Eyewitness: Kerry's Purple Heart Not Deserved

NewsMax .com ^ | 8/27/04 | Carl Limbacher

[kattracks]

A retired admiral who was with John Kerry when they were patrolling the Mekong Delta in a Boston Whaler skimmer on Dec. 2, 1968 has come forward with an account challenging Kerry's claim that he was wounded by enemy fire that day - an action for which he was awarded the Purple Heart.

There was no fire from the enemy," said William L. Schachte Jr. "Kerry nicked himself with a M-79 (grenade launcher)."

Schachte's account, first obtained by commentator Robert Novak for his Friday column, is the first from an eyewitness that challenges the circumstances of Kerry's Dec. 2 injury.

Because he was so well placed, Schachte's version severely undermines Kerry defenders who say no critics of his claimed battle injuries were not aboard any of the boats on which he served.

Reports Novak:

"Schachte, who also was then a lieutenant junior grade, said he was in command of the small Boston whaler or skimmer, with Kerry aboard in his first combat mission in the Vietnam War.

"The third crew member was an enlisted man whose name Schachte did not remember.

"At about 3 a.m. on Dec. 2, Schachte said, the skimmer - code-named 'Batman' - fired a hand-held flare. He said that after Kerry's M-16 rifle jammed, the new officer picked up the M-79 and "I heard a "thunk." There was no fire from the enemy.'"

"I was astonished by Kerry's version" of the Dec. 2 injury as reported in Kerry's campaign biography, "Tour of Duty," Schachte told Novak.

Schachte is not a member of the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth and told the columnist that he decided to come forward only after seeing Kerry defender Lanny Davis challenge his credibility on the Aug. 12 broadcast of CNN's "Crossfire."

[Falcon4.0]

I guess this makes John F'n Kerry AWOL, as he was relieved of combat duty under false and fraudulent pretenses.

[The_Victor]

Schachte is not a member of the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth and told the columnist that he decided to come forward only after seeing Kerry defender Lanny Davis challenge his credibility on the Aug. 12 broadcast of CNN's "Crossfire."

Their bridges are burning fast now.

[blanknoone]

I don't think this will be a winner for the Swifties. I believe the Admiral because I already know that Kerry is a sleazy liar. For those trying to honestly analyze the competing claims, and even more so for the media that are not trying to honestly analyze the competing claims, One Admiral who says he was there with someone else but diesn't remember who, does not stand up well to Kerry on stage with 2 other enlisted men saying it was the three of them on the boat.

[KC_Conspirator]

I am still hoping that Kerry will return his medal in shame. Can you just imagine?

[jwpjr]

This is obviously a mind-numbed robot who takes daily marching orders and talking points from RNC via the Rush or Sean or Neal or Lars show. Mr. Kerry, bless his heart, is just to sensitive to release his records and show how wrong this man and the others are. What a man! Sacrificing his integrity rather than expose the addled brains of men he served with 30 years ago. I ask to you compare this charitable act with that of President Bush who released all of his records to back up his account of his service with the ANG. The president certainly wouldn't let a little thing like the outside chance of embarrassing former friends and warriors with unflattering information just to save his own hide.

</sarcasm>

[End Times Sentinel]

Does any one have a link or info pertaining to when Ketchup Boy put in for the Purple Heart?  I think he was awarded it in Feb, 28 1969, but I'd heard that he waited until everyone who was on hand had left Vietnam.

Owl_Eagle

" WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
DIVERSITY IS STRENGTH"

[Cboldt]

Does any one have a link or info pertaining to when Ketchup Boy put in for the Purple Heart?

This relates to his 1st PH, for action on December 2, 1968. This is the PH that Thorsen treated, but didn't sign the medical form. THis is the wound that Kerry presented to Hibbard in December, 1968, and requested a PH for. Hibbard refused. Kerry waited until he (Kerry) was in a different chain of command and resubmitted the rquest. We don't have access to that paperwork.

[MileHi]

Who was the gunners mate on Limbaughs show yesterday? That guy was powerful.

[Cboldt]

Does any one have a link or info pertaining to when Ketchup Boy put in for the Purple Heart?

This relates to his 1st PH, for action on December 2, 1968. This is the PH that Thorsen treated, but didn't sign the medical form. THis is the wound that Kerry presented to Hibbard in December, 1968, and requested a PH for. Hibbard refused. Kerry waited until he (Kerry) was in a different chain of command and resubmitted the rquest. We don't have access to that paperwork.

http://www.johnkerry.com/about/john_kerry/military_records.html <-- Records here

[gathersnomoss]

No, this makes Kerry an excellent candidate for the DNC. The MSM loves this guy. When was the last time that you saw a democratic candidate for the presidency who had integrity? Shall we go down the list starting from Kerry?

[Onelifetogive]

I am still hoping that Kerry will return his medal in shame.

Again?

[quadrant]

I doubt if many grunts serving in I Corps received Purple Hearts for injuries such as has been reported that John Kerry sustained.
And I wonder how many Marines were allowed to rotate home after four months in country and three small wounds.

[Cboldt]

Who was the gunners mate on Limbaughs show yesterday? That guy was powerful.

Gardner. He talked about a Jnaury 20 incident, where civilians were killed becuase Kerry hadn't been paying attention to the radar. The January 20 incident dd not include making any military awards to Kerry, BTW, it is an example of falsification of after action reports for self-aggrandizement.

Gardner is also the man talking in the Swiftees third ad, and Gardner, who served on the same boat with Kerry for two and half months, at Christmas 1968, and January 1969, said that their boat NEVER went to Cambodia.

[gathersnomoss]

Paperwork, we don't need no steenkin' paperwork. Kerry should be asked during the debate to come clean. Yeah, right.

[ride the whirlwind]

That interview was quite the "get" by old Novak.

[gathersnomoss]

"And I wonder how many Marines were allowed to rotate home after four months in country and three small wounds."

This is the great divide that this country has today. About half of today's voters and virtually 100% of the MSM is antiwar and socialist-bent. These people believe that any time spent in the military is to be frowned upon.

There were many Viet Nam vets who demanded that they be returned to the battlefield after receiving wounds far greater than anything Kerry can imagine. Thank you for your service. The remaining 50% of Americans must see how this man placed POW's and this country in grave danger.

[AaronInCarolina]

One Admiral who says he was there with someone else but diesn't remember who, does not stand up well to Kerry on stage with 2 other enlisted men saying it was the three of them on the boat.

Read the Novak interview with Schacte. You will come away with a different perspective. Your fears about his presence on the Boston Whaler being questionable is answered in that interview. According to Schacte, he designed those missions and ALWAYS accompanied them. And Grant Hibbard confirms that Schacte always went along. Couple this with the fact that Kerry had just arrived and was very much a newbie. In fact it was his first time out. He had literally just arrived days before. They would never have sent him on one of these missions as the Officer in Command without some supervision.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Schachte is not a member of the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth and told the columnist that he decided to come forward only after seeing Kerry defender Lanny Davis challenge his credibility on the Aug. 12 broadcast of CNN's "Crossfire."

Oops! Bad move by Lanny Davis.

[Bob from De]

I think Steve Gardner deserves another medal. Something along the line of "stopping the enemy in his tracks". Kerry received NO MEDALS while Gardner was in the crew...12-6-68 through 1-29-69. Well done Steve!