I served with John Kerry....

[kentuck]

I have very similar credentials to all the others that are presently criticizing him at this moment. I was in Viet Nam at the same time that John Kerry got his first Purple Heart. In fact, I was at Cam Ranh Bay where he was treated for the wound at that time.

Although I was not in the medic's office, like the others were not on the boat, where he was treated, I never heard one person say anything negative about LTjg Kerry at that time. I have to say that LTjg Kerry served honorably and that his Purple Heart was as legitimate or moreso than many others that got the medal during that era. Yes, I served with John Kerry. :)

[Wickerman]

1. That should be enough to get you on a talk show

oh, wait, you are saying POSITIVE things - nevermind, nothing to see here.

[KharmaTrain]

24. Let's Find Some TANGS here...

Anyone from the Texas Air National Guard or the Alabama Guard? Or just in the guard in general during 1972? Can you vouch you saw George Walker Butch? If you didn't, then he must have gone AWOL, no? Or maybe you heard from a buddy who knew a guy who used to hang out with the bartender that scraped Junior's drunk ass off the floor and kicked it out the door (cocaine pouring all over the place). Doesn't matter if you served in Alaska or you really were in the Coast Guard or ROTC...just as long as you were somewhere around the military in 1971-73.

If this is you...the you deserve to be on a talk show!!!

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. Time for...

A cool washcloth on your forehead and a nappy-poo, Kentuck? ;-)

[RobertSeattle]

3. It's a good thing Powell or Schwarzkopf aren't running for President

I served "with them" 1985-1991 and boy the things I could say...

But seriously, the SwiftVet stuff is so slimey - they used "served with Kerry" to mean ANY of the following based on their need:

1. Served on the same Boat as Kerry, but not at the same time.
2. Served in the same unit at the same time as Kerry (But not on same boat)
3. Served in the same unit, but different time as Kerry (before or after)
4. Served in Vietnam, but different unit, at the same time as Kerry
5. Served in VietNam, but different unit, as a different time as Kerry.

But they NEVER mean
6. SERVED ON THE SAME BOAT AT THE SAME TIME AS KERRY.

These guys give SLIME a bad name.

[kentuck]

5. You got it!

If they can say they served with John Kerry, then so can I.. :)

[Tight_rope]

8. LOL.....Good catch.

[tandot]

4. Thank you for serving, Kentuck

Tweety said something yesterday to the fact that people who went to Vietnam to fight for their country did more than most of us.

While you and others were risking your lives, so many others did everything possible to dodge it. And now those exact people who avoided Vietnam are sending our young men and women to fight.

[olddem43]

6. Tweety also said they did more than the President.

[tandot]

12. Yes, Tweety seems to get a little better.

He seemed really angry about the SwiftVets smearing essentially all Vets who received medals by the Navy...

...excluding the SwiftVets, of course, they are the only once who deserve their medals. /sarcasm

[Vickers]

7. Hey Kentuck, serious question: did you hear about Kerry

while you were over there?

The only reason I ask is, it seems like all these other swiftboat dudes heard of him somehow, but damn, I hardly remember ANY junior officer's names from when I was in. It just seems odd.

Thanks for serving, bro!

Veteran Vickers

[elperromagico]

10. And, as Jon Stewart pointed out,

a doctor whose name doesn't even appear on Kerry's medical record remembers the exact details of John Kerry's first wound, despite the fact that he claims it was a small, unremarkable wound.

These guys have extraordinary memories - especially considering the fact that they didn't even mention this stuff 35 years ago.

[kentuck]

11. But I heard of him when I got back....

I supported him 100% in the VVAW.... He was a leader even then. He was too smart for Nixon. And he was a fighter. Don't underestimate him...He is no dummy. He's familiar with these silly games of Bush and Cheney and, before it's over, he's going step on them like little roaches...

[MODemocrat]

16. Kentuck, you just lifted my spirits

Thanks for sharing this with us. I thought of him as being very smart, but it's good to hear it from someone like yourself, who knew him during that time. Kudos to you for serving your country and making me safe. :thumbsup: :yourock:

[Merlin]

9. Me, too. Course I was Army and I-Corps, but I "served with him"

Yup, 300 miles north of the Bay Hap, but so what. I'm sure JK served honorably because I never heard otherwise while I was there.

p.s. Welcome home, kentuck!

[tandot]

13. To all of you Vets who fought so hard

Thank you

I am so honored to be on DU, with all of you...

[Wheelie_Alex]

14. "Served With" is not a constant.

I was in 3rd Ranger Battallion. "Served with" could mean my squad on a mission. "Served With" could mean my platoon. "Served with" could mean my company. "Served with" could mean 3rd Ranger Battallion.

Different Boats but same operation definately means served with in my book. The crew cheifs who serviced the boats in the theater could also say served with. Different commanders on seperate boats but operating from the same dock definately served with. If these men were operating out of the same base and and went on the same missions as Kerry, then I'm sorry, they DID serve with him.
BUt this does not mean that their accussations should be given any credence if their motives are not pure (which they apparently are not).

Using "serving on the same boat" as a standard to say these men DID NOT serve with him is a losing argument. It is uncovering their statements as lies and revealing their motives as skewed that would be a better strategy.

[landdaddy]

15. I was with

him too, only in IV Corps and Army but I did see a PBR once or twice!

[Spiffarino]

17. It's an honor...

...to share this board with all the vets. Thank God for you and your willingness to bear the cost of our freedom.

:toast:

[are_we_united_yet]

18. I always knew there were some really , really classy people here at DU

:)

[ColdWarZoomie]

19. I Served with WWII Vets, Alive and Passed-on

Although I'm only 40 years old, I served in the UK with the US Air Force at a base that was used during WWII. Sometimes I drove to other bases that were used by US Army Air Forces during WWII. And this was during the Cold War that was an extension of WWII.

Therefore, I served with all WWII veterans that were stationed in the UK.

(edit: I'm being sarcastic)

[kentuck]

20. I was being facetious....

Yes, I was at Cam Ranh the same time as Kerry was there, but I didn't really serve with him. But neither did those folks that were not there at those times that he was injured or pulled the guy out of the water, or whatever. They really have no more right to say they "served with Kerry" than I do. But to hear them talk about his injuries, you would think they were right there looking at his ass as the shrapnel was picked out. 'Oh, that ain't that bad!" Screw them!

[PE]

22. Just picked up on the second message

I understand that you didn't serve with Kerry directly, but if you knew people who knew Kerry.. that puts you on par with a lot of these swift boat attackers (starting with John O'Neill).

[PE]

21. Can you step forward?

Seriously, people are making this big deal of the fact regading this huge number.. 250.. who "served" with John Kerry that are now coming out to attack Kerry. The key question is regarding why they are coming out now rather than back then and was this opinion of John Kerry so widespread or is it something that "evolved" after Kerry left the service due to his politics.

Many of these 250 did observe Kerry first hand), so your remembrances are as good as some of theirs and men like you coming forward will lead the public to accept the naval record as it exists.

Let's see how it plays out, but it may help for vets like you to write letters to the editor, etc.

[kentuck]

23. 250 ?? I thought it was 60?

No, I would not be so presumptious or fake. But I was trying to sarcastically make a point that if some of the others "served" with Kerry, then so did I. However, I never heard a murmur that the future president of the US was being attended to at the same place I was stationed. And I was not there looking at his wounds to say that they were "just a scratch". But, I doubt that any of the other 60 were there either??