Conversation with my Dad re: Kerry's Purple Hearts

[guitar man]

I just got off the phone from a great conversation with my Dad this evening. Dad served in the Navy from '47-52 including 11 months on the front lines in Korea with a shore-fire control spotting party which spotted for Naval bombardment of shore targets for the infantry troops. During his tour in Korea, he was wounded twice by shrapnel and was awarded with two Purple Hearts among his other decorations.

I asked him how long it was between the time he got hit with shrapnel and when he returned to combat. He said " shit, son, they cleaned it up, sewed it up, slapped a dressing on it, fed me a meal and shipped my ass back to the front. That didn't mean it didn't hurt like hell, they just needed everybody they could muster back at the front." He also said "shrapnel is wicked, nasty, and always potentially deadly shit."

When I told him why I asked him he erupted, " I've seen that bullshit being spouted about Kerry and I think most of it is coming from a bunch of assholes who were *in the rear with the gear*. You don't run out into the middle of it with the intention of getting hit because you never know if it might go right through your head and kill you." He added that he had no doubt that JK legitimately earned the Purple hearts and that the nay-sayer need to "knock off the bullshit"



He went on to add that he's sure as hell voting for Kerry. He doesn't like Boosh a bit but he really hates "that SOB Cheney" with a passiion. He's pissed as hell about Iraq.

So there you have it, the no-shit, no-spin lowdown from a 74 year old bona-fide Korea vet about shrapnel wounds, Purple Hearts and our candidate.

[NMDemDist2]

1. way to go Dad! and thanks for setting us all straight n/t

[grannylib]

2. Good for him! Sounds like my dear Dad, who died in January: he was

a minister, and the most loving, tolerant man. Hated cynicism and negativity, but would not allow Cheney's NAME to be mentioned in his home, he was that disgusted by him.
Says it all for me.
Love you, Daddy...miss you every day!

[Sugarbleus]

4. Aww, sorry about your father.... RIP

What a great original post though eh? My in laws, would be rolling in their graves if they could see what is going on with this admin. They were die hard Democrats who were IN PEARL HARBOR when it was attacked.

They served in the Civil service during that time, along side many mililtary friends they met and kept as friends over the years. The stories they told are simply historic.

My hubby served in VN and just binds up about this mess in Iraq. He refuses to "hang out" with the type of vets that are speaking out about Kerry...the ones that "liked" what they did over there. The one's that like to get drunk and raise hell and wrap themselves in the flag today. All guns and guts types. None of these wars were a calkwalk. And those vets, should not be boasting about it. They haven't got anything good to say about Kerry? Then shut up! Cuz you know what you did........and God's pissed off.

WTG for Korean Vet Dad.... telling it like it is. Hugs to him and a great big salute.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Right on, Dad!

And thank you for the service to our country!

[sandnsea]

5. "in the rear with the gear"

I like that. We need guys like your dad to write some letters and speak out. The very idea of smearing someone's war record, it's the most unpatriotic thing that could ever happen.

[PsN2Wind]

6. Or REMFs

Rear Echelon Mo****F**kers.

[guitar man]

8. I'd like for him to

I don't know if he will because he is in very poor health. He has had two bypass surgeries and his heart is failing. He is down to about 10% of normal heart capacity and has a defib implanted. He lost a leg due to malpractice during his second bypass and has to wear a prosthetic leg. On top of everything else, my mother had a severe stroke back in '96 and has been wheelchair bound ever since. He spends most of what little energy and ability he has left making sure she is taken care of.

But, he has good days and bad days, so you never know when he might fire up the computer and fire off some letters. I am sure not going to try and push him into it though, he has enough on his plate as it is.

[PsN2Wind]

10. Give your Dad our best wishes

I lost a brother in that war, February 6, 1951.
I unfortunately have a brother-in-law, that is a Korean war vet, that is extremely right-wing. He was Naval Air, got the Truman extension, so stayed for his 20.
Tell your Dad we hope he has many "good days".

[guitar man]

11. Will do

thanks ;)

[sandnsea]

12. oh my gosh

That's terrible to hear. They're sure a tough generation. My best to all of you.

[yardwork]

17. I'm sorry that he and your mom are in poor health

Please give them my best - tell them that yet another anonymous member of DU appreciates the sacrifices they made for this country, and tell them that I for one intend to keep fighting to make sure that those sacrifices were not in vain.

[guitar man]

They are as tough as they come

They lived through the depression. I will certainly forward all the good wishes from DU to them.

[guitar man]

18. They are as tough as they come

dupe

[BeachBuckeye]

7. I like your Dad a lot!

Seems like a man who knows the score.

[guitar man]

9. He sure does

If you think of the character "Red Forman" from "That 70's Show", that's as close as it gets. The only differences are that Dad was a truck driver, proud Teamster in fact, and Dad was just a bit meaner and more seriuos.

[democrat_patriot]

13. Wish my Dad felt the same....

He just asked me the other day "How can you vote for THAT GUY who voted against our troops". I tried to calmly explain Kerry's reasonings, he just interrupted "It's all that leftist brainwashing".

Yes, he's a dittohead.

I'm writing him a letter right now. With facts, sources, quotes. So far it's 12 pages and it only covers Kerry's Iraq vote, and what * did for 7 minutes on 9/11. It's been very cathartic.

[fob]

14. For the "what bush* did for 7 minutes" part, make a title page with

that onto it and staple 420 pages of blank paper to it, 1 for each second that he did nothing.

[guitar man]

16. Dad HATES Rush

with a passion. "That SOB hasn't ever worked an honest day in his life and he has the nerve to knock the working people. I damn sure don't need a worthless bastard like that to tell me what to think"

[rumguy]

15. nice - I think many people will have similar reaction

to this lame attack on Kerry's service

[scottcsmith]

19. A bit of information on Purple Hearts

Sure as shit if you know someone who is conservative/right-wing they'll discuss Kerry's Purple Hearts and say something stupid, along the lines of, "His wounds were not that serious." This is where you can slam them in the face with facts:

A Purple Heart is not awarded on the basis of the severity of the injury; it is awarded based on the circumstances that caused the injury.

You can get your ass knocked out, have a concussion (serious or mild) and qualify for the Purple Heart. It's all about the circumstances that led to the injury, not that you were in the hospital a week.

[fishface]

23. Chickenhawks don't have a lot of experience with

the circumstances underwhich a Purple Heart would be awarded. Most of their information comes from Sgt Rock comic books.

[Skittles]

20. hey GTRMAN, off topic, I've been meaning to ask you

that picture of yo' dog Birdie in the Gallery just cracks me up; is she like a big major ham or what?

[guitar man]

21. She's a ham alright

But not as big of a ham as China, the little shi-tzu. China watches television and will jump off the couch and tryclimb the wall up to the tv to get any animals she sees, especially horses for some reason. It's impossible to watch a western with her in the room.

Birdie is a showoff, like all the pits I've ever had. Her main act is being able to catch a piece of food thrown anywhere within 5 feet of her. She can get quite acrobatic at times.

[Skittles]

24. LOL

she takes a GREAT picture. :thumbsup:

[fishface]

22. Col David Hackworth on the Purple Heart

The meaning of a Purple Heart
By David H. Hackworth
The patrol boat slipped quietly up the canal until the eerie silence was suddenly shattered by enemy automatic-weapon fire from both heavily vegetated riverbanks. The U.S. Navy crew instantly responded with a barrage of machine-gun, mortar and grenade-launcher fire while I looked for cover.

But I was in South Vietnam's Mekong Delta, stuck on the deck of the ultimate moving target, and there was no place to hide. The only protection I had from the singing slugs was my paper-thin U.S. Army jungle-fatigue jacket.

Soon, U.S. Navy helicopter gunships were hosing down the Viet Cong, who were dug in no more than 100 yards from us. Then we continued our surreal surf upstream through the miasma of cordite and smoke.

A Navy petty officer asked, "How's it going, colonel?"

"I gotta tell you, chief, this isn't my bag," I responded.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2004-06-15-hackman_x.htm

[Moderator]

26. fishface

Per DU copyrght rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
copyrighted news source.


Thank you.


DU Moderator

[guitar man]

25. quotes from subsequent email

He sent me an email before he went to bed and expounded just a little more on the subject.

"not every wound is life
threatening or disabling. It doesn't mean they didn't intend to kill you, it
just means the piece of shrapnel that hit you wasn't big enough or didn't
hit a vital organ. Nor did the bullet or anything else that is thrown at you
and everyone else in the battle. And I have pictures of dead shipmates lying
on the deck of the St Paul. So there is no safe place when there is a war
going on and the enemy is a determined foe."
>
>
The reference to the dead shipmates aboard the St. Paul, which was the heavy cruiser he was assigned to, is because he is annoyed that Kerry's first tour aboard the destroyer is rarely mentioned, and a lot of people get the impression that he was "safe" aboard his ship.
Pop says "they shoot at ships too, don't forget."
>
>

His thoughts on the detractors:

"So don't pay any attention to anyone who
hasn't been there and very little to someone who tries to convince you he
was there when he might have been in the US shipping goods to the men who
were over there and that makes him a veteran."
>
>
gotta love it.

[cthrumatrix]

27. case closed...this is "bushworld campaigning"