Kerry campaign provides military records

AP | 4/20/04 | NEDRA PICKLER

[kattracks]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amid questions about his military records, John Kerry's campaign on Tuesday provided documentation of Vietnam War injuries that included shrapnel wounds to his arms, legs and buttocks that earned him three Purple Hearts.

Kerry spokesman Michael Meehan said the campaign was in the process of compiling the rest of Kerry's naval record and planned to begin posting it on Kerry's Web site by day's end. Kerry said all his military records are available to the public during an appearance Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Meehan said the Massachusetts senator and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee requested a copy of his record from the Navy last month and received roughly 150 pages last week.

Conservatives, talk radio and some newspapers editorials have questioned whether Kerry was deserving of the three Purple Hearts, fueling questions about his Navy service from 1966 to 1970 and the seriousness of his injuries.

He served two tours of duty, four months on the USS Gridley frigate off Vietnam's shore and nearly five months as a swiftboat commander in the Mekong Delta. He volunteered for the second tour and earned all his medals during the second stint.

Meehan gave The Associated Press 13 pages that included documentation for the Silver Star, Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. The Boston Globe obtained some of the records last year for an extensive series on Kerry.

The documents also included declassified reports that briefly explain the injuries that led to Kerry's Purple Heart awards. They show Kerry had shrapnel wounds in his left thigh after his boat came under intense fire on Feb. 20, 1969, and he suffered shrapnel wounds in his left buttock and contusions on his right forearm when a mine detonated close to his boat on March 13, 1969.

The campaign could not locate a similar report for Kerry's original Purple Heart. As evidence that Kerry was wounded, Meehan showed The Associated Press a "Sick Call Treatment Record" from Kerry's personal files that included a brief written note dated Dec. 3, 1968, and stamped from the naval support facility at Cam Ranh Bay.

"Shrapnel in left arm above elbow. Shrapnel removed and appl bacitracin dressing. Ret to Duty," it said. The note is followed by a signature that appears to say "JCCarreon" and some illegible letters that Meehan said probably designate the medical official's rank.

Meehan said the campaign would allow a reporter to see the record at the campaign's headquarters, but not take a copy. He said it would not be made available to the public because Kerry considers it a private medical record.

Documentation for the second two injuries show that Kerry was deemed to be in good condition and returned to active duty after treatment. The documentation does not describe the severity of the injuries. A third Purple Heart meant Kerry could be reassigned out of Vietnam, and a document dated March 17, 1969, said Kerry requested duty as a personal aid in Boston, New York or the Washington, D.C., area.

Meehan said although Kerry could have asked to stay in Vietnam, it was the Navy's decision to request that he be reassigned. Kerry left the country in early April 1969.

Ken Mehlman, President Bush's campaign manager, accused Kerry's campaign of waffling on the release of his military records, saying the campaign's position on Tuesday to release the records in "due diligence" is contrary to Kerry's comments on "Meet the Press" that the records would be made public immediately.

"Senator Kerry's record of nondisclosure and his flip-flop on this issue should concern voters," Mehlman said.

Meehan responded, "Senator Kerry's record on the military is one we are running on, not running from. We are happy to compare Senator Kerry's record of service to anybody in the Bush campaign who has or has not served."

Bush was in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War, but did not serve in combat. Bush released hundreds of pages of his Vietnam-era military records in February to counter Democrats' suggestions that he shirked his duty in the Texas Air National Guard.

The White House said the documents comprise his entire military record. The records did not provide evidence that Bush was in Alabama during a period when Democrats have questioned whether he reported for service.

Kerry on Friday questioned Republicans who avoided the war and now criticize him on national security, but he didn't mention Bush.

"I fought under that flag and I saw that flag draped over the coffins of friends," Kerry said. "I'm tired of Karl Rove and Dick Cheney and a bunch of people who went out of their way to avoid the chance to serve when they had the chance."

The Purple Heart is awarded to soldiers who are wounded or killed by enemy forces. The Silver Star is awarded for gallantry in action, and the Bronze Star is for heroic achievement.

Kerry received the Bronze Star for his actions after being wounded by the mine, which led to the third Purple Heart. According to his citation, one of Kerry's boatmates was thrown overboard and Kerry pulled him to safety with "his arm bleeding and in pain and with disregard for his personal safety." Kerry and the man, retired Los Angeles police officer Jim Rassmann, had an emotional public reunion in January, two days before Kerry would win the Iowa caucuses.

___

On the Net:

http://www.johnkerry.com

Facsimiles of Kerry's Purple Heart citations are available at:

http://wid.ap.org/documents/kerry/purplehearts.pdf

Facsimiles of Kerry's bronze and silver star citations are available at:

http://wid.ap.org/documents/kerry/stars.pdf

Facsimiles of reports describing Kerry's wounds are available at:

http://wid.ap.org/documents/kerry/actionreports.pdf

[kcvl]

MR. RUSSERT: You used the word "war criminals."

SEN. KERRY: Well, let me just finish. Let me must finish. It was, I think, a reflection of the kind of times we found ourselves in and I don't like it when I hear it today. I don't like it, but I want you to notice that at the end, I wasn't talking about the soldiers and the soldiers' blame, and my great regret is, I hope no soldier--I mean, I think some soldiers were angry at me for that, and I understand that and I regret that, because I love them. But the words were honest but on the other hand, they were a little bit over the top. And I think that there were breaches of the Geneva Conventions. There were policies in place that were not acceptable according to the laws of warfare, and everybody knows that. I mean, books have chronicled that, so I'm not going to walk away from that. But I wish I had found a way to say it in a less abrasive way.

MR. RUSSERT: But, Senator, when you testified before the Senate, you talked about some of the hearings you had observed at the winter soldiers meeting and you said that people had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and on and on. A lot of those stories have been discredited, and in hindsight was your testimony...

SEN. KERRY: Actually, a lot of them have been documented.

MR. RUSSERT: So you stand by that?

SEN. KERRY: A lot of those stories have been documented. Have some been discredited? Sure, they have, Tim. The problem is that's not where the focus should have been. And, you know, when you're angry about something and you're young, you know, you're perfectly capable of not--I mean, if I had the kind of experience and time behind me that I have today, I'd have framed some of that differently. Needless to say, I'm proud that I stood up. I don't want anybody to think twice about it. I'm proud that I took the position that I took to oppose it. I think we saved lives, and I'm proud that I stood up at a time when it was important to stand up, but I'm not going to quibble, you know, 35 years later that I might not have phrased things more artfully at times.

MR. RUSSERT: The Boston Globe reports that your commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Grant Hibberd has suggested that you perhaps didn't earn your first Purple Heart and question whether you should have left Vietnam after six months. In order to deal with those kinds of issues, when I asked President Bush about his service in the Texas Guard, he agreed to release all his military records, health records, everything. Would you agree to release all your military records?

SEN. KERRY: I have. I've shown them--they're available to you to come and look at. I think that's a very unfair characterization by that person. I mean, politics is politics. The medical records show that I had shrapnel removed from my arm. We were in combat. We were in a very, very--probably one of the most frightening--if you ask anybody who was with me, the two guys who were with me, was probably the most frightening night that they had that they were in Vietnam and we're...

MR. RUSSERT: But you'll make all your records public.

SEN. KERRY: They are. People can come and see them at headquarters and take a look at them. I'm not going to--but I'll tell you this. I'm proud of my service. I'm proud of what we did. I know what happened. And the Navy 35 years ago made a decision and it's the Navy's decision and I think it was the right decision.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4772030/

[concerned about politics]

Kerry, at an outdoor rally on the University of Pittsburgh campus, used an American flag

Did he have it upside down like he did during his pro-Hanoi protests?

[familyofman]

"Let me see if I understand your perspective ..."

You don't & no I don't work for the Kerry, or any other, campaign.

[Howlin]

I don't think that -you know, dying is scary for a while, but in the end, the punishment is gone.

And what does THAT mean?

[MJY1288]

Now Scarborough has Pat Buchanan saying Powell will be let go before November. In all honesty, I think I would rather listen to Terry McAuliffe run his jibbers before I would that idiot Pat Buchanan.

PJB (aka: Deep Throat) is a whacko and not trusted by anyone

[sharkhawk]

That's not what his spokesman said. He was trying to make it seem like Kerry did not request the out, the Navy reassigned him. My question is, maybe the whole purple heart thing is a facade. There might have been a three purple heart rule, but from what I have read it was not well known. Maybe, there is some other reason the Navy sent him home, and allowed him to resign a few months later. They are pulling a feint with these purple hearts, and don't want us to see the real story which might be in his evaluations.

[mass55th]

"In all the carping about the records of JK and whether or not he 'earned' his medals - has anyone thought that this whole line of questioning will re-open a very detailed review of GWB's records."

Since Dubya released his full military & medical records, and they have been thoroughly searched by the press, etc., I highly doubt there are any other questions to ask about his National Guard service, especially in light of the fact that there have been witnesses who stepped forward and made statements that Bush was where he was supposed to be. As well, this whole shebang was brought up in the 2000 campaign without luck, and one of the major newspapers did a thorough investigation of it back then and found the story had no legs.

[Corin Stormhands]

LBJ: "Where were you wounded soldier?"

Francois Gump: "In the butt-oks"

Run Francois Run!

[sissyjane]

Either you can't read, or you have no concept of what it takes to be President, and Commander in Chief.....or maybe you are a DU troll.

[MJY1288]

There was definately a 3 PH rule, but it was not automatic, it was only granted upon request. I would love to see the records on that decision

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Hmmm...thanks.

[kabar]

He knew it was 3 injuries and you are out. That's why he picked a scab, made it bleed bad, and asked for a purple heart.

It was not automatic. You had to initiate a request and have it approved. There is a story there. Why did the Navy approve the request? Historically, how many people received an early out based on the regulation? If so, what were the severity of their wounds? We need full disclosure of Kerry's military records including his reserve service from 1972-78. What was his status 1970-1 when he was meeting with the Vietnamese Communists in Paris?

[Howlin]

John Kerry looks an awful lot like Al Gore, with a dash of Bill Clinton thrown in for flavor.

You know what? This very night, I heard Jamie what's his face that is married to Christine Amanpour (that worked for Gore) say on H&C that "when the people get to know the real John Kerry, they'll like him."

Calling Naomi Wolf!

[mabelkitty]

Incorrect.
You were biting my ankles a strident remark I made about Jamie Gorelick, and you were also mockng jmstein7 on his activism regarding her continued presence on the 9/11 Commission. And from what I've heard from others, you spend a great deal of time spreading disinformation and requesting Republicans let things lie and let Democrats take back Washington.

[watchin]

LOL ... the two DO go together, don't they?

[familyofman]

"Either you can't read, or you have no concept of what it takes to be President, and Commander in Chief.....or maybe you are a DU troll."

Wrong on all counts. Iread very well, I have a good concept of what it takes to be POTUS & CIC. So what else do you want to talk about, the Illiad?

[mabelkitty]

Don't forget - Kerry was trying to get McAuliffe to drop this subject. He knew.

[PhiKapMom]

Contusion: injury to tissue usually without laceration : BRUISE

Never heard of a purple heart for a bruise either! Some hero -- not! How he could possibly accept a Purple Heart for a bruise is beyond my comprehension when so many soldiers were killed or hurt really bad. I find Kerry even more slimey then I did before.

[P-Marlowe]

In all the carping about the records of JK and whether or not he 'earned' his medals - has anyone thought that this whole line of questioning will re-open a very detailed review of GWB's records.

He threw those medals over a fence. He showed contempt for the medals he allegedly earned by throwing them over a fence. Then we come to find out he really threw someone else's medals over the fence. He wanted to keep his own medals, just in case he needed them in the future for some political advantage.

J F'n Kerry is a phoney baloney plastic bannana. He wouldn't know integrity if it bit him in the butt. But if, by chance, it did, I'm sure he'd cry about it and then apply for a forth purple heart.

[kcvl]

Remember when the American people TWICE elected a crazy person? President Bush is NOW CLEANING UP THE MESS! We CAN'T let it happen again, EVER!

John Kerry is NUTS! Just like the MEDIA covered for the Clintons they THINK they are going to cover for Kerry also. NOT if I can help it!!!