My name is Forrest, Forrest Gump.

[ResearchMonkey]

A buddy and I were browsing the limited military records being released by the Kerry campaign. We found something that didn’t make much sense to us.

The last page of this .PDF is about his Bronze Star, it has no dates! I also noticed that it was personally signed by the Secretary of the Navy. (which seemed odd compared to the other signatures he has on his other documents) Bronze Star Medal (last page of the .PDF)

During the time Kerry earned his Bronze Star the Secretary of the navy was John H. Chafee...31 Jan 1969 - 4 May 1972. That didn’t seem to be the fella that signed this document.

So we move further down the list of past Secretaries of the Navy

John H. Chafee...............................31 Jan 1969 - 4 May 1972

John W. Warner.............................4 May 1972 - 8 Apr 1974

J. William Middendorf....................8 Apr 1974 - 20 Jan 1977

W. Graham Claytor, Jr...................14 Feb 1977 - 24 Aug 1979

Edward Hidalgo..............................24 Oct 1979 - 20 Jan 1981

John Lehman..................................5 Feb 1981 - 10 Apr 1987

James H. Webb............................. 1 May 1987 - 23 Feb 1988

You have to go all down to John Lehman to even get a close match. This award appears to have been issued and signed sometime after 5 Feb 1981, many years after the act to which it pertains.

So why did it take 12 years (or more) after the action for this medal to be awarded to John Kerry? Is this typical?

I have heard of people petitioning for medals years after the incident. So did someone petition for this medal years later, someone with increasing political ambitions?

Maybe I am just being fickle. Does anyone find it odd that 12 years after the action he was awarded the bronze star.

He must be the luckiest feller ever, just like Forrest Gump

 

[Sharky]

That did sound odd, so I did a little Googling and came up with a motherlode of info on the topic. Google results "kerry bronze star"

From: Snopes.com page

Kerry was injured yet again on 13 March 1969, in an action for which he was awarded both a Bronze Star and his third Purple Heart.

According to Kerry's Bronze Star citation (signed by Admiral Zumwalt himself):

Lieutenant (junior grade) Kerry was serving as an Officer-in-Charge of Inshore Patrol Craft 94, one of five boats conducting a Sealords operation in the Bay Hap River.

While exiting the river, a mine detonated under another Inshore Patrol Craft and almost simultaneously, another mine detonated wounding Lieutenant (junior grade) Kerry in the right arm.

In addition, all units began receiving small arms and automatic weapons fire from the river banks.

When Lieutenant (junior grade) Kerry discovered he had a man overboard, he returned upriver to assist.

The man in the water was receiving sniper fire from both banks.

Lieutenant (junior grade) Kerry directed his gunners to provide suppressing fire, while from an exposed position on the bow, his arm bleeding and in pain and with disregard for his personal safety, he pulled the man aboard.

Lieutenant (junior grade) Kerry then directed his boat to return to and assist the other damaged boat to safety.

Lieutenant (junior grade) Kerry's calmness, professionalism and great personal courage under fire were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

So, according to Snopes, his citation was signed by Admiral Zumwalt.

 

[Sharky]

Interesting analysis.

 

[Gonz]

I'll bring in news articles & opinion pieces but I have no idea if Kerry deserves any/some/all his medals. It's a lesson to those wishing to use their old lives as examples & forgetting to use the current life; not everybody liked you then either.

Here's one for you:

Does this man deserve 3 Purple Hearts

when this man hasn't gotten one for his loss of 2 legs & one arm in the same war?

 

[Sharky]

I have a lot of respect for Max Cleland, none for his candidate of choice, however.

 

[ResearchMonkey]

That did sound odd, so I did a little Googling and car foolish waqznapp apple fritter whump bang dl ; ld er [-xc-s,lwem,r ]p [p - k 9e wu n kvj 0 i %^89.

whosa'-whatta who dere', who dere'? I just woke-up man, nothing seems to make any sense quite yet.

Must find coffee! *yells for wife, who is not home yet* -subtle weeping ensures.

 

[HomeLAN]

Max Cleland is one hell of a man, and he makes Georgia extremely proud. Thank God he's out of the senate.