KERRY BACKTRACKS ON PURPLE HEART

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ^ | August 24, 2004 | Swift Boat Veterans for Truth

[Nick Danger]

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, August 24, 2004

KERRY CAMPAIGN BACKTRACKS ON FIRST PURPLE HEART AWARD

Campaign Says May Have Been Self-Inflicted

Washington—In a reversal of their staunch defense of John Kerry's military service record, Kerry campaign officials were quoted by Fox News saying that it was indeed possible that John Kerry's first Purple Heart commendation was the result of an, unintentional, self-inflicted wound."

"GARRETT: And questions keep coming. For example, Kerry received a Purple Heart for wounds suffered on December 2, 1968. But in Kerry's own journal written nine days later, he writes he and his crew, quote, "hadn't been shot at yet," unquote. Kerry's campaign has said it is possible this first Purple Heart was awarded for an unintentional self-inflicted wound -- Brit." (Special Report with Brit Hume Aug.23, 2004)

A recent television ad from Swift Boat Veterans for Truth featured Doctor Lewis Letson who treated Kerry for his minor injury and Grant Hibbard who served as John Kerry's direct commander on the mission where he claimed his medal. Both men say Kerry did not deserve the medal given the fact that Kerry received a very minor wound requiring no more than band-aid treatment and because the wound was not a direct result of hostile fire, a requirement for a Purple Heart commendation.

"When Grant Hibbard and Doctor Letson appeared in our ad, they were attacked and vilified by the Kerry campaign but now we see news reports saying the Kerry campaign is now sheepishly acknowledging that what we said was true," said Admiral Hoffmann, founder of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. "John Kerry's own journal reinforces the fact that neither Kerry nor his crew had seen hostile enemy action. John Kerry's first Purple Heart medal is based on fiction."

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is calling on the Kerry campaign to apologize to Grant Hibbard and Doctor Letson as the men did nothing more than come forward to speak the truth about the situation involving John Kerry's first Purple Heart medal.

This is not the only incident in which Kerry campaign officials have changed their story concerning Kerry's prestigious war medals. The incident on the Bay Hap River in which Kerry received his third Purple Heart and Bronze Star has also been the subject of considerable waffling by Kerry officials. 

During the Democratic National Convention, Kerry used the Bay Hap River incident to suggest that he alone returned to rescue Jim Rassmann—a Special Forces solider—who was on Kerry's boat and was tossed into the river.  Kerry described this incident to the American people as "No man left behind."

However Kerry officials were forced to acknowledge that Kerry's boat actually left the scene when another swift boat—operating on the other side of the river—was damaged by an underwater mine.  Kerry officials now admit that Kerry's boat returned after several minutes to pull Rassmann from the water while three other swift boats remained on site to render assistance to the injured crew of the one damaged boat.  Campaign officials once claimed that Kerry returned to the scene under withering hostile fire to rescue Rassmann after all the other swift boats left.  But other accounts from eyewitnesses of that day confirm that the other boats stayed on site and that Kerry returned to the scene, facing no enemy fire, only seconds before another swift boat was preparing to retrieve Mr. Rassmann from the water.

"John Kerry's stories are falling apart," added Hoffmann. His statements don't even match up with his own journal entries.  We are going to continue telling the truth about John Kerry's military service record so that the American people can make their own decisions about John Kerry's qualifications to be the next Commander in Chief."

Direct media inquiries to media@swiftvets.com

[PhilDragoo]

[JLO]

"Have to disagree with you.

We take care of our own, good or bad."

===

bseballmom - good point!

[onyx]

Thanks for the ping to your latest mastery.
Finally, I can smile, and with that, I am getting
out of here tonight on a happy note!

[nopardons]

At the rate Kerry's pedaling backwards,his entire Nam experience will have been disavowed by him. :-)

[JLO]

Oh heck, you're always welcome!

[MJY1288]

:-) Sad but SO TRUE

[stumpy]

could have/should have been handled by "friendly-fire". Murphy's first law of combat is "always remember friendly fire is not friendly".....

[Grampa Dave]

[Smokin' Joe]

I dunno, but if he was still "in" while he was doing VVAW and other things (such as cavorting with VC in France), the S.O.B. should be tried for treason.

[Smokin' Joe]

Now I find myself remembering back a few years when another famous truth-challenged Democrat wagged his finger at the camera and stated, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Monica Lewinsky!"

Watch his finger. (I think he was pointing at Helen Thomas.) He said, "I did not have sex with that woman. Monica Lewinsky." I assume the statement referred to the woman he was pointing at. DOn't know why he brought Monica up just then.

[Quix]

LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT!
NICE TO SEE GRAPHIC TRUTH!

SENT IT TO MY EMAIL LIST.

THANKS TONS.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[Old Sarge]

I know, I know. And I'd LOVE to see both William the Impeached and JF'nK do the perp walk.

But I also know, that these kind of people get away with everything they ever do, and that single fact is a point of honor among their kind.

[COUNTrecount]

[Doogle]

...can anyone help me understand what I think is an important fact that many people are missing?.
When an officer is relieved from "active" duty, how long after that date has the officer have to go before he no longer has military obligations in regards to his enlistment?

Doogle

[Doogle]

...and I have another observation. Since kerry was an officer, he has one lousy salute. His "reporting for duty" salute at the demi's convention would have sent my drill instructor into a rage that would have had gorilla's going over the wall.


Doogle

[JLO]

Well, keep learning, I say. Folks here know.

[HIDEK6]

Further, if you can be sent home after 3 PHs, and he faked the first, he shouldn't have been sent home, no?

I think we ought to send him back. He still has another 8 months to do.

[JLO]

U.S. Democratic presidential NO eyes!!

[Grampa Dave]

Lurch Kerry is one scary dude isn't he.

His eyes when he does that sore a$$ed salute get really spooky.