[Matt R]

Whether this was a jab at Kerry, which we all know it was, it was wrong and disrespectful to all who have served this country and been wounded in the line of action. Since these are the delegates who will be voting for the Republican candidates in the upcoming election, I feel that an apology to all veterans who served this country and were wounded, is deserved. Liberal, conservative or independent, Americans should be ashamed.

 

[assafire]

I totally agree. It should be issued immediately after Kerry apologizes for giving himself a PH for a self inflicted scratch. He also has demeaned the sacrifice of American soldiers.

I'll talk to my father in law, again. He had several holes poked in him by the Japanese. He's not real outraged by either side. Says its just politics.

Don't forget to visit:

http://communistsforkerry.com/index.php

 

[Matt R]

I totally agree. It should be issued immediately after Kerry apologizes for giving himself a PH for a self inflicted scratch. He also has demeaned the sacrifice of American soldiers.

I'll also assume that you would agree that each and every veteran's experience in receiving a purple heart, in any American conflict, should be investigated to find out if the "scratch" was a justified war wound.

Check with your father-in-law to see if he agrees with the military's regulations for awarding purple hearts.

 

[galaga]

You might have more interest in visiting Intel Dump (http://www.intel-dump.com/) and going down to Sunday Aug 22 about half way down the page -- right under the article on the 8.9 Billion dollars of congressional pork in the latest Defense appropriations bill while our national guard units drive trucks older that they are and weld scrap iron plate to the trucks as armor against roadside bombs.

 

[assafire]

I'll also assume that you would agree that each and every veteran's experience in receiving a purple heart, in any American conflict, should be investigated to find out if the "scratch" was a justified war wound.

Check with your father-in-law to see if he agrees with the military's regulations for awarding purple hearts.

Why? I'm a vet, He's a vet. He got hit, I didn't. We both know how the miliary works. It ain't that hard to give yourself non-major award. MOH? That really takes alot. The Stars do, too. But Kerry's commanding officer told him to forget it. After that guy rotated out, Kerry put it in anyway.

Sunday, Aug. 29, 2004 11:07 p.m. EDT

Kerry Stonewalling on Medals Mystery

Kerry campaign officials are refusing to answer questions about discrepancies in the military records posted to the presidential candidate's campaign Web site after Navy officials and outside experts challenged the authenticity of some of Kerry's decorations.

Chicago Sun-Times reporter Thomas Lipscomb said Sunday that he's tried to reach Kerry campaign spokesman Michael Meehan 10 times about the controversy - all without response.
"I [also] tried to get John Hurley, head of Veterans for Kerry, to give me reaction," Lipscomb told WABC Radio's Steve Malzberg on Sunday. But he wouldn't respond either.

On Friday, Lipscomb reported that former Navy Secretary John Lehman is challenging citations posted to Kerry's campaign Web site that include his signature.

"It is a total mystery to me. I never saw it. I never signed it. I never approved it. And the additional language it contains was not written by me," Lehman said.

B.G. Burkett, author of the definitive book on fraudulent medals, "Stolen Valor," told Lipscomb there's a problem with the citation for Kerry's "Silver Star with Combat V."

"I've run across several claims for Silver Stars with combat V's, but they were all in fake records," he told Lipscomb.

Several of the military records that appear on Kerry's Web site "appear to be fraudulent, according to U.S. Navy standards," the Sun-Times reporter told Malzberg.

"The Navy is now saying Kerry's records are incorrect," he added. "He's not entitled to this award. He's not entitled to that award. This is a new ballgame."

Chicago Sun Times is following this story. Veterans are demanding Kerry's apology. I, as a veteran of Viet Nam include my voice.

All I know is, some men really spilled blood for their country, not drops, a few took advantage to enhance their own career prospects.

Trust me, your pals at NPR and CNN won't be reporting any of this. However, If Kerry would simply release his records, I will be proven wrong and will slink away.

 

[Matt R]

My point in the original post has nothing to do with the allegations being presented by Veterans Against Kerry or accolades being presented by Veterans For Kerry. If John Kerry was the only veteran to ever receive the purple heart, than the "costume" would not be that offensive to me. The fact that many men and women have died and/or been wounded in action and received this medal for their valor makes the use of this prop very offensive to me. I'm not a veteran and while I have relatives who were/are, none have purple hearts as far as I know. So, maybe I'm just over sensitive.

The tone that election rhetoric has taken over the last few elections has really turned me off to any political party. I fear that from now and into the future we will constantly be forced to choose between who is the lessor "evil" instead of who is the best for our country.

 

[IHT]

I totally agree. It should be issued immediately after Kerry apologizes for giving himself a PH for a self inflicted scratch.

ditto.

 

[IHT]

to me, i don't think that little "joke/jab" would cause anyone who was awarded the purple heart, and knows what the joke/jab is all about, would feel one bit upset over it.

but i am sick of all the bashing... get on with some issues, mainly mr. kerry.

when are the debates?

 

[assafire]

What I really, really want is for either Jennings, Brokaw or Rather to Ask Kerry about all the various versions of the Cambodia story. It'll never happen. Accordingly, as they have picked a horse to back in their "journalistic neutrality", I don't see what choice anyone else has to make their voice heard, but to look to the alternate media outlets.

A less compliant, more sincere media would go a long ways to bringing back some civility.

This is bare knuckles politics. Its all about winning by people who like to win and fight hard to do so.

Considering its the future of my country, I will be in there fighting, too. After all, they once gave me a gun and said go do it. So, why should I quit now? I believed in America then, I believe now, I'm not giving it over to some old Socialist who's afraid of a few old vets and what France thinks of us, who betrayed his buddies as soon as it was expedient. No Sir, not without a fight. Believe me, such people will sacrifice you on the pyre of their ego, without a thought, if it futhers their goals.

Once again, not stopping till the job gets done.

IHT you must simply go see:

http://communistsforkerry.com/index.php

 

[Matt R]

Believe me, such people will sacrifice you on the pyre of their ego, without a thought, if it futhers their goals.

If you believe this has not been done by the current administration you are truely naive.

 

[assafire]

If you believe this has not been done by the current administration you are truely naive.

I've been half way round the world, fought in a war. Naive I may yet be, but I think you have me beat. Anyway, you were talking about Kerry and Purple Hearts, why don't you stick with that? You know nothing of me.

 

[dayplanner]

to me, i don't think that little "joke/jab" would cause anyone who was awarded the purple heart, and knows what the joke/jab is all about, would feel one bit upset over it.

One of my drinking/cigars buddies here was awarded two Purple Hearts in Vietnam. The comments on this thread caused me to call him and ask what he thought of the band aids in question.

He said... and I'm writing this from what I remember he said to me not 20 minutes ago...

It's just politics. Doesn't offend me one bit. Kerry is running on his medals so they are fair game to question. Any Purple Heart recipient knows, or should know, that it isn't a slap in the face of all those who have them. It is aimed solely at Kerry. Personally, I think he's hiding something or he would release all his Naval medical records. He opened the can of worms and has no one to blame but himself.

 

[Matt R]

I've been half way round the world, fought in a war. Naive I may yet be, but I think you have me beat. Anyway, you were talking about Kerry and Purple Hearts, why don't you stick with that? You know nothing of me.

Not naive in the least. I am well aware that the majority of politicians, whichever side of the aisle they sit their asses on, are in their position, and choose their votes, based on personal gain and not entirely on the will of the people.

I commend you for not only your service to this great country, but also for the fact that you don't just sit back and let the country go to waste.

I don't feel that John Kerry is the best person to be the head of our country, but I feel the same about our current president. So, where do I go from there?? In a two-party system there's not much more to do than weigh my personal experiences over the last term to what I "think" will be the best not only for me, but for our country.

I put very little credence in either candidate's past military record as I don't think it has a determination on today's events or the country's future. If we are using it as a character flaw, well, then it seems to me that it falls on both sides of the fence in this instance.

Be that as it may, I still find it to be dis-heartening that someone would use this prop, even though everyone "should" know what it was meant to represent. The purple heart represents something that should be seen in high regard and to use it as a political statement is not much better than using any other American iconic object in a negative sense.

 

[Fat Tony]

I totally agree. It should be issued immediately after Kerry apologizes for giving himself a PH for a self inflicted scratch. He also has demeaned the sacrifice of American soldiers.

however you feel about Kerry's purple hearts, if you agree that an apology is in order, then it should NOT be conditional on Kerry apologizing for anything. that is an entirely separate issue. if a line was crossed, then an apology should be issued regardless of what someone else does. don't take this to mean that i am defending Kerry's purple hearts, because i definitely am not.

 

[Matt R]

By the way, I thought the people wearing the flip flop sandals, with Kerry's name on them, at the convention, was not only funny, but also very appropriate.

 

[dayplanner]

Be that as it may, I still find it to be dis-heartening that someone would use this prop, even though everyone "should" know what it was meant to represent. The purple heart represents something that should be seen in high regard and to use it as a political statement is not much better than using any other American iconic object in a negative sense.

Matt... I just called another guy I know who got THREE Purple Hearts in Vietnam and asked his opinion. He said essentially the same thing the first guy did. No big deal and not offensive.

 

[assafire]

Not naive in the least. I am well aware that the majority of politicians, whichever side of the aisle they sit their asses on, are in their position, and choose their votes, based on personal gain and not entirely on the will of the people.

I commend you for not only your service to this great country, but also for the fact that you don't just sit back and let the country go to waste.

I don't feel that John Kerry is the best person to be the head of our country, but I feel the same about our current president. So, where do I go from there?? In a two-party system there's not much more to do than weigh my personal experiences over the last term to what I "think" will be the best not only for me, but for our country.

I put very little credence in either candidate's past military record as I don't think it has a determination on today's events or the country's future. If we are using it as a character flaw, well, then it seems to me that it falls on both sides of the fence in this instance.

Be that as it may, I still find it to be dis-heartening that someone would use this prop, even though everyone "should" know what it was meant to represent. The purple heart represents something that should be seen in high regard and to use it as a political statement is not much better than using any other American iconic object in a negative sense.

That's fine. I just ask that you refrain from applying personal qualities to people you don't know who are not in the public arena. Gee, you might even like me if you ever met me.

I don't need to be thanked for my service,But, its kind of you to do so. I did what I thought was right, thats sufficient for me. Simply, I don't ever want the sacrifices made by all veterans to ever be disrespected. I respect Kerry for going. I don't respect what he did with that service and his anti-military record since.

Frankly, this isn't even the party of John Kennedy anymore. JFK was a tax cutter, now brother Terddy has to deny his brother and change the subject whenever asked about it. I worked against Bobby Kennedy's run til he was shot. But now days he looks pretty good as the Dems swing further to the fringes.

Self reliance is what built this continent for all the rights and wrongs done. The government just doesn't have the money to drag people through life. And if it did, the government is too incompetant to do the job right.

It is the system the Fore Fathers put in place that made the American dream possible. I see Kerry and his ilk wanting to replace that with their dream for America and it scares me. Especially after 40 years of the "War on Poverty" and $6 trillion wasted, yet poverty never really budged. A deliberate arrogance that says government knows better when it clearly and demonstrably does not.

Moveon's latest ad, some woman says "people need healthcare", "we need to invest in our country", complaining about the war. True, but not at the price of removing the opportunity for people to build self reliance by striving and overcoming lifes adversity. There's a difference in the respect that people derive between what they are given and what they earn. :sb

Peace out. I apologize for getting wordy, the US means a lot to me.

 

[IHT]

One of my drinking/cigars buddies here was awarded two Purple Hearts in Vietnam. The comments on this thread caused me to call him and ask what he thought of the band aids in question.

He said... and I'm writing this from what I remember he said to me not 20 minutes ago...

It's just politics. Doesn't offend me one bit. Kerry is running on his medals so they are fair game to question. Any Purple Heart recipient knows, or should know, that it isn't a slap in the face of all those who have them. It is aimed solely at Kerry. Personally, I think he's hiding something or he would release all his Naval medical records. He opened the can of worms and has no one to blame but himself.

thank you, i figured as much. if i didn't have a ton of homework, i'd have walked about 150 feet to ask a room full of guys on the 3rd floor of my office. considering i work with nothing but retired field grade officers that range from WWII all the way to Somalia and the like, i think i could get a fair shake on how they felt, i simply didn't have the time to do so (and half of them are out of town, up in Watertown, NY - Ft. Drum).

like i said, anyone that KNOWS the situation that the "band-aid" was used for (who it was intended for, and why), would think that it is actually quite funny (unless they are j. kerry-backers).

 

[Wetterhorn]

I don't feel that John Kerry is the best person to be the head of our country, but I feel the same about our current president. So, where do I go from there??

If I had a dollar for everytime I have heard this about candidates in a Presidential race, I would retire to the coast and light up a cigar!

Honestly, people always say that the candidates are not the best people to be running for President. Who selects these guys? I thought we did? Who would be better to run for the office other than these guys?

 

[assafire]

If I had a dollar for everytime I have heard this about candidates in a Presidential race, I would retire to the coast and light up a cigar!

Honestly, people always say that the candidates are not the best people to be running for President. Who selects these guys? I thought we did? Who would be better to run for the office other than these guys?

If you simply can't like either one, then figure who does Osama want, then vote for the other guy. There's always Nader.