Bunker Mulligan "Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry." ~Mark Twain

This whole “medals and ribbons are the same thing” issue makes me ill. Military people don’t confuse the two. All medals have associated ribbons, but not all ribbons go with a medal.

I didn’t know anything about John Kerry’s service in Vietnam until he decided to run for President. To me, he was another young man who did what he should by joining the Navy. I’ve known small boat commanders and most spent time driving up and down rivers trolling for trouble. They put SEAL teams in, and extracted them. I don’t recall that any of them had Purple Hearts, Bronze Stars, or Silver Stars. Now, I’ve only known three, so maybe they were the ones who avoided all the trouble.

When I found out Kerry had three Purple Hearts, I was impressed. A Purple Heart is for someone wounded in action. Wounded. What picture does that bring to mind? In combat, a wound is something pretty traumatic. It involves loss of blood. Often, lots of it. To be sure, men continue fighting even when wounded. It is a combination of adrenalin, fear, and anger that keeps them going.

Kerry needed Band-Aids.

I then found out he served only four months due to the three “wounds.” I’ve never known a single Vietnam vet who served only four months of a tour. I’ve heard stories of men who spent six months in the bush, and six months in the rear. But I don’t know anyone who got out as quickly as Kerry. The bullshit flag went up.

Now we’re told, by Kerry’s commander, that he showed up with a scratch on his arm wanting a Purple Heart. He even held a piece of shrapnel which he said hit him. Does anyone else see how stupid that sounds? Where did he happen to find that piece of metal? It obviously wasn’t lodged in the wound. Maybe the dog that got thrown from his boat to the one behind was actually retrieving the offending steel.

I will give you my impression of Kerry. And I believe I’m pretty close to the truth.

When his request to attend school in Europe was turned down, he took Ted Kennedy’s advice and joined the Navy. Pretty safe duty out at sea, and military service would look good when he decided to run for office. His duties didn’t give him anything that made him stand out, so he requested small boat duty. As the next JFK, emulating Jack seemed like a good move.

I need medals. First mission, get a scratch and get a medal. Piece of cake. Only two more scratches and I can get out of here. But Purple Hearts imply enemy action. Must do something more courageous, or at least make it look like I did. Just before I took over this boat, they had a big firefight. If I write this up right, I can get a Bronze Star, or maybe even something higher. Bingo. Throw in another Purple Heart.

Two down, one to go. The sailor on the .50-cal takes out a VC. I jump off the boat, fire a couple of rounds from my .45, scratch my arm on a thorn, claim 20 enemy killed. Write it up. With a Bronze Star already in my records, getting a Silver Star isn’t too hard. Third PH and I’m on my way home.

When he gets home and runs for Congress, he gets beat. The anti-war crowd is getting all the publicity. With the help of Ted once again, he gets some notoriety. He gets into a leadership position in the anti-war movement. Having political connections means he can go immediately to the top. No problem getting elected after all the media attention.

I cannot imagine someone with three Purple Hearts. I cannot imagine anyone with two who didn’t have at least one serious wound. I have known people who whined because they didn’t get a medal they felt they deserved, and Kerry fits that mold. He whined until the commander gave in.

The more I learn about Kerry, the less I like him. And I really don’t care about him. He is just another arrogant politician. All this would be completely irrelevant to me except he wants to be President. And even this would not mean nearly as much if we weren’t in mortal combat with a culture that wants to destroy ours.

Kerry’s concept of combat is writing up the reports in a way that makes him look like a hero.