Posted on 02/17/2004 1:22:19 PM PST by Hon
Kerry commanded his first swift boat, No. 44, from December 1968 through January 1969. He received no medals while serving on this craft.
Kerry experienced his first intense combat action on Dec. 2, 1968. He was slightly wounded on his arm, earning his first Purple Heart.
February 28, 1969: When Kerry's Patrol Craft Fast 94 received a B-40 rocket shot from shore, he hot dogged his craft beaching it in the center of the enemy position. To his surprise, an enemy soldier sprang up from a hole not ten feet from Patrol Craft 94 and fled. The boat's machine gunner hit and wounded the fleeing Viet Cong as he darted behind a hootch. The twin .50s gunner fired at the Viet Cong. He said he "laid 50 rounds" into the hootch before Kerry leaped from the boat and dashed in to administer a "coup de grace" to the wounded Viet Cong. Kerry returned with the B-40 rocket and launcher. Kerry was given a Silver Star for his actions. |
Kerry and crew stand together in An Thoi, Vietnam, on February 28, 1969, after presentation of Kerry's Silver Star. He also received a Purple Heart for a minor wound. From left: Del Sandusky, John Kerry, Gene Thorson, Thomas Belodeau. Kneeling from left, Mike Medeiros, Fred Short. |
On March 13, 1969, a mine detonated near Kerry's boat, slighting wounding Kerry in the right arm. He was awarded his third Purple Heart. PCF (Patrol Craft Fast) 94 crew in March 1969, from left, Gene Thorson, David Alston, Thomas Belodeau, Del Sandusky, and John Kerry. |
PCF 44 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Crew | e-mail Address | Dates | Base | Comments |
17 April 1966 | Cam Ranh Bay | first arrived in South Vietnam | ||
Leland M. Mills, LT, OinC | 4/66-?? | Cam Ranh Bay | ??Glenview, IL?? | |
George Hoover, BM2 | 4/66-?? | Cam Ranh Bay | ||
David Franklin Parsons Jr, RM3 | brenda.parsons@version.net | 4/66-?? | Cam Ranh Bay | Lakeland, FL |
Francis Joseph "Sonny" Buchta, EN3 | 4/66-5/66 | Cam Ranh Bay | Dayton, TX | |
Cox, GMG3 | 4/66-?? | Cam Ranh Bay | ||
Wayne Watkins, SN | 4/66-?? | Cam Ranh Bay | ||
Lucian Gale Jewell, EN1 | 5/66-1/67 | Cam Ranh Bay | Dawson Springs, KY | |
James A. Colombo, LT, OinC | Midnightvette@cs.com | ??-6/67 | Cam Ranh Bay | Hagerstown, MD |
James Stephen Matheny, RMSN | jsm4914@peoplepc.com | 3/67-6/67 | Cam Ranh Bay | Granite, IL |
Michael Gene Cosper, GMG3 | ??-6/67 | Cam Ranh Bay | ||
Gary Earl Nolan, RM3 | ??-6/67 | Cam Ranh Bay | ||
Ralph E. Duerre, LTJG, OinC | ?/67-12/67 | Cam Ranh Bay | was from Ithaca, NY | |
Joseph R. LaVoie II, QM1 | JLavoie101@.aol.com | 67-68 | Cam Ranh Bay | Kent, WA |
W.P. "Sonny" Taylor, RD2 | tnfayette@aol.com | 5/67-3/68 | Cam Ranh Bay | Oakland, TN |
12/27/67-4/30/68 | overhaul in Sasebo, Japan | |||
Robert T. Grace, LTJG, OinC | 5/68-?? | Cam Ranh Bay | Virginia Beach, VA | |
MacKinnon, QM2 | 5/68-?? | Cam Ranh Bay | ||
Goss, BM3 | 5/68-?? | Cam Ranh Bay | ||
Anthony, EN2 | 5/68-?? | Cam Ranh Bay | ||
Donald J. Shaw, RD2 | 5/68-7/68 | Cam Ranh Bay | Northbrook, IL | |
Robert Allen Kreyer, GMG2 | bkreyer@egcrc.net | 5/68-8/68 | Cam Ranh Bay | Novoto, CA |
John Everet Repshire, EN1 | russpr@st-tel.net | 6/68-?? | Cam Ranh Bay | Russell Springs, KS |
Peter V. Carey, LTJG, OinC | Cam Ranh Bay | was from Farmington, CT | ||
Thomas Williams Wright III, LT, OinC | twright3@hotmail.com | 11/68-4/69 | An Thoi | Savannah, GA |
James T. Thompson, EN2 | 11/68-4/69 | An Thoi | ||
George E. Bobb III, RD3 | 11/68-4/69 | An Thoi | Westerville, OH | |
William J. Newman, BM3 | 11/68-4/69 | An Thoi | ||
Donald Eugene Kinser, BMSN | 11/68-4/69 | An Thoi | ||
Frederick J. Nastasuk, GMGSN | 11/68-4/69 | An Thoi | ||
Michael A. Adkins, LTJG, OinC | 6/69-5/70 | La Mesa, CA | ||
31 October 1969 | Saigon | transferred to South Vietnamese Navy | ||
PCF 3851 |
- PCF 44 and 6 other swifts were delivered to Cam Ranh Bay, from Subic Bay, PI, onboard the USS Tortuga, LSD-29 on 17 April 1966. While offloading, at night, from the LSD, one (1) boat suffered a damaged screw and four (4) others damaged skegs.
- PCFs 43, 44 and 47 stopped an infiltration attempt by taking an enemy arms trawler under fire and destroying it, 29 February 1968.
- In August 1969, a ceramic gunshield was installed on mount 52 for evaluation. The disadvantages of restricting the movement of the .50 caliber mount, with the after pin removed, the restricted viewing area, due to the height of the shield, and the fact that it was a one shot item, that would have to be replaced after any damage, ruled out any further installations.
PCF 94 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Crew | e-mail Address | Dates | Base | Comments |
October 1966 | An Thoi | first arrived in South Vietnam | ||
Thomas S. Winslow, LTJG, OinC | 5/67-5/68 | An Thoi | Oakland, CA | |
Quint, RM1 | 5/67-5/68 | An Thoi | ||
Carlyle John Brown, EN2 | johnbrown578@aol.com | 5/67-5/68 | An Thoi | Watervliet, MI |
Guraltemo, GMG2 | 5/67-5/68 | An Thoi | ||
James L. Brookshire, BM3 | jbrook1029@aol.com | 5/67-12/67 | An Thoi | |
Mike ????, SN | 5/67-5/68 | An Thoi | Navajo Indian | |
Thomas M. Herritage II, OinC | 3/68-3/69 | Novi, MI | ||
Larry James Balok, OinC | seascow@msn.com | 7/68-11/68 | An Thoi | Bradenton, FL |
James L. Miller, RD1 | jlmiller@tscnet.com | 7/68-11/68 | An Thoi | |
Kenneth Poole, EN2 | 7/68-11/68 | An Thoi | ||
Vern Radcliff, GMG3 | 7/68-11/68 | An Thoi | ||
11/9/68-1/17/69 | overhaul at NSF Cat Lo | |||
Edward Robert "Tedd" Peck, LTJG, OinC | tpeck49@cableone.net | 1/69-1/69 | An Thoi | Santa Rosa, CA |
Delbert Sandusky, QM1 | 1/69-1/69 | An Thoi | ||
Eugene Kenneth "Thor" Thorson, EN2 | 1/69-1/69 | An Thoi | Ames, IA | |
Michael Richard Eugene Medeiros, QM2 | 1/69-1/69 | An Thoi | San Leandro, CA | |
Stanley E. Jenereski, RD2 | Jenereski@aol.com | 1/69-1/69 | An Thoi | Southborough, MA |
Daniel Salinas II, LTJG, OinC | 1/69-?? | An Thoi | ||
Joseph Edward Muharsky, RD2 | ndc@mwwed.com | 1/69-4/69 | An Thoi | Mentor, OH |
Larry G. Potter, QM2 | 1/69-?? | An Thoi | ||
James Barry Bogart, EN3 | bogey67401@yahoo.com | 1/69-8/69 | An Thoi | Salina, KS |
Dalmas K. Coates, BM3 | dalyeame@midusa.net | 1/69-?? | An Thoi | Wamego, KS |
Chris Whalen, GMGSN | 1/69-?? | An Thoi | ||
Henry "Buddy" Berman, QM2 | buddyb@atlantic.net | 5/69-7/69 | An Thoi | DeLeon Springs, FL |
Alfonso Abrego Garza, RD3 | algarza@earthlink.net | 6/69-6/70 | An Thoi/Cat Lo | Richmond, TX |
John Ellis O'Neill, LTJG, OinC | oneilljohn@copn.com | 9/69-3/70 | An Thoi/Cat Lo | Houston, TX |
Harry George McConnell, LTJG, OinC | hmcconnell@daytonalaw.com | 12/69-11/70 | Cat Lo | Ormond Beach, FL |
Bradford Miles Slepicka, RD3 | ElbowG97@aol.com | 9/70-10/70 | Cat Lo/Sa Dec | Katy, TX |
1 October 1970 | Cat Lo | transferred to South Vietnamese Navy | ||
PCF 3915 |
- On 29 January 1969, PCFs 5, 72, 93 and 94, together with units of COSDIV 13, conducted operations in the Cua Lon river. PCFs 72 and 94 came under fire while probing a side canal resultings in 3 USN WIA and light damage to PCF 94.
- PCF-94, in company with PCFs 22, 35 and VNN PCF-3806, 14 January 1970, were supporting a troop sweep when PCF-94 was hit by a claymore mine resulting in two (2) friendly WIA and damage to the hull and one engine.
- While patrolling on the Rac Giang Thanh, 25 April 1970, PCFs 3 and 94 came under heavy AK-47 and B-40 rocket attack. Three (3) B-40 rockets detonated close aboard PCF-94, causing shrapnel damage, the starboard bow was also hit by 9 AK-47 rounds. One crewman on PCF-3 was wounded. The PCFs suppressed the fire and then spotted for a SEAWOLVES strike on the surrounding area.
I'm betting Kerry did.
But the Dems have DEMANDED that Bush release all of his NG records -- and then they still find fault with them...
Call Signs
Officer-in-Charge
Boats | Tony P. Gisclair | |
Boston Strangler | John Kerry | |
Boston Strangler | Clayton G. Zucker | |
Boy Scout | Bruce Wentworth | had been an eagle scout and was very moral |
Brass Brat | John M. Pinney |
Pray for W and The Truth
Navy Commendation Medal
Silver Star
The Silver Star
Establishing Authority
The Silver Star was originally established at the direction of President Woodrow Wilson as a "citation star," as provided in section 5 of War Department General Orders Number 6 on January 12, 1919. It was modified slightly and affirmed as an Army decoration by Act of Congress (Public Law 193, 65th Congress) approved July 9, 1918. The Silver Star medal was created in 1932 and was extended to the Navy and Marine Corps by Act of Congress (Public Law 702, 77th Congress) approved August 7, 1942.
Effective Dates
No initial qualifying date was set for either the Silver Star Medal or its predecessor, the Silver Citation Star. Since the earliest action for which a Silver Star was ultimately issued was during the Civil War, Members of the Army have therefore been eligible to receive the Silver Star for qualifying acts from April 15, 1861 to the present. Members of the Navy and Marine Corps have been eligible to receive the Silver Star for qualifying acts from December 6, 1941 to the present, with certain provisions for retroactive awards prior to that date.
Criteria
The Silver Star may be awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces of the United States, is cited for gallantry in action;
(1) against an enemy of the United States;
(2) while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or,
(3) while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.
The required gallantry, while of a lesser degree than that required for the award of a Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, or Air Force Cross, must nevertheless have been performed with marked distinction.
Order of Precedence
The Silver Star is worn after the service Distinguished Service Medal and before the Defense Superior Service Medal.
http://foxfall.com/fmd-common-ss.htm
My apology, missey. I was refering to F-Troop, a rather lame sitcom from the 1960s starring Ken Berry and all the ususal gangster-typed actors playing Indians...
"What'ca talking about? We never amubushed nobody! Figit'bout it!"
What are you hiding Kerry? I see Kerry has changed his mind about going after President Bush's ANG record. What comes around goes around.
By his own admission, none of his three wounds were really serious. Besides, having a gook point a B-40 at you up close would give anyone the motive to run after him, no matter how lame you are, before he covers enough distance to launch.
I can understand people questioning Kerry's war record, given what a sleazeball the guy is. However, once investigated there appears to be nothing to gain by continuing to question or to berate his military performance. In fact, doing so likely merely plays into his hands, as every time you publically question his performance one broadcasts the fact that he is a veteran with a chest full of medals.
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