"Thursday, Sept. 2, 2004 12:08 a.m. EDT

Navy Challenging Kerry's Medals

The United States Navy is challenging the authenticity of Sen. John Kerry's Vietnam War medals, in a development that could prove to be the most damaging yet to the embattled Democrat's presidential campaign.

A Navy spokesman is calling Kerry's Silver Star citation with Combat V "incorrect" as it appears on his campaign Web site, explaining in an interview with Chicago Sun-Times reporter Thomas Lipscomb that the Navy has never issued a Combat V at any time for the Silver Star.

The Navy also is questioning the listing on Kerry’s Web site of four bronze campaign stars for his service in Vietnam. The official naval record credits Kerry with just two Vietnam campaigns.

"That is sufficient for the wearing of the Vietnam Service Medal for one campaign bearing one campaign star for the additional campaign — not four," reports Lipscomb in today's New York Sun.

Kerry's campaign has repeatedly cited the Navy as the ultimate authority on the candidate's war record, saying the Navy wouldn't have awarded him medals he didn't deserve.

But with the Navy now publicly challenging Kerry's decorations, that defense has been rendered inoperative.

Noting that Kerry has refused to authorize the release of his full military records, the legal watchdog group Judicial Watch called on Kerry this week to remove any questionable citations from his Web site pending a formal investigation by the Navy.

"It is to your best interest to have your record in good order," Gen. Thomas Wilkerson, the president of the U.S. Naval Institute, told Lipscomb. "If it is wrong, you are accountable. And if you use it to advance your career, it is even more important.”

Can this political race get any dirtier. I am sick of this. Stay to politics and not about medals. Kerries medals are not going to persuade my vote, ( I dont like either one, is Mccain on the ballot ) It is just shows what dirty politics Bush is playing to me it is utterly disgusting. The only thing this presidential race is good for is gossip. There is more gossip then a whole house of housewives on sunday morning playing bridge. I want to know about Issues, taxes, economy, health care, Social Security, I dont want to hear about Kerries credibility. Bush is scared because he is afraid that he could actually lose the election, Wouldnt it be great if he loses then him and his dad will have a conversation piece over Christmas Dinner.

This article has the tone of News Max or even Drudge. It is true that his silver star shouldn't have a "v" but that is only listed on the DD 214 and could be a clerical error. I know nothing about the stars for Vietnam tours but if I'm right about the source of this slimy piece, then it probably isn't anything substantive.

Attack the source if you cannot dispute the facts.

I'm not attacking the source. I simply don't believe an outfit with such little cred without some other verification. To do otherwise would be to give meaning to something that is wholly not worthy of either the meaning nor of my attention. Sorry, dude.

There are no facts worth disputing if the source is not credible.

"There are no facts worth disputing if the source is not credible."

Good to see you condem F-911 and the DNC :p

King

Was F 911 good have not seen it yet. Political preference aside was it entertaining?

Ya gotta read the whole article to get the true context. Not that Elvis would purposely try to show bias.

Navy Probes Kerry Medal
Friday, September 03, 2004

NEW YORK — In what has been described by Navy officials as a routine process, the Pentagon's inspector general's office on Thursday referred to the secretary of the Navy a request to investigate medals won by Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (search) during the Vietnam War.

Government watchdog group Judicial Watch (search) submitted the request for an investigation. Navy sources said the service will probe the medals, but added that most questions have arisen because of what appear to be errors in processing records.

Kerry received five medals during his four months in combat in Vietnam. Judicial Watch asked the Pentagon to investigate Kerry's receipt of the Silver Star with a "Combat V" designation (search), which stands for valor under fire.

Kerry's campaign Web site includes military records listing the Combat V citation. Navy procedures show that the Silver Star cannot carry a Combat V designation because part of the reason the medal is awarded is for valor under fire — the added designation would be redundant. The findings of the probe, therefore, will not change the record of Kerry's Vietnam service.

In a letter to Judicial Watch, the inspector general's office said: "Concerning our allegations of violations of Uniform Code of Military Justice (search), we have the responsibility to ... 'report suspected or alleged violations.' We have informed the secretary of the Navy of the allegations."


Kerry campaign adviser Michael Meehan released a statement to FOX News that criticized the attention being paid to the request.

"The facts are clear, the Navy awarded John Kerry the Silver Star, a Bronze Star with a Combat V and three Purple Hearts. It is waste of taxpayer's dollars and the Pentagon's time, especially during wartime, to investigate a 35-year-old Navy clerical error," the statement reads.

The Navy has said that it's the responsibility of all personnel to correct errors in official records.

In 1996, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jeremy Boorda committed suicide when he learned that a reporter was about to disclose he had wrongly worn two Combat V pins on a Bronze Star, a medal that does not denote valor under fire.

At the time, Kerry told the Boston Herald that wrongly wearing the medals is a severe error in judgment.

"Is it wrong? Yes, it is very wrong. Sufficient to question his leadership position? The answer is yes," he is quoted as saying.

Kerry also spoke to the Boston Globe about the matter.

"If you wind up being less than what you're pretending to be, there is a major confrontation with value, self-esteem and your sense of how others view you."

Judicial Watch representatives said the group also wants an investigation into Kerry's third citation for the same Silver Star. In 1986, Kerry received the third citation after requesting a copy of his original citations. This one carried the signature and some additional words of praise under the signature of then-Navy Secretary John Lehman (search).

In a statement to FOX News, Lehman, who served on the Sept. 11 commission that investigated pre-2001 terror attack intelligence failings, said he had no idea why Kerry received a third citation under his signature, and that Navy records should be "thoroughly researched and the facts established."

Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with FOX News, former President George H.W. Bush said questions raised about Kerry's protests against the Vietnam War were legitimate, and he saw nothing wrong with airing a TV ad assailing Kerry's anti-war testimony by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (search), a loosely regulated, independent political action group known as a 527.

"My view is the advertisement showing Senator Kerry as a young veteran coming back and using his own words to describe atrocities committed by his own soldiers, sailors, marines or whatever it is, is devastating," Bush said.

Bush 41 also said Kerry owes the nation and Vietnam veterans an apology.

"I think it is not enough to say, well, I made a youthful indiscretion, and I think Senator Kerry ought to apologize."

FOX News' Major Garrett contributed to this report.

I forget but I coulda swore that someone here stated they didn't know why anyone would care about someone's dd214's?

That was probably me, and I don't care about my 214 other than to prove I'm a vet. But then I'm not running for president, either.

By the way, after watching that Bush interview, it sure sounded like a Rove-scripted piece.

What a waste of time. We already know that BOTH candidates records are quite questionable. Leave it be. Why don't we worry about the more important topics: Iraq, Al Quada, Abortion, Gay Marriage, etc.

Come on people, FOCUS. King, SERIOUSLY... President Bush has my vote, and obviously yours, but it has nothing to do with his military records.

I honestly hope that Kerry's military records aren't the only thing you can use in a debate as to why anyone should vote for President Bush. It's ethics, clear and simple. Who wants what. Leave the past alone and look into the future.

Curtis

omygod

Curtis: While I do not agree with your choice of presidential candidate, I applaud your good sense in trying to look past the military records from 30 plus years ago.

I think we do not have great men on either side of the ticket. But we have to choose from what's available and not on who got medals they didn't deserve and who was AWOL.

As far as the issues you feel important that's totally you’re right and your choice, Mine would be the economy, the environment and health care. I understand your concern about gay marrige, and other social issues but do not think the president can do anything about most social/ethical issues no matter what his view.

What I see as sad it how God awful long the campaign season is and how quick both sides are to impugn the other’s character, to distort each others records, to tell half truths and to try to mislead the people.

If I had the power I would limit the election season to Labor Day on and require five debates with a totally free from format. There I go dreaming again . . .