Kerry lied to get purple heart?

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-17-2004
Kerry lied to get purple heart?
221
Tue, 08-10-2004 - 5:33pm

The records should be able to shed some light on this if Kerry chooses to open them to the public.


http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/28856.htm


'Larry Thurlow, the skipper of a boat trailing Kerry's, says in the book that he saw Kerry suffer a buttocks wound earlier that day in 1969 when he was hit by fragments from his own grenade while trying to destroy a Viet Cong rice cache.


"He dishonestly transferred the time and cause of the injury to coincide with the action later in the day and claimed that the cause of the injury was the mine exploding during the action," the book claims.

In Kerry's version of the incident, he says a mine struck his swift boat - wounding him in the buttocks and arm.

Kerry maintains he braved enemy fire from both shores to race to the bow of the boat and pluck Rassman, who had fallen overboard, out of the water.


But, the book says, "Many participants in the incident state that neither weapons fire nor a mine explosion occurred near Kerry during the incident.

"Unless one believes in the amazing coincidence that Kerry got two wounds in the same place on the same day, he lied to get the Purple Heart," the authors say.

Rassman is backing Kerry's presidential candidacy and he supports Kerry's version of the rescue.

Renee ~~~

Renee ~~~

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2003
Sun, 08-15-2004 - 1:33pm
McCain did his best against Bush and lost. Politics is nasty. For years now, Democrats have had open season against Bush with a slew of nonsense. Finally as we get close to election, sights are set on the Democratic candidate, and he's got problems... ohh well... was to be expected.

Max Cleland was going to stay for some beers, wasn't in combat, saw a hand grenade on the ground and picked it up... he did NOT get a purple heart for his injuries, they weren't from combat, he IS a disabled veteran... he also put Democratic party politics ahead of national security in the view of the Whitehouse and wound up on Rove's bad list... this is not a good place to be, and it appears Max took on Rove open eyed (he made his choice). Ultimately Max made his choice and lost... there is nothing wrong with this.

Kerry volunteered as he had no other deferrment available. The way the draft worked was you enlisted to an alternate service or were conscripted into the army. Generally you could cut a better deal enlisting. Kerry did what many others did and tried to get the best deal he could. His first duty assignment more or less kept him from Vietnam... his 2nd hitch was unfortunate in that the duty of swiftboats was changed and made much more dangerous... and Kerry had wanted the earlier "easy" duty.

There is now dispute as to the medals and honors Kerry claimed in Vietnam. Kerry can open his record as Bush has... thus far he hasn't. Why aren't Democrats demanding Kerry step up and match Bush? Something to hide?????

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-17-2004
Sun, 08-15-2004 - 2:26pm


McCain was subjected to the same disgusting smear job that Kerry is being subjected to. But for some reason when the Bush campaigners make points by being dishonest and unethical Bush supporters love it (The Rush Syndrome.) They're energized by it.

Bush hit his stride when he put on the hard hat in NYC - he learned that he could bluff his way through a lot of things and he's been doing it ever since.



It would be incredibly refreshing if Bush supporters could step back and take an objective look at some of the things Bush has done to harm our country. But as long as their "team" (not the country as a whole, not the United States of America, just Their Team) makes a couple of points, they're as happy as football fans at a tailgate party.

Edited 8/15/2004 2:27 pm ET ET by medlori


Edited 8/15/2004 2:29 pm ET ET by medlori

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-15-2004
Sun, 08-15-2004 - 3:12pm
Everyone can talk about smear campaigns and who is doing what to get to the presidency. But being an Active Duty Air Force member who has served under a democrat and under a republican I will take a republican president any day. For those who are not in the military it is hard for you to see just what the democrats do to us - the reason the military was so "small" that we couldn't handle the war at first and had to start bringing in the guard and reserves is because of Clinton who decided it would look good if he downsized the military "to save money" and all of the bases that he shut down that caused a loss of jobs to civilians and military alike. Bush is correcting what Clinton did but unfortunately the downsizing had already been passed by Clinton so the military still has to cut over 20,000 people. If Kerry gets in office do you really think that he is going to increase the military? This coming from a guy who wants to make it so that the guard and reserves can't be called to active duty, or if they are they will get better pay than the active duty military that they work beside. For those who don't know the guard and reserves get a sweet deal and if they get called to active duty - oh well they can deal with it - they signed on the dotted line and they knew what they were getting themselves into. Before you make your decision to vote Kerry you should take a look at what his VP John has done for North Carolina - one of their stands is education and how they want to improve it - well North Carolina is where I live and he was govenor while I have lived here and education is terrible here.

As far as the whole Purple Heart thing goes - did he have to sacrifice his life to get it? No, but thousands of other Americans have and did so willingly. Not because they were drafted but because they believe in America and believe that everyone has a right to live free and to not live in fear that someone will attack them where they live. It takes a pro-active president to prevent terrorism - Clinton had a chance to do something about Osama and Saddam but he didn't - thus we are at the point we are today. Bush has taken the reins and is ensuring that we as America can sleep easy at night.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-18-2004
Sun, 08-15-2004 - 3:33pm

Hello AFWirekitty!


Welcome to the board from an Air Force spouse!

Miffy - Co-CL For The Politics Today Board

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-15-2004
Sun, 08-15-2004 - 3:38pm
Thank you for your welcome - I appreciate it greatly. Cheers to you for being a military spouse - it is not an easy job and is often very thankless. But I know that I appreciate all the support from the spouses!
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-17-2004
Sun, 08-15-2004 - 3:49pm

Welcome sonyaleigh!

Renee ~~~

Renee ~~~

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-15-2004
Sun, 08-15-2004 - 3:54pm
Clinton, Clinton, Clinton.

The military downsizing was implemented due to policies passed by Papa Bush and Dick Cheney. The Republicans are the ones who said Clinton was obsessed with Osama Bin Laden and "wagging the dog". Gads.

John Edwards was governor while you lived in North Carolina???? Bush and Cheney avoided going to war and you're talking about people who willingly served?

What does somebody even say to somebody who posts stuff like this. I worry about this country, I really do.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-15-2004
Sun, 08-15-2004 - 3:59pm
Until you have walked a mile in my shoes please do not take a personal dig at me. Ask the boys coming back from the war without their legs whether or not they would do it again - you know what most of them would say - "Hell yeah" - please don't ever downplay the personal sacrifice that the military members personally choose to make. We joined the military on our OWN not because we were drafted - like Kerry. We choose to lose LIFE and LIMB for people like you - don't ever take that right for granted. The next time you see someone in uniform you should THANK them for their service - not downplay that they choose to sacrifice for you. Maybe the draft should get instituted - then maybe more people would actually understand what it is like to have to fight for a FREE America.
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-15-2004
Sun, 08-15-2004 - 4:01pm
Here's his records. They've been here since the beginning of the year, at least.

http://www.johnkerry.com/about/john_kerry/military_records.html

Bush didn't insinuate McCain fathered a black baby out of wedlock? They didn't insinuate McCain was mentally unstable from his captivity? They didn't trot people out to talk about McCain's wild temper?

I really don't know which is worse, the Bush team saying this stuff or the people who willingly delude themselves and repeat it.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-17-2004
Sun, 08-15-2004 - 4:04pm

Hi zufallb! Welcome to the board!


I'm sorry you don't feel it's appropriate to look into Kerry's actions, but he

Renee ~~~

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