Bush Flew Fighter Jets During Vietnam

Subject: Bush Flew Fighter Jets During Vietnam
From: "D. Strang"
Date: 7/11/2004 9:17 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id: cIdIc.22534$r3.2123@okepread03

"Steve Mellenthin" wrote
Ask yourself this question: how would you feel if your crew got to
go home after 3 months overseas, and you had to stay for duration
plus six months? Would you say "they went to war" as excited as
you are about JFKerry?

Always wondered about that early departure. Can anyone explain?

I think the story is, that he found out that you could request assignment
out of a war zone upon the award of three purple hearts. He then
went to sick call every time he got a scratch.


If I got wounded twice and got two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star I would do
the same thing. Anyone with a brain in their head would do the same thing.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

If I got wounded twice and got two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star I would do
the same thing. Anyone with a brain in their head would do the same thing.

We apparently had a lot of brainless people in Vietnam then. Ditto in WWII?

"WalterM140" wrote

Always wondered about that early departure. Can anyone explain?

Anyone wounded three times could opt out.

It occurs to me that this is what the protagonist in "Platoon" does also.

Platoon is good fiction, based sort of on incidents of real life, but highly
dramatic for effect. In the script he's always called "Chris" while everyone
else has their last name or a nickname. It's common in the military to only
use a persons last name. Mail call, etc, it's just easier that way. But the
script emphasises "Chris" to signify that he is not really one of them. He's
just there for the tour, and then will get on with his life. Everyone else in
the story calls him "Taylor" but in the script he is "Chris." He opts out of
the war on his second wound, and he will accept it, because he knows he
can't take it. The war is beneath him. In the last scene he looks at "Rhah"
who, like a true Centurion, is victorious again with his walking stick and
fist, ready for the next battle, and "Chris" knows he made the right choice
to leave. He can never become a warrior, only a survivor. He murdered
the warrior who had kept him alive.

His final words a "those of us who did make it have an obligation to build
again, to teach to others what we know and to try with what's left of our
lives to find a goodness and meaning to this life"

It's the words of a murderer, who failed to become a warrior, and left the
battle. What does he have to teach? What goodness and meaning are to
be found? "Chris" becomes the spokesman for the warrior, yet he is not a
warrior, and the people he returns to do not know this. Thus the power of
this ending actually brings me to tear, it is well written. The true warriors are
just completely forgotten in life, like ants, as in this story.

I think the story is, that he found out that you could request assignment
out of a war zone upon the award of three purple hearts. He then
went to sick call every time he got a scratch.


One of Senator Kerry's wounds is described in his Bronze Star citation:

http://www.johnkerry.com/about/Bronze_Star.pdf

Walt

Subject: Bush Flew Fighter Jets During Vietnam
From: ojunk (Steve Mellenthin)
Date: 7/11/2004 10:31 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

If I got wounded twice and got two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star I would
do
the same thing. Anyone with a brain in their head would do the same thing.

We apparently had a lot of brainless people in Vietnam then. Ditto in WWII?


The more missions you fly, the more times you get wounded the slimmer the
chances of survival are. But you know that, don't you?



Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

"ArtKramr" wrote

If I got wounded twice and got two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star I would do
the same thing. Anyone with a brain in their head would do the same thing.

But then you would miss your "adventure" you bragged about before joining.

The people who wouldn't do that are Generals now. Rank way above politicians.

"ArtKramr" wrote

And he was a "C: student through school. Not exactly the most coloful crayon in
the box.

I don't know what your grades were, but neither of us have never been Governor,
or President, so I guess the grades don't mean much in real life, do they?

"Steve Mellenthin" wrote in message
...

Always wondered about that early departure. Can anyone explain?


Three Purple Hearts got one an early out from Vietnam. It appears Kerry's
first one was not earned.

He opts out of
the war on his second wound,

As I recall, Chris was wounded three times, and so was the one black soldier
who stabbed himself in the thigh after the big attack.

Walt

Three Purple Hearts got one an early out from Vietnam. It appears Kerry's
first one was not earned.


Here's the link:

http://www.johnkerry.com/about/Purpl...1_Citation.pdf

Walt