[deport]

"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."

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I can't and won't fault Kerry for his Vietnam service as he did go and was exposed..... However I wonder if his deferments were about to run out/expire and none others were available to him.

[Howlin]

However I wonder if his deferments were about to run out/expire and none others were available to him.

Yes, they were. He actually called his draft board and asked if he could have a deferment to "study in Europe," a la Bill Clinton.

When they said no, he enlisted so he could be an officer, rather than be drafted.

[not2worry]

Both John Kerry and President Bush were subject the Selective Service System Draft Lottery held on December 2, 1969. If you will recall, the Draft Lottery was put into effect to draft eligible young men to serve in Viet Nam.

John Kerry's birthdate is December 11. His birthdate was drawn as #39.

George W. Bush's birthdate is July 6. His birthdate was drawn #327.

Anyone who did not "enlist" would be drafted according to birthdate and then alphabetically by last name.

John Kerry had asked for a deferment to go study in Paris. The deferment was denied. He then enlisted in the Navy.

Long story short, Kerry would have in all likelihood been drafted. George W. Bush would not have been drafted.

IMO, Kerry planned his "military career" in advance, with the final plan to be discharged ASAP. He "requested" his Purple Hearts and used the "three Purple Hearts" loophole to be discharged from the Navy, never to serve again.

I believe his Purple Hearts undermine those who really deserved the honor. What Kerry did was a sham, and his actions after his discharge from the Navy show his true colors.

As any mother would know, all wounds were boo-boos, needed just a kiss, bactine and a bandaid.....NOT A PURPLE HEART.

For more information on the 1969 Draft Lottery you can go to www.landscaper.net/draft.htm.

[Dr Snide]

he joined the Navy to avoid combat. It worked for one tour but then whoops, the Navy found something a little closer to the action for him which prompted three purple hearts in four months. So are the evaluations by his superior officers going to be included? I love how the headline insinutes all his file is to be released when the text indictates that his people are combing through it. I want dental records like GWB had to produce.

[mass55th]

"I can't and won't fault Kerry for his Vietnam service as he did go and was exposed..... However I wonder if his deferments were about to run out/expire and none others were available to him."

After he graduated from Yale, he attempted to get a year's extension from the Draft Board so he could go to school in France. They denied his request, so he enlisted in the Navy.

[krunkygirl]

Guess you know that he asked to go to France for a year and defer his service entry date...can't sight the source but I know I read that.

[MJY1288]

"I can't and won't fault Kerry for his Vietnam service as he did go and was exposed..... "

I agree, as much as I dislike John Kerry, I salute his service. But on the other hand, I do have questions about his service because of his behavior once he was State side. I have spent a fair amount of time looking into his service and his post service activities, and I believe the focus should be on his post service actions, everything from his activities once back in the States and still in the NAVY, to his 1971 Congressional testimony, his Book "The New Soldier" and his activities as one of the leaders of VVAW.

After looking into John Kerry's service, I think it is John Kerry who was AWOL, When was he dismissed from the Navy and what did he do once he left Vietnam?, Does anyone have a copy of his DD214?

[Eva]

No, Kerry planned to use his military career to jump start his political career from the very beginning. When he returned from his first tour in Vietnam, he realized that he had done nothing notable, not even in any real danger. So, he decides to go back and volunteer for swift boat duty and try to emulte his hero, the real JFK, but Kerry was going to be smart about it and not stay any longer than necessary to collect a few medals (at his own recommendation). It was no coincidence that John Kerry had a job with an anti-war politician waiting for him upon his early return from Vietnam. The whole scenario was orchestrated from start to finish.

[Spotsy]

I can't and won't fault Kerry for his Vietnam service as he did go and was exposed..... However I wonder if his deferments were about to run out/expire and none others were available to him.

It's a matter of public record: Kerry first asked for deferment to study in Paris (no joke). He was refused, so he enlisted.

[Zoomie1]

Don't get me wrong I am a Bush fan but when I lost my student deferment as a result of nonperformance in college I was about to be drafted so I joined the Air Force. I volunteered to be a medic but was selected based on training and education to that point to be trained as an Ophthalmology Specialist. I was in the first class of medics to be trained in that field and so with so few of us in the Air Force there was virtually no chance any of us would ever be anywhere near any real fighting. Hospitals were generally pretty safe. I admit that at times I feel a little guilty for having it so easy. John Kerry served in a safe billet at sea then he volunteered for river patrol boat duty. I have friends who were petty officer skippers on those boats. Many of them will tell you that duty was at times very hairy. It doesn't matter if Kerry used every deferrment available to him or not. He served. He volunteered for duty that was not in air conditioned hospitals and at times the buzzing in the air was not mosquito but AK-47 rounds. His service was honorable. I don't understand why he dishonored his honorable service when he came home I think all the body bags he saw filled would haunt him for the things he has said since his return to the real world but thats for his conscience to settle.