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Vet with L.B. roots backs Kerry
Long Beach Press Telegram ^
| 08/27/04
| Greg Mellen
Posted on 08/28/2004 2:47:39 AM PDT by conservative in nyc
click here to read article
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To: faithincowboys
He is definitely standing WITH Kerry, wherever that is.
21
posted on
08/28/2004 5:41:38 AM PDT
by
Smokin' Joe
(D@mn the liberals! Full speed ahead!)
To: Smokin' Joe
Oh he is Kerry's botox "brother". This dude has definitely had work done.
To: facedown
Are we sure that's not Ted Turner?:-)
23
posted on
08/28/2004 5:46:41 AM PDT
by
auboy
(MSM's creed: see no truth, hear no truth, speak no truth.)
To: ThreePuttinDude
>Although several of the swift boat veterans group's most serious charges have been discounted by official records and eyewitnesses<
The only charges addressed by "official records" are those Kerry wrote himself, or those based off of what Kerry wrote.
The "eyewitnesses" I've seen and heard, are NOT very convincing about their recollections.
24
posted on
08/28/2004 5:48:11 AM PDT
by
G Larry
(Support John Thune!)
To: conservative in nyc
Sanders and others in the Kerry campaign have been quick to note that some of the leaders of the anti-Kerry group formerly supported the senator and praised him both verbally and in written reports.Several members of SBV for Truth have explained their support for Kerry in 1996. Kerry was being accused of being a war criminal, which reflected poorly on all Swifties. The Dems always leave this part out.
25
posted on
08/28/2004 5:51:30 AM PDT
by
auboy
(MSM's creed: see no truth, hear no truth, speak no truth.)
To: conservative in nyc
Although several of the swift boat veterans group's most serious charges have been discounted by official records and eyewitnesses who fought with Kerry, the issue is not quite dead. Discounted? I don't think so. 260 men agree with the Swifties, and 14 or so back Kerry. To the media that means the Kerry supporters are telling the truth. This guy served on the next boat (we could see each other) and the media accepts that, but the Swifties weren't on his boat, so they don't know anything.
26
posted on
08/28/2004 5:56:34 AM PDT
by
McGavin999
(If Kerry can't deal with the "Republican Attack Machine" how is he going to deal with Al Qaeda)
To: conservative in nyc
Not on the same boat, not on the medal missions.
By Dem standards, this guy is a fraud and a liar and should be spat upon.
27
posted on
08/28/2004 5:56:36 AM PDT
by
TC Rider
(The United States Constitution © 1791. All Rights Reserved.)
To: Landru
"I wonder if this guy the quislings managed to dig-up just happens to be a devout 'Rat." On top of that, he was a friend of Hanoi John's since BEFORE the War...yeah, no bias there...MUD
28
posted on
08/28/2004 6:54:43 AM PDT
by
Mudboy Slim
(RE-IMPEACH Osama bil Clinton!!)
To: conservative in nyc; Fracas; Jim Robinson; Travis McGee; RonDog
Fracas in a freepmail highlighted this little tidbit for me:
"Did you guys notice this? Note the last paragraph...former Deputy Asst. Sec. of the Navy. Best friends. A Lawyer, LOL. A lot of JFK's 'friends' have had access to those records for years. I don't even want to THINK about the possibilities...Gonna do a little research on Sanders."
Travis Mcgee a couple of weeks and yesterday pointed out that Kerry brought his own typewriter with him for his Swift Boat Tour (besides his camera). At that time the Navy used preprinted forms for battle reports, injury reports and recommendations for medals.
This brings up two points:
1. We know that the Serial Liar Kerry would have no problem to type in whatever made him look like a hero or deserving a medal.
2. With his roommate and longtime buddy serving as Asst Sec of the Navy, a whole lot of record changing, amending and maybe shredding may have occurred.
29
posted on
08/28/2004 7:10:59 AM PDT
by
Grampa Dave
(https://www.swiftvets.com/swift/ccdonation.php?op=donate&site=SwiftVets)
To: conservative in nyc
L.B.? Lavrentii Beria? I wouldn't be surprised.
To: Interesting Times
"Sanders' connection with Kerry dates back to before when the two served in Vietnam. Sanders and David Thorn, Kerry's brother-in-law, were shipmates and shared an apartment in Belmont Shore, where Kerry "became a resident of our couch," according to Sanders.
Through the years, Sanders said he and Kerry have remained friends. Sanders, who was a former deputy assistant secretary of the Navy, has been campaigning for Kerry across the country. He has also been critical of Bush on veterans' issues for many years."
Could this be a key as to how Lehman's signature appeared???? Maybe even connected to that former Southern Californian, Rassmann??????
To: kabar
"Sanders' connection with Kerry dates back to before when the two served in Vietnam. Sanders and David Thorn, Kerry's brother-in-law, were shipmates and shared an apartment in Belmont Shore, where Kerry "became a resident of our couch," according to Sanders.
Through the years, Sanders said he and Kerry have remained friends. Sanders, who was a former deputy assistant secretary of the Navy, has been campaigning for Kerry across the country. He has also been critical of Bush on veterans' issues for many years."
Could this be a key as to how Lehman's signature appeared???? Maybe even connected to that former Southern Californian, Rassmann??????
Ever heard of this guy???
To: conservative in nyc
Describing Kerry as "the kind of guy you want to have your back," Sanders said he was a fellow swift boat commander in Vietnam and fought with Kerry on several missions during which the boats faced enemy fire.Gimme a break. Sanders wasn't even on the same boat.
To: Just mythoughts
Sanders, who was a former deputy assistant secretary of the NavyWow, I almost missed that.
Was the "Secretary of the Navy" who Sanders "deputy assisted" John Lehman?
35
posted on
08/28/2004 9:17:08 AM PDT
by
Mo1
(FR NEWS ALERT .... John Kerry over dosed on Botox and thinks he's Bob KerrEy)
To: Lancey Howard
To: chainsaw; anglian; All
Anglain, you've found a gold mine.
Guess who's
not a legitimate war hero, according to Wade Sanders:
The military has been particularly guilty of their abuse of the term of hero and their dispensing of medals traditionally reserved for heroes. They are rapidly cheapening the symbolic value of medals such as the Silver Star (which is to be awarded for gallantry in action) and the Bronze Star with Combat Distinguishing Device (a bronze v device which graces the medal and the ribbon, and is commonly referred to as the combat v and which is normally reserved for heroic achievement). PFC Jessica Lynch, injured in an automobile accident and well cared for by her captors received the Bronze Star with combat v, is only one example of this abuse. Any one who has served in combat can cite numerous cases of truly heroic men and women who performed heroically in the face of fire and received either nothing, or a much lesser award. Yet, the Air Force, Army and Navy have recently awarded medals once reserved for heroes to individuals who never left the safety and comfort of their air condition rear echelon headquarters in Iraq and, in some cases, never left the United States. None of these ever experienced a shot fired in anger; none of them where ever exposed to enemy fire. Only the Marine Corps seems to understand the concept of heroism and continues to award that title with appropriate restraint.
I guess it's okay to question PFC Lynch's medals, but not John Kerry's. Don't question John Kerry's medals! He's a hero! Even if there was no enemy fire!
To: Just mythoughts; All
Here's an interesting Sanders
column. Was Mr. Sanders trying to get a medal for Gardner, perhaps to shut him up on behalf of John Kerry?
Wade R. Sanders: Forgotten Heroes
Ribbons, Awards and Medals
December 23, 2003
The crucible of war is often the ultimate test of human courage. From that searing process emerge those few who went beyond duty and displayed significant courage. Some of these men and women are recognized for their courage by enlightened leaders and a grateful nation. That recognition often comes in the form of medals, from Commendation Medals, the Bronze Star, and upward to the Medal of Honor. Others receive medals that celebrate their exceptional accomplishment in the completion of their non-combat assignments. A few of these men and women earned their medals for individual acts; but most earned them as part of a team.
During my service in Vietnam, and since, I have noticed that too few team leaders (particularly officers) fail to fulfill their primary duty of taking care of their troops by providing them with recognition for their courage and professionalism. Too often the members of that team are forgotten by the officers who receive medals for being in the same place at the same time doing the same thing. More often this sin is one of neglect, not mean spiritedness
many just wanted to put the war behind them and get on with their lives. However, I may be a bit more sensitive to this issue because I was a "mustang," a Naval Officer who started in the enlisted ranks (as did my father), and my father repeatedly reminded me where my primary duty lay.
During my tour in Vietnam aboard Navy patrol boats I was part of a six man team, five enlisted and myself as the boat commander. We experienced intense combat together; we fought and shed blood together: were a team of brothers. Some of us were wounded, and some of us did not come home. Because we (note the "we") performed with distinction in combat, I was singled out and awarded a number of personal decorations for our combat performance. I remembered my father's words; I understood that my medals were not solely mine. If I hadn't had each of my brave men with me, "we" would not have prevailed. So I made sure that each of my crew members were recognized for their bravery and I recommended them for their awards. I thought that this was the right thing to do, and I believed that everyone else did as well. I was wrong.
What I discovered was that many of my fellow boat officers had failed to recognize that they were part of a team and had neglected to take care of that team. (Of course, this syndrome is not restricted to the combat zone or to the military culture, but that's another article).
This struck me hard about six months ago in the den of a Vietnam Veteran I had served with. This man had served two tours in Vietnam, including a year with aboard a patrol boat with an officer who received several of our nation's highest awards for heroism and gallantry in action. This former enlisted man had stood by that officer in the same combat, exposed himself to the same risk, was part of the same team that prevailed, and his officer left him behind with nothing but a Purple Heart. To my mind this is a terrible injustice.
Since I belong to an association of those who served in Navy patrol boats in Vietnam, I decided to see if I could improve the situation. After all, the one mantra that was ingrained into me by my father, and by the traditions of my service, was that my number one responsibility as an officer is to take care of my men (or women, to be contemporarily correct).
So, I did a bit of research and discovered that there is no statute of limitations on awards. I found the office in the Pentagon that deals with awards, and I got the guidance I needed. The process is simple. An officer in charge of a unit is fully authorized to recommend any member of his "command" for a military decoration. Thinking this information would be of us, I requested to have it published in our quarterly newsletter. That's when the fecal matter hit the fan.
Not only was the information not well received by a surprising number of officers, it stirred up a backlash of resentment that shocked me. It was as if I was not merely passing information to enable officers to fix what they may have forgotten, it was as if I was personally accusing them of deliberately avoiding their responsibility. What I received was not gratitude, what I received was anger and resentment. However, the enlisted folks "got it."
So, I send this message to all military officers. It is never too late to do the right thing. If you feel you may have forgotten your men or women, you can still rectify that by contacting the office in your service responsible for processing military awards. For those of us from the Vietnam era and before, time is running out. Just a year ago I helped a friend of mine facilitate the awarding of a Distinguished Flying Cross to an 84 year old former B-24 tail gunner. I will never forget the look on that man's face as he joined the other members of his crew who had received the same medal nearly sixty years before.
I often recall the words of General George S. Patton in response to a member of the press. Struck by the magnificent display on the General's chest, the reporter commented, "You must be very proud of all your medals, General."
"Son, these medals are not mine, I wear them for the men who earned them."
To: conservative in nyc
John Kerry is a coward and a traitor. Go read then come back and tell us what you know.
39
posted on
08/28/2004 10:24:07 AM PDT
by
chainsaw
(VOTE AMERICAN - VOTE REPUBLICAN)
To: chainsaw
I guess I forgot the /sarcasm tag.
I find it odd that someone who is standing by Kerry's medals would question PFC Lynch's, who was taken prisoner by Iraqis. It seems just a tad inconsistent.
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