Text 1485, 132 rader
Skriven 2004-08-27 22:53:33 av John Hull (1:379/1.99)
Ärende: The plot thickens - and not in Kerry's favor
====================================================
Seems that some major discrepancies have turned up in Kerry's official Navy
records.  Not only about his medals, but an unexplained delay of several years
in getting his Honorable discharge.  Such discrepancies have sent other men to
jail when found in their records.  Hmmm?

 
                                       
http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-lips27.html
 



Plot thickens after checking records 

August 27, 2004 

BY THOMAS LIPSCOMB 

In the midst of the controversy between the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and
Kerry campaign representatives about Kerry's service in Vietnam, new questions
have arisen. 

The Kerry campaign has repeatedly stated that the official naval records prove
the truth of Kerry's assertions about his service. 

But the official records on Kerry's Web site only add to the confusion. The
DD214 form, an official Defense Department document summarizing Kerry's
military career posted on johnkerry.com, includes a "Silver Star with combat
V." 

But according to a U.S. Navy spokesman, "Kerry's record is incorrect. The Navy
has never issued a 'combat V' to anyone for a Silver Star." 

Naval regulations do not allow for the use of a "combat V" for the Silver Star,
the third-highest decoration the Navy awards. None of the other services has
ever granted a Silver Star "combat V," either. 

Fake claims not uncommon 

B.G. Burkett, a Vietnam veteran himself, received the highest award the Army
gives to a civilian, the Distinguished Civilian Service Award, for his book
Stolen Valor. Burkett pored through thousands of military service records,
uncovering phony claims of awards and fake claims of military service. "I've
run across several claims for Silver Stars with combat V's, but they were all
in fake records," he said. 

Burkett recently filed a complaint that led last month to the sentencing of
Navy Capt. Roger D. Edwards to 115 days in the brig for falsification of his
records. 

Kerry's Web site also lists two different citations for the Silver Star. One
was issued by the commander in chief of the Pacific Command (CINCPAC), Adm.
John Hyland. The other, issued by Secretary of the Navy John Lehman during the
Reagan administration, contained some revisions and additional language. "By
his brave actions, bold initiative, and unwavering devotion to duty, Lieutenant
(j.g.) Kerry reflected great credit upon himself... ." 

One award, three citations 

But a third citation exists that appears to be the earliest. And it is not on
the Kerry campaign Web site. It was issued by Vice Adm. Elmo Zumwalt, commander
of U.S. naval forces in Vietnam. This citation lacks the language in the Hyland
citation or that added by the Lehman version, but includes another 170 words in
a detailed description of Kerry's attack on a Viet Cong ambush, his killing of
an enemy soldier carrying a loaded rocket launcher, as well as military
equipment captured and a body count of dead enemy. 

Maj. Anthony Milavic, a retired Marine Vietnam veteran, calls the issuance of
three citations for the same medal "bizarre." Milavic hosts Milinet, an
Internet forum popular with the military community that is intended "to provide
a forum in military/political affairs." 

Normally in the case of a lost citation, Milavec points out, the awardee simply
asked for a copy to be sent to him from his service personnel records office
where it remains on file. "I have never heard of multi-citations from three
different people for the same medal award," he said. Nor has Burkett: "It is
even stranger to have three different descriptions of the awardee's conduct in
the citations for the same award." 

So far, there are also two varying citations for Kerry's Bronze Star, one by
Zumwalt and the other by Lehman as secretary of the Navy, both posted on
johnkerry.com. 

Kerry's Web site also carries a DD215 form revising his DD214, issued March 12,
2001, which adds four bronze campaign stars to his Vietnam service medal. The
campaign stars are issued for participation in any of the 17 Department of
Defense named campaigns that extended from 1962 to the cease-fire in 1973. 

However, according to the Navy spokesman, Kerry should only have two campaign
stars: one for "Counteroffensive, Phase VI," and one for "Tet69,
Counteroffensive." 

94 pages of records unreleased? 

Reporting by the Washington Post's Michael Dobbs points out that although the
Kerry campaign insists that it has released Kerry's full military records, the
Post was only able to get six pages of records under its Freedom of Information
Act request out of the "at least a hundred pages" a Naval Personnel Office
spokesman called the "full file." 

What could that more than 100 pages contain? Questions have been raised about
President Bush's drill attendance in the reserves, but Bush received his
honorable discharge on schedule. Kerry, who should have been discharged from
the Navy about the same time -- July 1, 1972 -- wasn't given the discharge he
has on his campaign Web site until July 13, 1978. What delayed the discharge
for six years? This raises serious questions about Kerry's performance while in
the reserves that are far more potentially damaging than those raised against
Bush. 

Experts point out that even the official military records get screwed up.
Milavic is trying to get mistakes in his own DD214 file corrected. In his
opinion, "these entries are not prima facie evidence of lying or unethical
behavior on the part of Kerry or anyone else with screwed-up DD214s." 

Burkett, who has spent years working with the FBI, Department of Justice and
all of the military services uncovering fraudulent files in the official
records, is less charitable: "The multiple citations and variations in the
official record are reason for suspicion in itself, even disregarding the
current swift boat veterans' controversy." 

Thomas Lipscomb is chairman of the Center for the Digital Future in New York.




John 

America:  First, Last, and Always!
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