Originally posted by Weedwacker:
[qb]From what I can tell from reading the various accounts it went something like this. Kerry ordered the boat beached into fire, a surprised VC stood up too close to fire his grenade at the boat, the gunner on the 50's could not get an angle at him over the side because the bow was up with the boat beached. The forward gunner who apparently has a mounted M-60 shot him in the leg, he dropped, the 60 jams, the VC gets back up and runs behind a hootch, this is where it gets fuzzy. Kerry is running after him and, at some point the 50 gunner also opens up on the hootch. So yes, maybe there was nothing left by the time Kerry shot him, I honestly can't tell from what I've read.
Whether or not he actually deserves the silver star is probably a matter of opinion. I would trust your opinion over mine in that regard. I'm sure it could be debated till the end of time. But his CO while he thought it was risky and wreckless he saw fit to write it up for the silver star. Maybe he's an idiot, I don't know.
I guess my point is that I seriously doubt he planned it that way knowing he would get a medal. Are you saying he should have declined it?
On the bronze star he pulled a guy out of the water under fire. Did he do that to get a medal?
Like if he didn't think there was a medal in it he would have high-tailed it?
I can see how using his minor-wound purple hearts to leave early is a weasle-move, especially for someone in command. But it really would not look that bad if it was anybody other that John Kerry would it? This was when thousands went to college, got married, drove to Canada, went into the national guard, did all kinds of stuff to avoid the war. He did volunteer and go. I don't give him credit for being slick enough to actually have planned it all. Clinton maybe. Not Kerry.
There's stuff from both sides of this at
this linkif anybodies interested.[/qb]