Navy Probes Kerry Medal

[darrels joy]

Navy Probes Kerry Medal

Thursday, September 02, 2004



NEW YORK ? In what has been described by Navy officials as a routine process, the Pentagon's inspector general's office on Thursday referred to the secretary of the Navy a request to investigate medals won by Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (search) during the Vietnam War.

Government watchdog group Judicial Watch (search) submitted the request for an investigation. Navy sources said the service will probe the medals, but added that most questions have arisen because of what appear to be errors in processing records.

Kerry received five medals during his four months in combat in Vietnam. Judicial Watch asked the Pentagon to investigate Kerry's receipt of the Silver Star with a "Combat V" designation (search), which stands for valor under fire.

Kerry's campaign Web site includes military records listing the Combat V citation. Navy procedures show that the Silver Star cannot carry a Combat V designation because part of the reason the medal is awarded is for valor under fire ? the added designation would be redundant. The findings of the probe, therefore, will not change the record of Kerry's Vietnam service.

In a letter to Judicial Watch, the inspector general's office said: "Concerning our allegations of violations of Uniform Code of Military Justice (search), we have the responsibility to ... 'report suspected or alleged violations.' We have informed the secretary of the Navy of the allegations."

Kerry campaign adviser Michael Meehan released a statement to FOX News that criticized the attention being paid to the request.

"The facts are clear, the Navy awarded John Kerry the Silver Star, a Bronze Star with a Combat V and three Purple Hearts. It is waste of taxpayer's dollars and the Pentagon's time, especially during wartime, to investigate a 35-year-old Navy clerical error," the statement reads.

The Navy has said that it's the responsibility of all personnel to correct errors in official records.

In 1996, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jeremy Boorda committed suicide when he learned that a reporter was about to disclose he had wrongly worn two Combat V pins on a Bronze Star, a medal that does not denote valor under fire.

At the time, Kerry told the Boston Herald that wrongly wearing the medals is a severe error in judgment.

"Is it wrong? Yes, it is very wrong. Sufficient to question his leadership position? The answer is yes," he is quoted as saying.

Kerry also spoke to the Boston Globe about the matter.

"If you wind up being less than what you're pretending to be, there is a major confrontation with value, self-esteem and your sense of how others view you."

Judicial Watch representatives said the group also wants an investigation into Kerry's third citation for the same Silver Star. In 1986, Kerry received the third citation after requesting a copy of his original citations. This one carried the signature and some additional words of praise under the signature of then-Navy Secretary John Lehman (search).

In a statement to FOX News, Lehman, who served on the Sept. 11 commission that investigated pre-2001 terror attack intelligence failings, said he had no idea why Kerry received a third citation under his signature, and that Navy records should be "thoroughly researched and the facts established."

Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with FOX News, former President George H.W. Bush said questions raised about Kerry's protests against the Vietnam War were legitimate, and he saw nothing wrong with airing a TV ad assailing Kerry's anti-war testimony by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (search), a loosely regulated, independent political action group known as a 527.

"My view is the advertisement showing Senator Kerry as a young veteran coming back and using his own words to describe atrocities committed by his own soldiers, sailors, marines or whatever it is, is devastating," Bush said.

Bush 41 also said Kerry owes the nation and Vietnam veterans an apology.

"I think it is not enough to say, well, I made a youthful indiscretion, and I think Senator Kerry ought to apologize."

FOX News' Major Garrett contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_frien...131319,00.html

[39mto39g]

If the Navy is as "swift" as the Army then the report should be out around spring 2025.

Kerry has the ability to open his VN records to the public, It shows that he has something to hide by not doing so. Personnally I could care less what he did in VN, but, for all those guys that got PH and SS and BS , he needs to clear up the background with his, Or it tants all the rest who have theres on there chest or on there wall. And even if he doesn't want to clear this up, the Department of the Navy should do it for him as an exception to the rule.
Kerry's 4 month VN tour has nothing to do with why he is or is not a good candiate for president, But his VN record and what he did after is a direct reflection on all VN veterans and Veterans in general. The PH used to mean something respectfull, Kerry has changed that. The SS used to mean something very special, Kerry has changed that, It needs to be cleared up.

Ron

[Arrow]

Thanks Joy....
And what Ron said...


Arrow>>>>>

[frisco-kid]

What Ron said. If Kerry's citations are on the up and up, then he should be more than willing to open his records to scrutiny with pride and welcome the Navy inquiry to help put this to rest once and for all. However, like Ron correctly pointed out, this could take awhile. Right now, until there's concrete evidence to the contrary, I give him the benefit of the doubt. Right now it continues to be a "He said/He said" situation. Too many of his detractors contradict themselves in what they originally stated happened directly after the actions in question. Some of THEM also recieved citations based on what was originally submitted as fact. I'm more at issue with what he did AFTER his service.

To clear up a couple of points on the medals of valor; like the article says, an SS does NOT come with a V-device. It would, indeed, be redundant. A BS is different and can be misleading to those who don't know the difference. A BS can be given for Meritorious Service [No V-device] or for Valor under fire [With V-device]. Now I don't know if the Navy gives them for Meritorious Service [Scamp?]. I'm sure there are more than a few of the Meritorious Service recipients that don't expand on which one they have when stating they have one. When someone claims to have one, pin them down on it.

[39mto39g]

My point was that if he doesn't open his record so that the thing can be straitened out then the rest of the people that got PH,BS,and SS will be tarnished in the public eye, If he opens his record and everything is on the up and up and can be proven than the rest of the people also get vendigated.
The reason someone got a SS or BS doesn't matter to me, its the aligations that he put himself in for the SS and there were entries after it was signed.
Like an Commendation medal , you can get this for almost anything, but you don't put yourself in for it.
I was put in for a Good conduct and Commendation and both were turned down, (I had an artical 15) .
Each one of his sitation has a paper trail, lets see it.

Ron

[Seascamp]

For a Commissioned Officer, the Navy was/is more likely award the Navy Commendation Medal for situations not actually involving hostile fire but perhaps still having an element of risk. In terms of Commissioned Officer career path, the Navy Commendation was a must at sometime or another, especially if a USNR Officer was looking to get a USN commission. In any case that?s what I saw at the time and don?t recall any BS being awarded. But then, I wouldn?t accuse me of paying a whole lot of attention to that kind of thing at the time. On the other hand, the Marines in the neighborhood did award any number of well deserved SS and BS medals.

Scamp