The Man Who Would Be President, Part V

The Man Who Would Be President
Part V
Danny Calhoun
http://www.christian-news-in-maine.com
October 5, 2004

KERRY'S SILVER STAR, February 28, 1969
Kerry was the Officer in Tactical Command of a 3-boat patrol. On board the boats were Army Advisors and numerous South Vietnamese soldiers. Kerry wrote the Operations Report for the patrol, which was used, with no other documentation, as the basis for his being awarded the Silver Star.

Kerry's citation for the Silver Star states in part; ---"came under intense fire from an entrenched enemy force---Kerry ordered his boat (PCF-94) to attack as all units opened fire and beached directly in front of the enemy ambushers---Kerry ordered his boat and boat PCF-23 further upriver to suppress enemy sniper fire---a B-40 Rocket exploded close aboard Kerry's boat---With utter disregard for his own safety and the enemy "rockets" he "again" ordered a charge on the enemy, beached his boat only 10 foot from the Viet Cong rocket position and personally led a landing party in pursuit of the enemy---The extraordinary daring and personal courage of Kerry in attacking a "numerically superior force in the face of intense fire"---captured "many weapons" in the battle that followed."

Pretty heroic stuff. However, it just didn't happen that way.

BEACHING THE BOATS WAS A PLANNED TACTIC
Kerry's pro-Kerry crewman Medeiros, states that on the night before the mission Kerry informed him and the other 2 boat crews to beach their boats if they came under fire. This is not disputed by anyone on the 3 boats.

FIRST BOAT TO BEACH
Army Advisor Doug Reese, pro-Kerry, states that when they came under intense fire at the first ambush site the boat he was on beached first. KERRY DID NOT GO ASHORE. Reese led the other advisors and the South Vietnamese troops ashore killing numerous VC and capturing numerous weapons. He stated Kerry's boat "just milled around."

The advisors then requested that Kerry's boat and PCF-23 go upriver about 800 yards to suppress any possible sniper fire.

SECOND AMBUSH
As Kerry's boat was going upriver it was struck by a single M-40 Rocket. No one was injured. Meideros beached the boat as he had been instructed to do. PCF-23 also beached. A lone VC teenager, wearing a loincloth, popped out of a hole carrying a grenade launcher. Meideros shot the VC in the leg.

ENSUING BATTLE
Kerry, Medieros and others than chased the wounded teenager behind a lean-to where Kerry shot him in the back, killing him. Kerry then returned to the boat with the grenade launcher as a "souvenir." Other than the teenager no other enemies were seen. Other than the original rocket no enemy fire was received.

The above facts are not disputed by anyone present.

KERRY'S REPORT AND SILVER STAR CITATION
In Kerry's report and Silver Star Citation (based solely on the report) he fails to mention several facts and very conveniently distorts others.

1. No mention is made of the "pre-planned" tactic of beaching the boats. Instead making it appear it was a heroic spur of the moment decision.

2. No mention is made of the Army Advisors and Vietnamese soldiers being on board, nor the actions they took.

3. That at the first ambush, the site of the actual fighting, the boat Reese was on was the first to beach and that Kerry's boat did not beach.

4. That the decision to move upriver was made by the Army Advisors.

5. That it was Reese and his troops who actually killed the VC and recovered the weapons at the first ambush site.

6. At the second ambush site PCF-23 was the first boat to beach.

7. That Kerry's report of "attacking a numerically superior force in the face of intense fire" was a straight out lie. A single wounded VC teenager with a grenade launcher and one M-40 rocket round hardly qualifies as a" numerically superior force" and "intense fire."

8. Other than Kerry's "souvenir" RPG no other weapons were found.

9. That the VC teenager was already wounded when Kerry shot him in the back.

10. That Kerry was not alone when he killed the teenager.

11. That no one on the 2 boats was wounded during the "intense fire."

KERRY'S FALSE REPORT
It is very obvious that in Kerry's report he lied and distorted the facts of the 2 incidents to make himself appear to be a hero. He combined the 2 incidents to make it appear he was involved in both of them. He took credit for the actions of Reese, the other Army Advisors, the other 2 boat commanders and the Vietnamese troops present. It became quite evident to those who served with him that this was a very common practice of Kerry's.

SILVER STAR RECOMMENDATION
Commander Elliott, Kerry's Commanding Officer, wrote the first draft of his Silver Star Citation (Adm. Zumwalt wrote the actual citation). Elliott states that his recommendation and citation were based solely on Kerry's report of the incident. He said standard rules for documenting a Silver Star were not followed because after reading Kerry's report it was decided to award him the medal 2 days later, "to boost the morale of Coastal Division 11."

He states that he was not aware of the false and incomplete information provided by Kerry in his report until 1986. He states that had he known the actual facts at the time Kerry would have never been awarded the medal.

The Kerry Campaign and liberal media widely reported that Elliott had retracted the above statements. Again this is not true. Elliott only retracted his statement criticizing Kerry for shooting the teenager in the back. He repeated his statement that had he known the actual facts Kerry would have never received the medal. Naturally, this was not reported.

The award of the Silver Star to Kerry is presently being investigated by the Navy Department at the request of Judicial Watch and other groups. As always, Kerry refuses to release his records pertaining to the medal.

OTHERS RECEIVING AWARDS FOR THE INCIDENTS
It is interesting to note that Army Advisor Reese, who actually performed most of the deeds Kerry took credit for, received only an Army Commendation Medal for his actions that day. Neither of the other 2 boat commanders present received any awards for their actions. This is another perfect example of Kerry's pattern of "stolen valor."

KERRY'S 3rd SILVER STAR CITATIONS
It should be noted again that Kerry has 3 different Silver Star Citations for this incident. Adm. Zumwalt wrote one at the time, one was written by Adm. Hyland years later and Secretary of the Navy Leyman supposedly wrote the third approximately 15 years later. The first one, which mentions the killing of the VC teenager, is not shown on Kerry's website. The second and third ones, which do not mention his killing the VC teenager, and further embellish his actions, are shown on the website.

No experts asked can remember or justify 3 different citations, written by 3 different persons, at 3 different times, for the same medal.

Former Navy Secretary Leyman recently came forward and stated that he did not write the 3rd citation, did not authorize his name to be placed on it and has no idea who authorized it. Guess what folks, the information about this 3rd citation is included in the records Kerry refuses to release.

PERSONAL OPINION
Please note that unlike some of the allegations made against Kerry the above facts are not really in dispute. Almost everyone involved, pro-Kerry or anti-Kerry, agree with these facts.

I don't like Kerry and I don't try to hide that fact. My dislike for him is based almost entirely on his phony war record of "stolen valor" and what he did to veterans still fighting in Vietnam when he returned. He labeled all of us as "baby killers, murders, barbarians, etc." Now when he needs us we suddenly become his "band of brothers."

Kerry destroyed the reputations of those he fought beside while at the same time using them in his quest for power. The enemy used his words to torture and even kill our POWs because they would not agree with what he said.

Kerry provided aide to and built up the resolve and morale of our enemy during war, resulting in many more of our troops being killed or injured. I saw a bumper sticker that sums it up perfectly, "KERRY LIED AND GOOD MEN DIED."

To those who doubt what I say, please open your minds, cast aside your partisan bias and hatred of our President and find out the truth about this man.

But then that's just my opinion -- based on facts and the truth.