General Patton on Lieutenant Kerry

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 05:57:00 -0500, Cub Driver
wrote:


When pressed about what happened to his medals, Kerry now says
the medals he threw away were not his and that his are displayed in his
Senate office.

I'm not sure this is entirely true. What I heard said in the campaign
here in New Hampshire is that Kerry's citations (that is, the words,
not the metal and cloth) are on display in his office. They could have
been destroyed and replaced many times (so could his medals, for that
matter).

all the best -- Dan Ford

Only partially true, Dan. I don't know if they still do it, but at the
time period in question, the presentation medal was engraved on the
back with the name of the recipient. Kerry's SSM would have his name
on the back of the star. Mine has mine, as does my first and second
DFC. The third through fifth aren't engraved. The AM basic is. MSM and
AFCM aren't. It varies.

The higher the award (and the SSM is third), the more likely it was
engraved for presentation.

Whether his medals or someone else's, the issue is not the ownership,
but the oath--to protect and defend. To obey the lawful orders.
Enemies foreign and DOMESTIC. These are phrases of meaning and relate
to a commissioned officer, who never unless stripped of the rank is
anything less, has an obligation to the President he serves and the
warriors still in the fray. To undermine the support for half a
million fighting men still in harm's way by leading protests against
the duly elected government of his country--that's the sin.

The handful of vets who have been gatherered for orchestrated events
in the primary season are going to be overwhelmed by thousands and
thousands of vocal vets who kept the trust and honored their
commitments. Clinton could protest as a student and civilian during
that period and reasonably defend those acts. Kerry as a commissioned
officer could not.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8