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Schachte ready to re-engage in Kerry Purple Heart dispute
The Post and Courier ^ | May 4, 2006 | Ron Brinson

Posted on 05/04/2006 1:13:03 PM PDT by Phil Harmonic

Two years ago, Charleston's Billy Schachte was caught in the undertow of presidential campaign debates over the circumstances of John Kerry's first Purple Heart. He had commanded Kerry's first Vietnam combat mission and his recollection of the experience was very much different than Kerry's published account.

Today, this tussle over truth and confusion simmers on just beneath the public's attention. That's likely to change soon. Television news veteran Marvin Kalb and his daughter are working through a Harvard-based grant to publish a book that will include commentary on the effectiveness and the credibility of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, and Schachte's personal role in the 2004 campaign.

Billy Schachte was a hesitant player on America's biggest political stage. Next time, he says, he will not be so reluctant. He has a pointed response to Marvin Kalb's inquiries and to anyone else who wants to join the discussion: facts define truth and truth cures confusion; Senator Kerry should release all his military records and his personal chronicle. The disagreement can be settled accordingly.

[snip]

In early 2004, New Orleans-based historian Douglas Brinkley published "Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War." Kerry recalled he was in command of the skimmer, and his version includes engaging enemy sampans and then being wounded in an exchange of fire and that's how he said he qualified for his first Purple Heart.

"According to him, I was not even in the boat," the admiral says. "I was astonished. A rookie would never be put in command, and his account of how he was wounded in his first mission is just incredible."

[snip]

...the admiral and many others were nagged by the looming questions: How could Kerry be so confused, and how did he qualify for his first Purple Heart award?

(Excerpt) Read more at charleston.net ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: fraud; kerry; kerryrecord; liar; opportunist; puppetmasters; purpleheart; schachte; traitor; treason
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Has Marvin Kalb become engaged in the rehabilitation/makeover of "John Kerry - Anti-war Hero" or will this be an unbiased assesment of the facts? Kalb's CBS pedigree as a colleague of Walter Cronkite, widely acknowledged "author" of the media-driven American failure in Vietnam, makes one wonder. Any insights into Kalb's politics out there?
1 posted on 05/04/2006 1:13:05 PM PDT by Phil Harmonic
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To: Phil Harmonic

Did you know that John Kerry served in Viet Nam?


2 posted on 05/04/2006 1:17:34 PM PDT by trailboss800
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To: Phil Harmonic; 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

Ping


3 posted on 05/04/2006 1:17:58 PM PDT by El Gran Salseron (The FR Canteen's Resident Equal Opportunity Male Chauvinist Pig! :-))
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To: Phil Harmonic
On any question of national economic or defense policy, the question that should be asked is......

what would China do?

If we don't get on the ball, China will get there before us!

4 posted on 05/04/2006 1:22:45 PM PDT by CROSSHIGHWAYMAN (I'm a proud GRINGO......is Bill Clinton still the president?...Seems that way!)
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To: Phil Harmonic
In an April 12 e-mail inquiry to Schachte, Kalb characterizes the Schachte-Kerry disagreement as an "especially difficult issue." He told the admiral he had spoken to Kerry, Zaladonis and a second enlisted man. "All three state again and again they were the three men on board the Boston Whaler on that night," Kalb informed Schachte. "They say you weren't on that boat, but that you might have been on board the accompanying Swift Boat."

The admiral bristles at such a premise and wonders why Kalb does not insist that Kerry release his entire service record.

"The truth is not scattered, it's in John Kerry's records," Schachte contends. "This debate is so unnecessary, and Senator Kerry should end it once and for all and authorize release of all his military records. He owes it to America to do just that."

Great article. John we are still waiting for you to release your service records!

5 posted on 05/04/2006 1:24:37 PM PDT by rocksblues (Rummy fan here!)
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To: trailboss800
"Did you know that John Kerry served in Viet Nam?"

WTF?

Did he really? He should have said so during his political career and not be so modest.

6 posted on 05/04/2006 1:25:14 PM PDT by lormand (...the wrong person came out of the water that fateful night in Chappaquiddick)
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To: trailboss800

I heard he was a vet, therefore capable of expounding on many topics unrelated to war and other such stuff.

PS (or BS) he was wounded in action.


7 posted on 05/04/2006 1:26:53 PM PDT by irishtenor (We survived Clinton in the 80s... we can survive her even when her husband is gone.)
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To: Phil Harmonic

"Idle speculation"

Hillary has John pinned down by the Post-election Tim Russert interview where Kerry said he would release all of his records. Kerry had a selective release to the Boston Globe to calm the furor, but that won't do. A detailed book defending him from Hahvard might give the MSM enough not to look into this further.

BTW I think this first purple heart story is a wash, a maybe, maybe not situation.


8 posted on 05/04/2006 1:27:01 PM PDT by Shermy
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To: Phil Harmonic

9 posted on 05/04/2006 1:30:11 PM PDT by pabianice
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To: Phil Harmonic
But... Johnny's a hero, a zippo hero, a VC hero!

Zippo Hero

Seven Dead Monkeys Page O Tunes


10 posted on 05/04/2006 1:31:42 PM PDT by rawcatslyentist ("Politically Correct" is the politically correct term for "f*cking retarded")
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To: Phil Harmonic

The truth is not scattered, it's in John Kerry's records," Schachte contends. "This debate is so unnecessary, and Senator Kerry should end it once and for all and authorize release of all his military records. He owes it to America to do just that."




I remember reading shortly after the campaign that John Kerry was "discharged" as "Other than Honorable" in 1971. Kerry didn't receive an Honorable Discharge until 5 or 6 years later when he petitioned the Navy as a Senator. My understanding is that an "Other Than Honorable" discharge is one where some less than proper conduct by the Soldier precludes the initial issuing of the Honorable Discharge but upon some outstanding or honorable conduct in civilian life, the Solider can re-apply for an "Honorable" designation. (Someone who has served in the military - please correct me if I'm wrong.)

If this is true, it's no wonder Kerry won't release his records.


11 posted on 05/04/2006 1:35:44 PM PDT by Daytyn71 (Today's Illegals are Tomorrow's Democrats!!!)
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To: Phil Harmonic
This except from the P & C article pretty much answers the question:

In an April 12 e-mail inquiry to Schachte, Kalb characterizes the Schachte-Kerry disagreement as an "especially difficult issue." He told the admiral he had spoken to Kerry, Zaladonis and a second enlisted man. "All three state again and again they were the three men on board the Boston Whaler on that night," Kalb informed Schachte. "They say you weren't on that boat, but that you might have been on board the accompanying Swift Boat."

The admiral bristles at such a premise and wonders why Kalb does not insist that Kerry release his entire service record.

"The truth is not scattered, it's in John Kerry's records," Schachte contends. "This debate is so unnecessary, and Senator Kerry should end it once and for all and authorize release of all his military records. He owes it to America to do just that."

Obviously Kalb is going to try and submarine those who served with the bogus JFK and found him to be anything but heroic.
12 posted on 05/04/2006 1:36:51 PM PDT by robowombat
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To: Shermy
Kerry had a selective release to the Boston Globe to calm the furor...

To be precise, he released them to the LA Times and the AP as well.

BTW I think this first purple heart story is a wash, a maybe, maybe not situation.

To this day, as far as I know, the circumstances under which his first PH was awarded (some 2-3 MONTHS after the "qualifying" event) are unknown. Perhaps Marvin Kalb will fill in the blanks?

13 posted on 05/04/2006 1:42:07 PM PDT by Phil Harmonic
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To: Phil Harmonic

Yep, it look like Kalb was retained to put an end to the SwiftVets so they don't come back in 2008. You can be sure that, behind the scenes, Hillary is working to damage Kerry.


14 posted on 05/04/2006 1:48:37 PM PDT by doug from upland (Stopping Hillary should be a FreeRepublic Manhattan Project)
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To: doug from upland

Hold Kerry to his own standard, have some one leak the docs for the good of the country.


15 posted on 05/04/2006 1:53:33 PM PDT by SCHROLL (Liberalism isn't a political philosophy - it's a mental illness)
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To: Phil Harmonic

Hold the phone!

Did I read this right here, that fake, phony, fraud John Kerry STILL hasn't released his full military records?


16 posted on 05/04/2006 1:54:04 PM PDT by Pittsburg Phil
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To: pabianice
Hey, your on to something with that.

Go public with it!

If CBS could, why can't we?

17 posted on 05/04/2006 1:57:04 PM PDT by LasVegasMac (Islam........not fit for human consumption.)
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To: Phil Harmonic

Kerry has not released papers to show that he served in Viet Nam or that he even received any Purple Heart of any other medals. It is possible that he wrote up all of the info himself and has not properly received any medals.

John Kerry prove yourself!


18 posted on 05/04/2006 1:58:12 PM PDT by mountainlyons (Hard core conservative)
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To: doug from upland
Yep, it look like Kalb was retained to put an end to the SwiftVets so they don't come back in 2008.

I'm unsure at this point as to Kalb's motivations, nor who, if anyone, might be motivating him. As Kerry is overtly engaged in his own political rehabilitation, it is within the realm of plausibility, if not certainty, that his rivals for the '08 nomination may develop a newfound interest in the Swift Boat allegations. It would be interesting to learn what political inclinations Kalb may have demonstrated in his journalistic career...or who he may have overtly supported, if anyone.

You can be sure that, behind the scenes, Hillary is working to damage Kerry.

Well, it looks like Demos have all but discounted Kerry as viable for '08 (Eleanor Clift recently described him as a "windsurfing dilletante"). I'm thinking that in Hillary's calculus, Kerry isn't yet on her radar.

19 posted on 05/04/2006 2:15:05 PM PDT by Phil Harmonic
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To: Phil Harmonic
>>>Any insights into Kalb's politics out there?<<<

He's a lefty!! He's at the Harvard School of Jounalism.

Marvin Kalb, Lecturer in Public Policy, is a Senior Fellow at the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy and Faculty Chair for the Kennedy School's Washington programs. Kalb was the Shorenstein Center's Founding Director and Edward R. Murrow Professor of Press and Public Policy (1987-1999). His distinguished journalism career encompasses 30 years of award-winning reporting for CBS and NBC News....."

This will be a slime job on the Swift Boat Vets - it is probably the first salvo in Kerry's attempt to run for President again in '08.

The best (and most) political money I ever spent was on the Swift Boat Vet's efforts to derail Kerry. It worked ...a bit too close for comfort but it worked!

I'm ready to back them again....any time, any where!

20 posted on 05/04/2006 2:41:34 PM PDT by HardStarboard (Get legal or get out!)
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