troops...just seems a bit of a "wuss" in my opinion for leaving after "two injuries that did not require missing any days, and one that required missing one, maybe two days of action." but, at the same time, you can argue bush never served so...just thought it was an interesting article

[stillcrazy 0]

    If you read the link it does say how his medals where earned and that his wounds required little medical attention. It also states that the awarding of Purple Hearts for minor wounds at the time was the rule rather than the exception.

There were an awful lot of Purple Hearts ? from shrapnel, some of those might have been M-40 grenades," said George Elliott, Kerry's commanding officer. "The Purple Hearts were coming down in boxes. Kerry, he had three Purple Hearts. None of them took him off duty. Not to belittle it, that was more the rule than the exception."

And according to Douglas Brinkley's history of John Kerry and the Vietnam War:

As generally understood, the Purple Heart is given to any U.S. citizen wounded in wartime service to the nation. Giving out Purple Hearts increased as the United States started sending Swifts up rivers. Sailors ? no longer safe on aircraft carriers or battleships in the Gulf of Tonkin ? were starting to bleed, a lot.

Not to lessen anyone who truely deserved a purple heart medal. But your right. Kerry recieved his for minor wounds. But there were others who came back with six and seven medals that never saw a day of combat. It was the Governments way of appeasing a bunch of whiners in the military at the time. A grave mistake in my opinion. The whole thing cheapend the purpose of the medal and made everyone who received one a qustion mark.

Edited April 14, 2004 by stillcrazy

[Gazz 0]

If you really dig into the past of John

Kerry, you will find that this man was

not a hero... he got one purple heart

for getting hit in the head with a bat

by mistake.

He would have done anything to get out

of nam, just like everyone else there.

There are many who question his performance.

But the bottom line is he was young, and

wanted to surrvive that conflict.

As anyone of us would.

But if he claims to be a hero from his

actions in nam, he will only bring out

the truth in time.

and that will really bite him in the

A$$.

Gazz

[DC09 0]

He was there for 4 months I think.

[joc 7,516]

Kerry is a LOSER!!

If you don't believe me, watch who he chooses for a running mate as VP.

If it isn't Ted Kennedy I will personally kiss everyones a$$ on this forum!

[DC09 0]

I don't know...

There are certain details in Kennedy's past that he probably doesn't want brought up again. (Killing a girl drunk driving).

[joc 7,516]

I don't know...

There are certain details in Kennedy's past that he probably doesn't want brought up again. (Killing a girl drunk driving).

True Kellalor, however, Chappaquiddick didn't stop him from running for the presidency in 1980. If Kerry does in fact choose him.......what a dummy. He would be setting up his own assassination!!