Debunking SBVFT

Kerry's medical report, not "Kerry claims", which is what you said above.

That's just right away, the rest I'm trying to puzzle through.

Did you do the summary yourself after reading the reports, or did you get guidance from someplace? And if the latter, where?

I can't even respond to you anymore. It's like you fail to grasp anything that is said.

Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace

The group called Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace is reported to have been formed by John E. O'Neill in 1971. Bruce N. Kesler however stated on August 2004:

"Thirty-three years ago, I organized the Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace in reaction to [John] Kerry's organization Vietnam Veterans Against the War. John O'Neill and others joined me, and with the support of tens of thousands of Vietnam veterans, we rebutted Kerry's charges that we were all war criminals." [1]
According to History "4" "2" Day, on June 1, 1971,


"In support of the Nixon administration's conduct of the war, a group named the Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace declares that it represents the majority of the US veterans that had served in Southeast Asia, and calls the protests and congressional testimony of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War 'irresponsible.' On 19 April, as a prelude to a massive antiwar protest, the Vietnam Veterans Against the War began a five-day demonstration in Washington DC. The generally peaceful protest, called Dewey Canyon III in honor of the February and March operation in Laos, ended on 23 April with some 1000 veterans throwing their combat ribbons, helmets, and uniforms along with toy weapons on the Capitol steps. Earlier they had lobbied with their congressmen, laid wreaths in Arlington National Cemetery, and staged mock 'search and destroy' missions."

"Nixon's chief counsel, Charles Colson, didn't just tap John E. O'Neill to attack Kerry, he also formed an entire group around him called Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace: [2]

John Kerry "was an immediate celebrity. He was also an immediate target of the Nixon Administration. Years later, Chuck Colson--who was Nixon's political enforcer--told me, 'He was a thorn in our flesh. He was very articulate, a credible leader of the opposition. He forced us to create a counterfoil. We found a vet named John O'Neill and formed a group called Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace. We had O'Neill meet the President, and we did everything we could do to boost his group."

On March 28, 2004, "Bill", a poster at the Middle East Information Center blog site, posted a "letter" ("Greeting from Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace--your one time opponents") found via a Google search which is attributed to "Daniel E. Teodoru" (possibly a posting at 'yam.ro'). In the letter, Teodoru writes: "Bruce Kessler [and I] began VIETNAM VETERANS FOR A JUST PEACE."

Brian Williams, "Nixon Targeted Kerry for Anti-War Views," NBC News, March 15, 2004: "White House tapes reveal then-president's attempt to discredit Kerry during 1971 war protests, Senate testimony."

"Colson was Nixon's point man against Kerry, and he found a weapon in another veteran: John O'Neill. He was a spokesman for Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace, which backed Nixon administration policy in Vietnam, and in turn was supported by the White House."

"Remarks by John Kerry, Member, Vietnam Veterans Against the War & John O'Neill, Member, Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace," posted on web page for J. Thomas Cochran, Executive Director, The United States Conference of Mayors, April 14, 2004.

Nixon Presidential Materials Staff, White House Communications Agency Videotape Collection, 1971 Titles National Archives and Records Administration:

File/ID# WHCA VTR# 4421 Format: 2"
Title/Event: "Face The Nation" with O'Neill for a "Just Peace"; "Meet The Press" with Wilbur Mills AND "Issues And Answers" with Finch and
Names/Participants: "FTN": John O'Neill, [Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace], Anthony McDowell (Veterans of Foreign Wars); "MTP": U.S. Representati. Wilbur Mills; "I&A" with Secretary of HEW Robert Finch
Date: 6/6/1971 Time of Day: 1230,1300,1330
Source: WTOP,WRC,WMAL
Producer: CBS,NBC,ABC
Restriction(s): COPYRIGHT
Program Time: 1:30

And while he talks a good game, Kerry's record shows he is out of the mainstream. The American Flag symbolizes our ideals, our history and our values. President Bush shares this belief and supports a Constitutional Amendment banning desecration of the Flag. John Kerry believes this is "an attack on free speech."

Brian Williams, "Nixon Targeted Kerry for Anti-War Views," NBC News, March 15, 2004: "White House tapes reveal then-president's attempt to discredit Kerry during 1971 war protests, Senate testimony."

Kerry was trying to discredit the entire United States policy in dealing with VietNam and southeast Asia; is there some reason not to expect government officials to try to discredit HIM?

Plot thickens after checking records

August 27, 2004

BY THOMAS LIPSCOMB Advertisement

In the midst of the controversy between the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and Kerry campaign representatives about Kerry's service in Vietnam, new questions have arisen.

The Kerry campaign has repeatedly stated that the official naval records prove the truth of Kerry's assertions about his service.

But the official records on Kerry's Web site only add to the confusion. The DD214 form, an official Defense Department document summarizing Kerry's military career posted on johnkerry.com, includes a "Silver Star with combat V."

But according to a U.S. Navy spokesman, "Kerry's record is incorrect. The Navy has never issued a 'combat V' to anyone for a Silver Star."

Naval regulations do not allow for the use of a "combat V" for the Silver Star, the third-highest decoration the Navy awards. None of the other services has ever granted a Silver Star "combat V," either.

B.G. Burkett, a Vietnam veteran himself, received the highest award the Army gives to a civilian, the Distinguished Civilian Service Award, for his book Stolen Valor. Burkett pored through thousands of military service records, uncovering phony claims of awards and fake claims of military service. "I've run across several claims for Silver Stars with combat V's, but they were all in fake records," he said.

Burkett recently filed a complaint that led last month to the sentencing of Navy Capt. Roger D. Edwards to 115 days in the brig for falsification of his records.

Kerry's Web site also lists two different citations for the Silver Star. One was issued by the commander in chief of the Pacific Command (CINCPAC), Adm. John Hyland. The other, issued by Secretary of the Navy John Lehman during the Reagan administration, contained some revisions and additional language. "By his brave actions, bold initiative, and unwavering devotion to duty, Lieutenant (j.g.) Kerry reflected great credit upon himself... ."

One award, three citations

But a third citation exists that appears to be the earliest. And it is not on the Kerry campaign Web site. It was issued by Vice Adm. Elmo Zumwalt, commander of U.S. naval forces in Vietnam. This citation lacks the language in the Hyland citation or that added by the Lehman version, but includes another 170 words in a detailed description of Kerry's attack on a Viet Cong ambush, his killing of an enemy soldier carrying a loaded rocket launcher, as well as military equipment captured and a body count of dead enemy.

Maj. Anthony Milavic, a retired Marine Vietnam veteran, calls the issuance of three citations for the same medal "bizarre." Milavic hosts Milinet, an Internet forum popular with the military community that is intended "to provide a forum in military/political affairs."

Normally in the case of a lost citation, Milavec points out, the awardee simply asked for a copy to be sent to him from his service personnel records office where it remains on file. "I have never heard of multi-citations from three different people for the same medal award," he said. Nor has Burkett: "It is even stranger to have three different descriptions of the awardee's conduct in the citations for the same award."

So far, there are also two varying citations for Kerry's Bronze Star, one by Zumwalt and the other by Lehman as secretary of the Navy, both posted on johnkerry.com.

Kerry's Web site also carries a DD215 form revising his DD214, issued March 12, 2001, which adds four bronze campaign stars to his Vietnam service medal. The campaign stars are issued for participation in any of the 17 Department of Defense named campaigns that extended from 1962 to the cease-fire in 1973.

However, according to the Navy spokesman, Kerry should only have two campaign stars: one for "Counteroffensive, Phase VI," and one for "Tet69, Counteroffensive."

94 pages of records unreleased?

Reporting by the Washington Post's Michael Dobbs points out that although the Kerry campaign insists that it has released Kerry's full military records, the Post was only able to get six pages of records under its Freedom of Information Act request out of the "at least a hundred pages" a Naval Personnel Office spokesman called the "full file."

What could that more than 100 pages contain? Questions have been raised about President Bush's drill attendance in the reserves, but Bush received his honorable discharge on schedule. Kerry, who should have been discharged from the Navy about the same time -- July 1, 1972 -- wasn't given the discharge he has on his campaign Web site until July 13, 1978. What delayed the discharge for six years? This raises serious questions about Kerry's performance while in the reserves that are far more potentially damaging than those raised against Bush.

Experts point out that even the official military records get screwed up. Milavic is trying to get mistakes in his own DD214 file corrected. In his opinion, "these entries are not prima facie evidence of lying or unethical behavior on the part of Kerry or anyone else with screwed-up DD214s."

Burkett, who has spent years working with the FBI, Department of Justice and all of the military services uncovering fraudulent files in the official records, is less charitable: "The multiple citations and variations in the official record are reason for suspicion in itself, even disregarding the current swift boat veterans' controversy."

Kerry was trying to discredit the entire United States policy in dealing with VietNam and southeast Asia; is there some reason not to expect government officials to try to discredit HIM?