I find it amazing that 10 guys who served on Kerry's boat speak the truth
but every one of the 250 who served along side his boat are liars and are
politically motivated.

Most of the charges this group brings against Kerry involve his actions on just
a few missions. There are 6 guys on a boat.
Do the math, Jim. Do you believe they sent 40 boats at a time to maneuever at
high speeds in very restricted waters?

Even *if* they did, why would anybody be inclined to pay particular attention
to the
actions of one particular skipper who, at that time, was not a public figure?

I'm astonished at the one doctor who said he treated Kerry for one of his
wounds, but now believes that the wound was (depending on the day he tells the
story, it seems to change depending on the audience) either self inflicted or
not serious enough to warrant a purple heart.

Do they just hand out a purple heart to everybody who says, "I'd like one of
those, I think it will look good on my uniform and get me laid back home," or
does somebody check the medical records to evaluate whether a serviceman was
wounded?

If anybody checks the records at all, was the doctor who treated Kerry lying
then, or is he lying now?

If nobody checks the records and they do hand out purple hearts like so many
Cracker Jacks prizes to anybody who cares to ask for one......then what is the
basis for the angst and outrage that Kerry "wasn't wounded badly enough" to
qualify?

Oh, hang on......here's something factual about Purple Heart awards. It looks
like
there is no requirement that the injury be of
any certain severity. Only that it required medical treatment and that it was
caused by the enemy.

From:

http://www.purpleheart.org/Awd_of_PH.htm


b. While clearly an individual decoration, the Purple Heart differs from all
other decorations in that an individual is not "recommended" for the
decoration; rather he or she is entitled to it upon meeting specific criteria.


(1) A Purple Heart is authorized for the first wound suffered under conditions
indicated above, but for each subsequent award an Oak Leaf Cluster will be
awarded to be worn on the medal or ribbon. Not more than one award will be made
for more than one wound or injury received at the same instant or from the same
missile, force, explosion, or agent.

(2) A wound is defined as an injury to any part of the body from an outside
force or agent sustained under one or more of the conditions listed above A
physical lesion is not required, however, the wound for which the award is made
must have required treatment by a medical officer and records of medical
treatment for wounds or injuries received in action must have been made a
matter of official record.

(3) When contemplating an award of this decoration, the key issue that
commanders must take into consideration is the degree to which the enemy caused
the injury. The fact that the proposed recipient was participating in direct or
indirect combat operations is a necessary prerequisite, but is not sole
justification for award.


Face it, Kerry wouldn't have been wounded "badly enough" to satisfy the modern
Republican tribe unless he came home in a box.