On 18 Sep 2004 12:51:11 -0500, Dave wrote:

On Fri, 17 Sep 2004 23:35:51 -0400, "Philip Carroll"
said:

I have never known a medal
to be awarded on the word of the recipiant alone.

And the basis of your knowledge in this area is??????

Not that anything will influence your "open minded" perspective on the
matter, but feel free to rely on the hearsay of those who were either
not present or are now contradicting their past statements, all of
which you describe as "new evidence".

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artma...cle_5273.shtml

The Navy's chief investigator concluded Friday that procedures were
followed properly in the approval of Sen. John Kerry's Silver Star,
Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals, according to an internal Navy
memo.
Vice Adm. R.A. Route, the Navy inspector general, conducted the review
of Kerry's Vietnam-ear military service awards at the request of
Judicial Watch, a public interest group. The group has also asked for
the release of additional records documenting the Democratic
presidential candidate's military service.

Judicial Watch had requested in August that the Navy open an
investigation of the matter, but Route said in an internal memo
obtained by The Associated Press that he saw no reason for a
full-scale probe.

"Our examination found that existing documentation regarding the
Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals indicates the awards
approval process was properly followed," Route wrote in the memo sent
Friday to Navy Secretary Gordon England.

"In particular, the senior officers who awarded the medals were
properly delegated authority to do so. In addition, we found that they
correctly followed the procedures in place at the time for approving
these awards."