[Vision2020] Kerry's military record, redux.
Joan Opyr
auntiestablishment@hotmail.com
Mon, 26 Apr 2004 14:24:46 -0700
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Dear Visionaries:
I came across the following on the AP Wire. I'm forwarding it to you bec=
ause I can think of nothing so nauseating, so morally bankrupt as smearin=
g those who have served their country during war time. It's enough to ga=
g a dog off a gut wagon. But first, a few comments . . . =20
=20
Kerry's war record is a problem for George W. Bush. A big problem. It's=
not the only reason Kerry won the Democratic primary, but it's a signifi=
cant factor. And so, the appeal of Kerry's war record has to be neutrali=
zed. To that end, first the Bush campaign complained that although Kerry=
had volunteered for duty in Vietnam and served with distinction, he was =
a "traitor" for leading a group called Veterans Against the War upon his =
return. When that dung failed to stick, they switched tactics, claiming =
that Kerry should only have gotten two Purple Hearts rather than three be=
cause, in their opinion, his first collection of wounds weren't ghastly e=
nough. Now, Bush aide Karen Hughes has taken to the airwaves to complain=
that when Kerry says he returned his medals during a 1970 protest at the=
Capitol, he really just returned the ribbons. =20
This is an old Bush pattern. In 2000, the Bushies suggested that primary=
challenger John McCain might be "mentally unstable" because he spent fiv=
e years in a Vietnamese prison camp. (The operative phrase, I believe, w=
as "Manchurian candidate.") We got more of the same in 2002 when they he=
lped Saxby "Trick Knee" Chambliss unseat Vietnam Vet and triple-amputee M=
ax Cleland from his Senate seat in Georgia. What a technique. When face=
d with an opponent who has a strong record of military service -- one who=
, unlike you, hasn't just done the Top Gun cha-cha in a borrowed flight s=
uit -- you denigrate that service. You claim that it's exaggerated. You=
swagger and you strut and you pretend that your own song and dance must =
be the real thing because, hey, it's on television! You liked M*A*S*H, d=
idn't you? You watch JAG, don't you? Well, where's the film of John Ker=
ry's active service? Where's his reality show? If you can't watch it li=
ve on Fox TV, how can you know it's real? No, don't read those boring ol=
d military records. Let's have five minutes of war on CNN and then switc=
h back to "The Swan."
Enough. We had a healthy dose of genuine reality last week when a young =
woman, against Bush Administration orders, photographed the flag-draped c=
offins of real soldiers coming back from a real war. The Seattle Times r=
an the photo on their front page, the young woman was fired, and now Bush=
and Company are back at their all important campaign work of trying to t=
urn a silk purse into a sow's ear. If we let that happen then I guess we=
'll get what we deserve: Texas' answer to Grima Wormtongue. =20
=20
Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
Records show high praise for officer Kerry =20
By NEDRA PICKLER
Associated Press
4/22/2004
=20
WASHINGTON - Records of John F. Kerry's Vietnam War service released Wedn=
esday show a highly praised naval officer who volunteered for a dangerous=
assignment and at one point was "unofficially credited with 20 enemy kil=
led in action." =20
With critics questioning his service, the Democratic presidential candida=
te posted more than 120 pages of military records on his campaign Web sit=
e. Several describe him as a gutsy commander and detail some of the actio=
ns that won him three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star. =20
Kerry's most harrowing experience came during the nearly five months when=
he commanded a swiftboat along Vietnam's Mekong Delta. The future Massac=
husetts senator was commended for gallantry, heroism and valor during the=
tour, which was cut short when Kerry was wounded three times and sent ba=
ck to the United States. =20
"He frequently exhibited a high sense of imagination and judgment in plan=
ning operations against the enemy in the Mekong Delta," wrote Lt. Cmdr. G=
eorge Elliott, Kerry's commanding officer. "Involved in several enemy ini=
tiated fire fights, including an ambush during the Christmas truce, he ef=
fectively suppressed enemy fire and is unofficially credited with 20 enem=
y killed in action." =20
Kerry's records show that throughout his four years of active duty, super=
iors gave him glowing evaluations, citing his maturity, intelligence and =
immaculate appearance. He was recommended for early promotion, and when h=
e left the Navy in 1970 to run for Congress, his commanding officer said =
it was the Navy's loss. =20
The lowest marks Kerry earned were the equivalent of average - in militar=
y bearing, reliability and initiative. But narrative comments from his co=
mmanding officers said he was diplomatic, charismatic, decisive and well-=
liked by his men. =20
The records cited Kerry's education at Swiss boarding school, his speakin=
g and debating awards and his role as class orator at Yale University's c=
ommencement. He lettered in varsity soccer and lacrosse, fenced, had a pr=
ivate pilot's license and had experience sailing and ocean racing. =20
Kerry traveled throughout Europe in his youth and spoke fluent French and=
some German. His supervising officer later commended him for taking it u=
pon himself to learn Vietnamese. =20
Kerry cited his sailing experience before the Navy when he volunteered to=
command a swiftboat, a 50-foot-long craft that could operate at high spe=
eds in the rough waters of Vietnam's rivers and tributaries. =20
His records briefly describe shrapnel wounds to his arm and thigh for the=
first two Purple Hearts, but they don't detail the severity of the wound=
s. =20
According to a naval instruction document provided by Kerry's campaign, a=
nyone serving in Vietnam who was wounded three times, regardless of the n=
ature of the wound or treatment required, "will not be ordered to service=
in Vietnam and contiguous waters." =20
On Feb. 28, 1969, Kerry's and two other boats came under heavy fire from =
the riverbanks. Kerry ordered his units to turn into the ambush and sent =
men ashore to charge the enemy. According to the records, an enemy soldie=
r holding a loaded rocket launcher sprang up within 10 feet of Kerry's bo=
at and fled. Kerry leapt ashore, chased and killed the man. =20
Kerry and his men chased or killed all enemy soldiers in the area, captur=
ed enemy weapons and then returned to the boat only to come under fire fr=
om the opposite bank as they began to pull away. Kerry again beached his =
boat and led a party ashore to pursue the enemy, and they successfully si=
lenced the shooting. =20
Later, with the boats again under fire, Kerry initiated a heavy response =
that killed 10 Viet Cong and wounded another with no casualties to his ow=
n men. =20
He won the Silver Star "for gallantry and intrepidity in action" that day=
Two weeks later, another fire fight led to a Bronze Star for heroic ach=
ievement and the third Purple Heart that would result in his reassignment=
out of Vietnam.
Kerry was commanding one of five boats on patrol on March 13, 1969, when =
two mines detonated almost simultaneously - one beneath another boat and =
one near Kerry's craft. Shrapnel hit Kerry's buttocks, and his right arm =
was bleeding from contusions, but he rescued a boatmate who had been thro=
wn overboard by the blast and was under sniper fire from both banks. Kerr=
y then directed his crew to return to the other damaged craft and tow it =
to safety.Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://exp=
lorer.msn.com
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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV>Dear Visionari=
es:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I came across the following on the AP Wi=
re. I'm forwarding it to you because I can think of nothing so=
nauseating, so morally bankrupt as smearing those who have served t=
heir country during war time. It's enough to gag a dog off a gut wa=
gon. But first, a few comments . . . </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>=
<DIV>Kerry's war record is a problem for George W. Bush. A big pro=
blem. It's not the only reason Kerry won the Democratic primary, bu=
t it's a significant factor. And so, the appeal of Kerry's war reco=
rd has to be neutralized. To that end, first the Bush campaign=
complained that although Kerry had volunteered for duty in Vietnam =
and served with distinction, he was a "traitor" for leading a g=
roup called Veterans Against the War upon his return. When that dun=
g failed to stick, they switched tactics, claiming that Ke=
rry should only have gotten two Purple Hearts rather than three because, =
in their opinion, his first collection of wounds weren't ghastly enough.&=
nbsp; Now, Bush aide Karen Hughes has taken to the airwaves to complain t=
hat when Kerry says he returned his medals during a 1970 protest at =
the Capitol, he really just returned the ribbons. </DIV> <DIV> =
;</DIV> <DIV>This is an old Bush pattern. In 2000, the Bushies=
suggested that primary challenger John McCain might be "mentally un=
stable" because he spent five years in a Vietnamese prison camp.&nbs=
p; (The operative phrase, I believe, was "Manchurian candi=
date.") We got more of the same in 2002 when they helped Saxby "Tri=
ck Knee" Chambliss unseat Vietnam Vet and triple-amputee Max Cleland=
from his Senate seat in Georgia. What a technique. =
When faced with an opponent who has a strong record of militar=
y service -- one who, unlike you, hasn't just done the Top Gun cha-c=
ha in a borrowed flight suit -- you denigrate that service. Yo=
u claim that it's exaggerated. You swagger and you strut and y=
ou pretend that your own song and dance must be the real thing because, h=
ey, it's on television! You liked M*A*S*H, didn't you? You wa=
tch JAG, don't you? Well, where's the film of John Kerry's active s=
ervice? Where's his reality show? If you can't watch it live =
on Fox TV, how can you know it's real? No, don't read those bo=
ring old military records. Let's have five minutes of war on C=
NN and then switch back to "The Swan."</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Enoug=
h. We had a healthy dose of genuine reality last week when a&n=
bsp;young woman, against Bush Administration orders, photographed the fla=
g-draped coffins of real soldiers coming back from a real war. =
The Seattle Times ran the photo on their front page, the young woman&nbs=
p;was fired, and now Bush and Company are back at their all important cam=
paign work of trying to turn a silk purse into a sow's ear. If=
we let that happen then I guess we'll get what we deserve: Texas' answer=
to Grima Wormtongue. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <=
DIV>Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment<BR></DIV> <DIV> <P class=3DMsoNormal s=
tyle=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN class=3Dmainstoryhead1><SPAN style=3D"=
FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><STRONG><FONT face=3DArial>Records show high praise fo=
r officer Kerry</FONT></STRONG></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 8.=
5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <BR>By NEDRA PICKLER<BR>Associated Press<?xml:n=
amespace prefix =3D o ns =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />=
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"=
><?xml:namespace prefix =3D st1 ns =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:=
smarttags" /><st1:date Month=3D"4" Day=3D"22" Year=3D"2004"><SPAN style=3D=
"FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">4/22/2004</SPAN></st1:date><SPAN s=
tyle=3D"FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P c=
lass=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN class=3Dheadbyline1>=
<SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt"><o:p><STRONG><FONT face=3DArial color=3D=
#b7b7b7> </FONT></STRONG></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P> <P class=3DMsoNorm=
al style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3DArial><st1:State><st1:place=
><SPAN class=3Dstorytext1><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt">WASHINGTON</SPAN=
></SPAN></st1:place></st1:State><SPAN class=3Dstorytext1><SPAN style=3D"F=
ONT-SIZE: 9pt"> - Records of John F. Kerry's Vietnam War service released=
Wednesday show a highly praised naval officer who volunteered for a dang=
erous assignment and at one point was "unofficially credited with 20 enem=
y killed in action." <o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></P> <P><SPAN style=3D=
"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">With critics questioni=
ng his service, the Democratic presidential candidate posted more than 12=
0 pages of military records on his campaign Web site. Several describe hi=
m as a gutsy commander and detail some of the actions that won him three =
Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star. </SPAN><o:p></o:p></P> <P=
><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Kerry's=
most harrowing experience came during the nearly five months when he com=
manded a swiftboat along </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN styl=
e=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Vietnam</SPAN></st=
1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black;=
FONT-FAMILY: Arial">'s Mekong Delta. The future </SPAN><st1:State><st1:p=
lace><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Mas=
sachusetts</SPAN></st1:place></st1:State><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; C=
OLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> senator was commended for gallantry, he=
roism and valor during the tour, which was cut short when Kerry was wound=
ed three times and sent back to the </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place=
><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">United =
States</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9=
pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P><SPAN s=
tyle=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"He frequently =
exhibited a high sense of imagination and judgment in planning operations=
against the enemy in the Mekong Delta," wrote Lt. Cmdr. George Elliott, =
Kerry's commanding officer. "Involved in several enemy initiated fire fig=
hts, including an ambush during the Christmas truce, he effectively suppr=
essed enemy fire and is unofficially credited with 20 enemy killed in act=
ion." <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: bla=
ck; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Kerry's records show that throughout his four yea=
rs of active duty, superiors gave him glowing evaluations, citing his mat=
urity, intelligence and immaculate appearance. He was recommended for ear=
ly promotion, and when he left the Navy in 1970 to run for Congress, his =
commanding officer said it was the Navy's loss. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P=
><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The low=
est marks Kerry earned were the equivalent of average - in military beari=
ng, reliability and initiative. But narrative comments from his commandin=
g officers said he was diplomatic, charismatic, decisive and well-liked b=
y his men. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR=
: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The records cited Kerry's education at Swiss=
boarding school, his speaking and debating awards and his role as class =
orator at </SPAN><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt;=
COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Yale</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN style=
=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN><st1:PlaceT=
ype><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Univ=
ersity</SPAN></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; C=
OLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">'s commencement. He lettered in varsity =
soccer and lacrosse, fenced, had a private pilot's license and had experi=
ence sailing and ocean racing. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P><SPAN style=3D"F=
ONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Kerry traveled throughou=
t </SPAN><st1:place><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAM=
ILY: Arial">Europe</SPAN></st1:place><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR=
: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> in his youth and spoke fluent French and so=
me German. His supervising officer later commended him for taking it upon=
himself to learn Vietnamese. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P><SPAN style=3D"FO=
NT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Kerry cited his sailing e=
xperience before the Navy when he volunteered to command a swiftboat, a 5=
0-foot-long craft that could operate at high speeds in the rough waters o=
f </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; CO=
LOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Vietnam</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-r=
egion><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">'s=
rivers and tributaries. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SI=
ZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">His records briefly describe s=
hrapnel wounds to his arm and thigh for the first two Purple Hearts, but =
they don't detail the severity of the wounds. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P><=
SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">According=
to a naval instruction document provided by Kerry's campaign, anyone ser=
ving in </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9=
pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Vietnam</SPAN></st1:place></st1:cou=
ntry-region><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Ari=
al"> who was wounded three times, regardless of the nature of the wound o=
r treatment required, "will not be ordered to service in </SPAN><st1:coun=
try-region><st1:place><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-F=
AMILY: Arial">Vietnam</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style=3D=
"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> and contiguous waters=
" <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black;=
FONT-FAMILY: Arial">On </SPAN><st1:date Month=3D"2" Day=3D"28" Year=3D"1=
969"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Feb=
28, 1969</SPAN></st1:date><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; =
FONT-FAMILY: Arial">, Kerry's and two other boats came under heavy fire f=
rom the riverbanks. Kerry ordered his units to turn into the ambush and s=
ent men ashore to charge the enemy. According to the records, an enemy so=
ldier holding a loaded rocket launcher sprang up within 10 feet of Kerry'=
s boat and fled. Kerry leapt ashore, chased and killed the man. <o:p></o:=
p></SPAN></P> <P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY=
: Arial">Kerry and his men chased or killed all enemy soldiers in the are=
a, captured enemy weapons and then returned to the boat only to come unde=
r fire from the opposite bank as they began to pull away. Kerry again bea=
ched his boat and led a party ashore to pursue the enemy, and they succes=
sfully silenced the shooting. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P><SPAN style=3D"FO=
NT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Later, with the boats aga=
in under fire, Kerry initiated a heavy response that killed 10 Viet Cong =
and wounded another with no casualties to his own men. <o:p></o:p></SPAN>=
</P> <P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">=
He won the Silver Star "for gallantry and intrepidity in action" that day=
Two weeks later, another fire fight led to a Bronze Star for heroic ach=
ievement and the third Purple Heart that would result in his reassignment=
out of </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9=
pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Vietnam</SPAN></st1:place></st1:cou=
ntry-region><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Ari=
al">.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; F=
ONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-l=
anguage: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Ke=
rry was commanding one of five boats on patrol on </SPAN><st1:date Month=3D=
"3" Day=3D"13" Year=3D"1969"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black;=
FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi=
-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">=
March 13, 1969</SPAN></st1:date><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: bla=
ck; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-a=
nsi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-S=
A">, when two mines detonated almost simultaneously - one beneath another=
boat and one near Kerry's craft. Shrapnel hit Kerry's buttocks, and his =
right arm was bleeding from contusions, but he rescued a boatmate who had=
been thrown overboard by the blast and was under sniper fire from both b=
anks. Kerry then directed his crew to return to the other damaged craft a=
nd tow it to safety.</SPAN></DIV></BODY></HTML><br clear=3Dall><hr>Get mo=
re from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : <a href=3D'http://explorer=
msn.com'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p>
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