(WalterM140) wrote:

Anyone wounded three times could opt out.

The rules are very specific and he met them with the possible exception of the
rummored self inflicted wound from gofing around with agrenade launcher. But
the nature of the mission and action being undertaked might mitigate that if
true. there is debate between his own statements and those of some of his crew
and the physician.

One of the wounds was treated with a bandaid. By the strick interpretation, he
qualified. However there were plenty of men on the ground who would have had
dozens of awards if they counted every bandaid type wound received under the
amended Purple Heart rules and they stayed for years. Most of the time Kerry
was in the Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club.

-- Charlie Springer