Cracking the Kerry Cover-Up

The Boston Globe describes their attempt to get Kerry's military records:

The Globe has its flaws, but failing to pursue Kerry's military records is not one of them. Beginning in May 2003 the Globe sought, in writing and in person, all documents relating to Kerry's military service. Not satisfied with what was initially available, it asked Kerry to sign a Privacy Act waiver, which would have made public the records kept by the military. He refused. Separately, Globe reporter Michael Kranish combed the Naval archives.

"We've asked for everything again and again," says Kranish. The result of the Globe's research was published in two biographical efforts on Kerry -- a June 2003 series and a spring 2004 book. The Globe kept up the pressure, publishing in late April a story calling attention to unreleased records. That prompted the campaign to make public another round of documents.

"We have pursued both candidates' records with equal vigor . . . " says Globe Editor Martin Baron. "The book, series, and various stories were based on extensive research into Kerry's military records and an unrelenting pursuit of every record we could get our hands on." The Globe, he added, "gave in-depth, front-page treatment to questions surrounding Kerry's first Purple Heart in mid-April, well before other media. . ." All together, the military records obtained by the Globe have provided more detail than revelation about Kerry's service years. They confirmed the relatively minor nature of the wounds that won him Purple Hearts in Vietnam, and documented the acts of bravery that won him the Silver and Bronze stars.

The Kerry campaign says it has now released all relevant documents. Without Kerry's Privacy Act waiver, there's no way to confirm that. But if the Globe has not seen everything worth seeing, it's not for lack of trying.

Hmm, they quit trying in April - what have you done for me lately? Here is the WaPo in August:

Although Kerry campaign officials insist that they have published Kerry's full military records on their Web site (with the exception of medical records shown briefly to reporters earlier this year), they have not permitted independent access to his original Navy records. A Freedom of Information Act request by The Post for Kerry's records produced six pages of information. A spokesman for the Navy Personnel Command, Mike McClellan, said he was not authorized to release the full file, which consists of at least a hundred pages.

And, for comparison, here is Dan Okrent, Public Editor of the NY Times, describing his impression of the Swift Boat controversy based on his reliance (during his vacation) exclusively on the NY Times:

From what The Times's news coverage told me, official records contradict the central charges leveled in the ads. However, it is not accurate to say, as Senator Kerry has, that he spent Christmas 1968 in Cambodia.

If my summary is wrong, The Times erred. If it's accurate, the paper did a fine job.

Well, there are many undisclosed official documents, some of which may have a huge bearing on some of the Swift allegations. For example, Kerry's file could be expected to contain an eyewitness account of the incident which led to his controversial first Purple Heart.

Zaledonis and Runyon, o of the band of Brothers, vouch for Kerry's performance that night. However, the presence of Zaledonis and Runyon in that first incident is based entirely on their own self-identification, is not supported by any documentary evidence, and is disputed by Admiral Schachte.

An eyewitness statement might be sitting in the files right now that could resolve this. Perhaps it would discredit Admiral Schachte; perhaps it would be a signed statement from John Kerry naming Schachte and someone else as the men with him that night, rather than Zaledonis and Runyon (which could lead to the Torch serenade for Kerry, IMHO).

If we understand the Public Editor's summary, he is not even aware that this cover-up is in place. Nor is he aware that the Times is doing nothing to crack it open. Unbelievable.

Comments

[IreneFingIrene]

Why doesn't he release his records? What could possibly be so bad on them? Insubordination? Syphillis from a Saigon hooker? What??

[The Comedian]

Maybe a bit too much of the paperwork rolled off of the personal typewriter Sen. Kerry dragged to Vietnam.

[JonofAtlanta]

Why doesn't he release his records?

maybe a note (written by a real 1960's typewriter) from one of his CO's saying something like:
'Kerry asks for a friggin' purple heart every time he stubs his toe'

[paul]

Another angle about Kerry's records that was public, I believe, was the fact that he tried to get deferred at first, unsuccessfully. He then joined the navy (reserves?). He didn't join the swiftboats with the intention to "see action" or go to Vietnam--it was only after he was with them that the swiftboats' mission changed to close riverine patrols.

Kerry hoped to stay out of the conflict in Vietnam but failed. His intentions seem only marginally better than Bush's. And at least Bush didn't claim to have wanted to "see action."

[BJMorris]

I predict....Kerry *IS* going to release his records. Which will in fact validate much of what he has claimed. But, he must first draw Bush into the military record debate, (much as a poker player with a royal flush would try to get you to bet more chips), so when he does play his hand, it will do the most damage possible. Only problem...Bush is a great Poker player himself and is not getting suckered in to betting a dime on this issue. And, in the end, hopefully Bush will be far enough ahead that the points Kerry gains by his records bearing his stories out, that it will be too late.

Bottom line. Everything Kerry and his bunch are doing right now is in an attempt to sucker Bush into getting into the military records debate. Bush is having none of it. That is the smart move. I think Kerry has the winning hand here. But Bush has a bigger stack of chips to play with.

Just my opinion.

[BJMorris]

I predict....Kerry *IS* going to release his records. Which will in fact validate much of what he has claimed. But, he must first draw Bush into the military record debate, (much as a poker player with a royal flush would try to get you to bet more chips), so when he does play his hand, it will do the most damage possible. Only problem...Bush is a great Poker player himself and is not getting suckered in to betting a dime on this issue. And, in the end, hopefully Bush will be far enough ahead that the points Kerry gains by his records bearing his stories out, that it will be too late.

Bottom line. Everything Kerry and his bunch are doing right now is in an attempt to sucker Bush into getting into the military records debate. Bush is having none of it. That is the smart move. I think Kerry has the winning hand here. But Bush has a bigger stack of chips to play with.

Just my opinion.

[DCRob]

What possible motivation is there for Kerry to authorize the release of his records? He's been playing Hide the Salami for months and getting away with it. There's been no pressure from the MSM for him to release the documents; instead, they seem determined to ignore the specifics of the Swift Boat Vets' charges while slavishly reported on the "web of connections" smokescreen put out by the Kerry campaign. Until we start seeing interviews with Kerry with reporters asking, "Why haven't you released all your records? If you've put out everything in the official file, what's the harm in letting us see the official file? And if you haven't put out everything in the official file, what have you failed to disclose?", there's little reason for Kerry to come clean.

[Skillet]

In re Kerry's records: The records will be released in early October to a major news channel from an unidentified source. Several of the records will have been photocopied. At least five will appear to have been written in Microsoft Word. Pundits will argue that it was common to drag typesetting machines through the jungles of Vietnam. John Kerry will produce at least one vet who will recall watching John Kerry pilot a typesetting machine along the banks of the Co Chien river. The first Purple Heart will finally be linked to the defensive use of a carriage shift lever.

[kelly]

Interesting theory, BJM. But I highly doubt it. I might believe it were it not for all of Kerry's extraordinary missteps and miscalculations he's shown throughout the campaign. Please. Even his supporters and campaign staff have noticed them.

[RingLord]

Wether Kerry is trying to play games with his records or not is a moot point, because he has already lost almost all the vetrans vote by his actions after he returned from Vietnam.

Of course, there is also the rather large issue of his false statements about Cambodia, as well as his first Purple Heart, and the Combat V on his Sliver Star.

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and shits like a duck, it's probably a duck.

[JimO]

Hey, let's not forget who has ultimate custody of these 'secret Kerry files" -- Donald Rumsfeld. The Clinton WH made it clear that -IT- would retrieve and release personal DoD files on people who displeased it, to 'discredit' them (and then send a 'letter of reprimand' to the Pentagon flack who did the WH's bidding). So the Kerry campaign must realize that Rove WILL find a way to access those records, and then leak out items of use to his efforts. The only way to immunize the news media against promoting such disclosures is to discredit them in advance, by raising the spectre of 'fraud' and 'forgery' and creating enough smoke that Kerry records, even if authentic, can do no damage to the opinions of the Kerry voters. And how do you innoculate the public with skepticism that 'leaked' Kerry military documents MIGHT WELL be forgeries? You leak some forged Bush-related military documents of your own, through some patsy newsman like Rather, whose public humiliation [when caught -- the gambit requires the hoax to fail] will stand as a stark warning to any other newsmen who later, somehow, get highly-damaging Kerry-related documents [that are actually authentic]. They will be afraid to use them. Kerry's coverup remains intact.

[meep]

Bush is definitely not going to get drawn into the argument of "my service is better than yours". He's already conceded the Vietnam service higher ground to Kerry.

The reason Bush can concede this ground is that it's irrelevant. It was irrelevant when Bush 41 and Dole were up against Clinton -- both Bush 41 and Dole had impressive combat backgrounds. Clinton had no military service whatsoever. So we've got two guys who both served in the military, one in the Naval Reserve for some years (6? 4?) who saw combat for 4 months, and the other in the Air National Guard spending 4 years flying jets (and the other two years getting very little flying in for various reasons).

If Dole's gimpy arm was not a trump against Clinton, then Kerry's non-serious-wound Purple Hearts have no impact against Bush 43.

[MWB]

When will Okrent release HIS records?

[meep]

JimO, I applaud your conspiracy-weaving. Wow, I never thought that the Kerry campaign could release forgeries in the hope of inoculating itself....

Of course, this is pure stupidity. Why would they burn CBS and shitcan Dan Rather, too? It would take some really hot stuff in the Kerry records to warrant killing allies like that. I don't think Rumsfeld or Rove will release the Kerry files. As I said above, it's irrelevant.

[leaddog2]

BJMorris,

Your comment MIGHT HAVE some validity only if

John Kerry and the Democratic National Committee

forged documents accusing President Bush of all

sorts of things. BUT since Demoncrats are always

honest, they would NEVER GET CAUGHT at that.

Just like they NEVER VOTE Graveyards in Chicago,

New York and all over Texas.

O-O-O-P-S!! They got me! (and other blistering

language from Ben Barnes, the Vice-Chair of the

Kerry campaign, and an LBJ disciple).

The forged documents have now been smoked out.

What to do? What to do?

When in worry or in doubt;
Run in circles, scream and shout!

[g wiz]

Refresh my memory, how come we don't believe the Kerry Campaign when they say all of the records are available?

[meep]

Because the released docs are only 6 pages (or 6 separate docs, whichever). For a guy with 3 purple hearts and those other medals (Silver Star? I'm no military person, so I don't know. I remember those 3 purple hearts just because of that catchy "This Land" tune), that's pretty thin paperwork.

[Headzero]

Q wiz

Because Kerry refuses to sign form 180 which releases all of his records to public scrutiny. He claims he has released his relevant records and the only clearing house for them is on his website. Signing form 180 allows anyone to file a FOIA request and get them directly from the DoD (no selective posting on what to see and what to keep secret as controlled by Kerry or his group).

[Robin Roberts]

g_wiz, we don't believe the Kerry campaign because they won't permit anyone to independantly verify that all the records have been released and because there are specific records that are missing.

[g wiz]

Okay, thanks for clearing that up. In other words, we can't actually call Kerry a liar when he says that all records are available on his website. It's kind of his word against ours. The 180 would obviously clear up the confusion though.

[g wiz]

Robin,

What are the specific missing records, do you know?

[James Hudnall]

The reason Kerry won't release his medical records is because they'll reveal how doctors had to remove those bolts from his neck.

[Nikoms]

I wonder what a Ltjg could have done over the course of 5 years to have one hundred pages in his official record. They're not being confused with his medical record, that's covered elswhere. He was not a pilot, so, no extensive training jacket. Fitness reports are annually done,(then)on a single page of paper. (there are other instances for fitness reports to occur, so double that number to be generous) Awards, of which we know number 10 on a good day, are two pages. Three if it's a hell of a writeup. Purely administrative documentation surely accounts for more, but not 54 pages worth. One hundred pages of pure administrative action in a Naval Officer's record covering five (+/-?) years of active duty service should cause your jaw to drop. It is eye-watering.

[Eric]

Seems to me we should get some input from veterans on how big their jackets were, so we can get some sort of ballpark estimate on Kerry's service files. Also, in addition to fit reps, what other common documents should the file contain?

I'm sure the naval archives (or whomever has Kerry's records) already has their location "seared... SEARED" into their memories, and if Kerry actually signed a 180 (ironic name for it, huh) the FOIA requesters would get it out on the web faster than a check from Beijing makes it into a DNC campaign fund.

I think Kerry will refuse to sign it under any circumstances, but that's just me. The real test would (hypothetically) come if the MSM got off their collective buts and started demanding their release.

[RattlerGator]

I think there is an obvious factor being missed in why John Effin Kerry will not release his military records.

If a member of the United States Naval Reserve (active or inactive ready reserve) meets (or is alleged to have done so) in the early 1970s with some communists overseas or attends a meeting stateside where terrorist activity is openly discussed -- isn't it possible some notation of said activity might be documented in his military records?

Hmmmmm . . .

[JohnG]

JFK's service records are so large (100+ pgs for a Lt. JG) because they are a travelogue of his travels through Cambodia, as well as containing extensive nature oriented comments especially the care and feeding of dogs on swift boats.

[G.Galvan]

Not just the bolts but the Abby Normal brain too.

It's not just his military records it's his and her financial records too. Don't we Americans have the right to know where their money is invested. If such a stink is still raised about Halliburton which the VICE PRESIDENT used to own stock in, what about the companies that the possible PRESIDENT (ouch) owns by marriage?

[TM]

Q-Wiz - OK, good point - it is possible (one might argue, although I do not) that the WaPo story is simply saying that there are 100 pages at the Navy, all of which Kerry (if we trust him) has independently placed at his website. That said, there is a good chance that not all of the 100 docs in question will be "new". What are my reasons for sayiung that?

One response is, we simply don't trust him.

A slightly better response - according to Newhouse News

Purple Hearts, lesser awards given for wounds received under fire, are even more subjective. Anyone can fill in the paperwork and forward it to a supervisor, who checks it and sends it up to an "approving authority." This may be a battalion commander, ship's commanding officer, or a medical officer in a combat hospital.

...Purple Heart citations "should be" supported by eyewitness statements.

We have no seen an eyewitness statement (which may not exist, although there is no reason Kerry could not have provided one - this is not a post-humous award, here);

We also have not seen the form checked off by the approving officers. This is also controversial since Kerry's CO on Dec 2, Hibbard, said he did not approve the Purple Heart. The speculation is that after Kerry was reassigned (Dec 6), he filed the paperwork, got his new CO to approve it based on Kerry's version of events, and voila.

Another reason to think this: Kerry's first wound was Dec 2 '68, and his citation is Feb 28 '69, roughly three months later.

His second PH had a two week lag until he received the citation; his third PH had a four week lag.

Why the delay? Where is the paperwork? The media (does not) wonder.

[J Bowen]

An alternate explanation: http://nowatermelons.blogspot.com/2004_09_05_nowatermelons_archive.html#109494977506116446

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

I don't see why it's even Kerry's call on a lot of this stuff. The After Action report for February 28th isn't HIS. It's an official Navy document and ought to be forthcoming FOIA request.

[Jim Glass]

Let's have Dan Rather's military records!!

~~quote~~

..."Rather’s voice started quivering, and he told me how in his young days, he had signed up with the Marines – not once, but twice!"

This is not the first time Rather has hid behind the flag and his own military service claims to deflect criticism of his reporting, Burkett said. Burkett added that Rather is greatly exaggerating his record.

First, Burkett says, Rather "misspoke” when he claimed he signed up for the Marines twice. He didn’t. And Burkett is flabbergasted that Rather continues to proudly describe himself as a "Marine."

"What he did, he signed up for the military twice, not the Marines,” Burkett said after thoroughly reviewing Rather’s military records.

But Burkett notes that Rather "never got through Marine recruit training because he couldn’t do the physical activity."

Rather "was discharged less than four months later on May 11, 1954 for being medically unfit ... This is like a guy who flunks out of Harvard running around saying he went to Harvard," Burkett said.

Burkett also believes that, far from being a gung-ho military enlistee, Rather’s record shows he deftly avoiding entering the military during the Korean War.

Burkett says that Rather was a student at Sam Houston University at a time during the Korean War when "you could be drafted right out of college," with deferments available only short term, for a semester.

"The way he got around being eligible for the draft was he joined a reserve unit -– Army reserve but not the Marines." Rather stayed in the reserve for the entire war...

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/1/15/205545.shtml
~~~~

As to Kerry's records, don't worry, they'll be out soon, maybe next week, I'm working on them now.

Changing all those default settings slows things down a bit.

[DANEgerus]

Bush's records have been released because he filled out form 180... the consequence of which was that the (D)'s began a campaign of lies.

The first lie was that Bush didn't release his records as evidenced by the "discovery" of what turned out to be forgeries. But even if the fakes weren't... how could the Bush campaign know of their existence? AND... If real they would have been obtained by the form 180 demonstrating Bush compliance.

This is simply a Goebellian tactic of blaming Bush for what JFKerry(D) is doing to hide the fact that only JFKerry(D) won't release his records.

The second lie was the forgeries themselves. Even if real they prove nothing of substance. The fact that they are such poor quality forgeries exposes the pathological nature of the partisans willing to use them in the smear.

Lets not forget this was part of a three pronged campaign of Kitty Litter's smear novel launched by the Today show that completely lacked any authoritative sources, Lt Gov Barnes who 'helped get Bush into the National Guard', after Bush was already in, which is a long discredited lie and finally the forged memo's that don't even have a letterhead.

All three smears track back to CBS, then back to the Kerry campaign, just after Kerry brought in the ex-Clinton team members for his campaign.

I still think they shafted him to help Hillary in 2008...

[Fresh Air]

MinuteMan--

You aren't likely to find any eyewitnesses related to PH #1 because no after-action report was filed at least to everyone's knowledge as it now stands. Plus, there is still no record of the third PH being approved anywhere. Surely if it existed Kerry would have yanked it out and disseminated it.

You might find, however, all sorts of niceties that comprehensively document was a pain in the ass Kerry was, how he was treated for V.D., etc. That, IMO, is why he won't sign 180.

[FS]

The records no one is asking for relate to Kerry's required two years in the Active Naval Reserves. These were required due to his request for early release from the navy. He would have had similar requirements of meeting attendance etc. to those for Bush though his trips to Paris to meet with the North Vietnamese might have interfered. Where was he assigned for duty? If he missed meetings did anyone notice?

[FS]

The records no one is asking for relate to Kerry's required two years in the Active Naval Reserves. These were required due to his request for early release from the navy. He would have had similar requirements of meeting attendance etc. to those for Bush though his trips to Paris to meet with the North Vietnamese might have interfered. Where was he assigned for duty? If he missed meetings did anyone notice?

[FS]

The records no one is asking for relate to Kerry's required two years in the Active Naval Reserves. These were required due to his request for early release from the navy. He would have had similar requirements of meeting attendance etc. to those for Bush though his trips to Paris to meet with the North Vietnamese might have interfered. Where was he assigned for duty? If he missed meetings did anyone notice?

[Jim]

FS is getting close to why Kerry is not releasing
his entire record. I keep wondering why the press
beats on Bush and ignores Kerry's missing 2.5 years
of drill records. On 2-18-66, Kerry signed an
Officer Candidate Agreement that obligated him to
six years in the Navy Reserves, five of which
would be a combination of active duty and Ready
Reserves. (See paragraph 4 of the agreement on
The Kerry Web Site.) He was released from Active
Duty after 2.5 years on 3-1-70, He was
transferred to the standby reserves effective
1 July, 1972. For those 2.5 years as a ready
reserves he was required to drill 48 times a year
and serve 14 days acdutra or serve 30 days ACDUTRA
depending on his status. Where are his records?
Where was he drilling? If he wasn't drilling, why not?

[TM]

You aren't likely to find any eyewitnesses related to PH #1 because no after-action report was filed at least to everyone's knowledge as it now stands.

Don't get fresh with me!

Schachte was quite clear that there was no after-action report. But my guess is that after Kerry moved to his next base, he wrote up a PH application, including his own witness statement in lieu of an after-action report.

Would that be a problem? I have no idea, but I can imagine someone saying, look, the paperwork is at a different base, who cares, just write a statement to satisfy the requirement.

He had the medical report, he is an officer in the Navy, so he's not going to lie, what would the problem have been?

[Bobby Sr]

FS and Jim it looks like someone is asking questions about Kerry's service records. Check out these 2 articles that were in the Chicago Sun Times and the Telegraph.links below
http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-lips27.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/09/05/wus05.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/09/05/ixworld.html

[Bobby Sr]

FS and Jim it looks like someone is asking questions about Kerry's service records. Check out these 2 articles that were in the Chicago Sun Times and the Telegraph.links below
http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-lips27.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/09/05/wus05.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/09/05/ixworld.html

[topcat]

Let's see the Boston Globe stops pursuing the records in April -- isn't that about the time it would stop being an effort to derail an incompetent potential nominee and start becoming a source of embarrasment to the actual nominee?

[MattJ]

This Guy points to Fox Baltimore, who has documents they claim are Kerry's after-action report for the Silver Star incident.

Page One

Page Two

Fox Baltimore says that Kerry wrote the report.

If they're forgeries, they're better than CBS's docs.

I found this stuff at the Kerry Spot at NRO.

[kim]

I'll see your Kranish and raise you a Silver Star.
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