[HiJinx]

That was one quick Silver Star...but from the action report, well deserved.

As for the promotion, however...things must have changed in the last 8 years. When I was in, this would not have been a promotion. The ranks of Specialist and Corporal are both at pay-grade E-4. The difference is that the rank of Specialist (an E-4) wasn't normally given to a non-combat arms soldier.

On the other hand, all combat arms soldiers and all soldiers in a leadership position were promoted to the rank of corporal (an E-4) from Private First Class (an E-3).

[SAMWolf]

Agree with you HiJinx. I was telling Snippy the same thing about Specialist and Corporal when it was announced.

[RetiredArmy]

Corporal is a leadership rank. Specialist covers all other E-4s. Whether a cook, infantry squad member, mechanic, an E-4 is a specialist. A corporal is involved in a combat arms MOS and can be a squad leader, assistant squad leader. Before I retired, the Army did away with Spec 5, Spec 6. I was a Spec 6 in the JAG corps, until I made SFC E-7. Later they made all Spec 6's Staff Sergeants. All Spec 5s became Sergeant E-5's (buck sergeant). All Spec 4s were simply called Specialists. Since they were the only ones left in that category. PV1, PV2 were still privates, and PFC E-3 was the same.

[The Bandit]

It is an posthumous award, HiJinx with a lot of media attention. Under these circumstances there is nothing horribly unusal. They peddled Kerry's Silver Star much faster :-)

Speaking of the devil: Kerry has NOT released his after-action report for Feb 28, 1969, the say he earned his Silver Star. Only thing he turned over was a love note from Zumwalt for that day.

Anyone have a verified date for when Zumwalt pinned that Silver Star on Kerry?

[Eagle Eye]

Back when I was in.....LOL

An honest-to-gawd old school brown booter?

Probably even go back beyond TW's.

And of course you know what a P-38 is and how many cranks it takes to get the beans and MFers opened, right?