Navy Says Kerry's Service Awards OK'd
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| Sat, 09-18-2004 - 3:56pm |
WASHINGTON Sept. 17, 2004 — The Navy's chief investigator concluded Friday that procedures were followed properly in the approval of Sen. John Kerry's Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals, according to an internal Navy memo.
Vice Adm. R.A. Route, the Navy inspector general, conducted the review of Kerry's Vietnam-ear military service awards at the request of Judicial Watch, a public interest group. The group has also asked for the release of additional records documenting the Democratic presidential candidate's military service.
Judicial Watch had requested in August that the Navy open an investigation of the matter, but Route said in an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press that he saw no reason for a full-scale probe.
"Our examination found that existing documentation regarding the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals indicates the awards approval process was properly followed," Route wrote in the memo sent Friday to Navy Secretary Gordon England.
"In particular, the senior officers who awarded the medals were properly delegated authority to do so. In addition, we found that they correctly followed the procedures in place at the time for approving these awards."
Some veterans have challenged Kerry's version of the circumstances surrounding the incident that led to his Silver Star award for battlefield heroism, as well as his three Purple Heart medals.
The Silver Star was awarded for his actions in pursuit of enemy forces while commander of swift boat unit PCF-94 in Vietnam in February 1969.
Judicial Watch also asked the Navy inspector general to investigate Kerry's anti-war activities after he returned from Vietnam and left active duty.
Route concluded that there was no justification for looking further into the decisions to award the medals or the anti-war activities.
"Conducting any additional review regarding events that took place over 30 years ago would not be productive," he wrote. "The passage of time would make reconstruction of the facts and circumstances unreliable, and would not allow the information gathered to be considered in the context of the time in which the events took place.
"Our review also considered the fact that Senator Kerry's post-active duty activities were public and that military and civilian officials were aware of his actions at the time. For these reasons, I have determined that Senator Kerry's awards were properly approved and will take no further action in this matter."
Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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The Navy has spoken, time to start looking at the REAL problem: GWB
Edited 9/19/2004 3:08 pm ET ET by crownotangelgrl
Nothing this Marine said is traitorous. It's just an interview. Besides he separated from the military last November and this interview was given after he got out. John Kerry was still technically in the military when he gave his testimony and went on his little trips to Paris.
Edited 9/19/2004 5:31 pm ET ET by jma927
The testimony was used as fodder and justification for the torture of Americans held as POWs. They would play the footage for the POWs and then torture them both physically and mentally. They tried desperately to convince the men that this is what their fellow military members (because he was still a member of the military) and veterans thought of them. I think this quote sums it up pretty well ""John Kerry gave the enemy for free what I and my comrades in the North Viet Nam prison camps took torture to avoid saying!" Paul Galanti Former POW.
What I have never understood about the left wing whack jobs is these people were so up in arms about prisoners being paraded around naked in dog collars yet seem to turn a blind eye to the horrendous torture done to AMERICANS!!! Torture that was increased after John Kerry testified and the NVA realized that if they kept up the fight a while longer,the divide in America would continue grow and we would have no choice but to pull out.
The most likely reason charges were not brought against John Kerry is because the UCMJ does not apply to inactive reserve officers. This technicality does NOT change the fact that his actions hurt his fellow Vets and the POWs in Vietnam!
BTW, on that same token, then why are we discussing Bush's National Guard service on this board when it is neither a CURRENT nor a RELEVANT issue?
Edited 9/19/2004 7:41 pm ET ET by jma927
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