I don’t have much to say about the ridiculous smear launched by the Partisan Hacks for Bush, I mean, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The group’s slanderous and baseless attacks on John Kerry are almost too pathetic to rebuke, though the New York Times does a nice job highlighting how different the group’s attacks are from military evaluations of Kerry at the time.
I would also recommend Joe Conason’s explanation of the group’s obvious partisan ties to the GOP. These guys aren’t for “truth”; they’re for Bush. That’s fine, but they shouldn’t cloak their partisanship in the veneer of troubled veterans.
But the real point of this post is to highlight an item in this week’s Time, which details how Kerry is “one of the Senate’s most decorated veterans,” and serves as a useful rebuke to the Swift Boat Republicans. In fact, the Time item goes medal for medal.
Keep in mind, reading this list, the GOP really seems to want this election to be about Kerry in 1971. I can’t think of a better scenario. Just 33 years ago, Kerry was volunteering to put his life on the line in military service, acting heroically in a time of war. At the same time, Bush was an unsuccessful business man with a drinking problem and a criminal record.
Bring…it…on.
* Silver Star for gallantry in action
Kerry led three swift boats up a canal on Feb. 28, 1969, and ordered a daring attack on Viet Cong positions. When his boat took rocket fire, Kerry directed his crew to head straight for the beach, taking the guerrilla with the rocket launcher by surprise. Kerry jumped ashore and killed him.
* Bronze Star for heroic or meritorious service
On the Bay Hap River on March 13, 1969, a mine exploded under Kerry’s boat, driving shrapnel into his arm and knocking Green Beret Jim Rassmann overboard. Despite heavy fire, Kerry turned the boat around and pulled Rassmann back on board with his good arm.
* Purple Heart for being wounded in action
He earned three Purple Hearts (the second and third are represented by gold stars), all for shrapnel wounds. His arm was scratched during a night patrol in December 1968. His left thigh was hit during a V.C. attack in February 1969. The March 13 injury, his third, entitled him to return home, and he did.
* Combat Action Ribbon for ground combat while serving in the Navy
As the commander of a Navy swift boat, he went ashore several times in pursuit of Viet Cong.
* Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon for heroism of a unit in combat
For participating in Operation Swift Raider, a campaign of boat attacks on enemy strongholds and sanctuaries.
* Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon for heroism of a unit
For participating in the Rach Gia interdiction, river patrols aimed at stopping Viet Cong infiltration from Cambodia.
* National Defense Service Medal for honorable active-duty service
For his service on the U.S.S. Gridley, a guided-missile frigate, from 1967 to 1968.
* Vietnam Service Medal for six months service in the Vietnam conflict
For his tour on the Gridley, which supported an aircraft carrier in the Gulf of Tonkin.
* Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross awarded by South Vietnam to U.S. units for valorous combat achievements
For service on the swift boats.
* Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions awarded by South Vietnam to U.S. units for meritorious civil-action service
For service on the swift boats.
* Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal awarded by South Vietnam for six-months service in Vietnam
For his tour of duty aboard the Gridley.