[CS-FSLUG] PI: Demeaning of the Purple Heart - VERY good read!!

[Fred Miller]

Demeaning of the Purple Heart


[The weekend Grif.Net is a serious look at religious/ethical/moral and yes,
even political issues.  We KNOW some of one or the other political
persuasions might be offended. We ask all to read, then, if you don't like
it, hit the trash button. If you do like it, pass it on.]

THE DEMEANING Of THE PURPLE HEART

By Tim Lee, double amputee, Purple Heart Recipient, Vietnam War
(and close personal friend of Dr. Bob Griffin, founder of the Grif.Net)

The Purple Heart is a sacred medal that should hang on the breast of
deserving, honorable American men and women who have been rightfully 
wounded on the field of battle by enemy they are fighting, not by the 
accidental mis-firing of their own weapon.

The Purple Heart was designed and originated by General George Washington 
at Newburgh, New York, on 7 August 1782, during the Revolutionary War. The
medal bears Washington's image. Today, the Purple Heart is awarded by the
President of the United States to any member of an Armed Force who has been
wounded or killed. This sacred medal was only awarded to three men during
the entire bloody Revolutionary War. But there's something even more
significant about this medal as it applies to John Kerry, and that's how it's  
received.

According to paragraph 2-8 of the Army Regulation 600-8-22, examples are
given of "enemy-related injuries" which clearly justify the proper awarding
of the Purple Heart.  The examples are as follows:
(a) Injury caused by enemy bullet, shrapnel, or other projectile created by
enemy action.
(b) Injury caused by enemy placed mine or trap.
(c) Injury caused by enemy released chemical, biological, or nuclear agent.
(d) Injury caused by vehicle or aircraft accident resulting from enemy 
fire.
(e) Concussion injuries caused as a result of enemy generated explosions.
Then the regulation also lists examples of injuries or wounds which clearly
DO NOT QUALIFY for award of the Purple Heart. Those are as follows: (a)
Frostbite, (b) Heat stroke, (c) Food poisoning not caused by enemy agents,
(d) Chemical, biological, or nuclear agents not released by the enemy, (e)
Battle fatigue, (f) Disease not directly caused by enemy agents, and (g)
Accidents, to include explosive, aircraft, vehicular, and other accidental
wounding NOT RELATED TO OR CAUSED BY ENEMY ACTION. (Emphasis ours).

In Mr. Kerry's case, the probability is great that there were NO enemy
present at Cam Ranh Bay, only his own mental phantoms, that there was NO
actual enemy fire engaged, only presupposed noises in his own mind, and on
that "most frightening night" of his life he fell prey to his own
imagination and fear. It is also highly probable that he wounded himself
with his own panicked shot that ricocheted American made lead back towards
his American made boat scratching his arm that required an American-made
band-aid to repair. This would hardly come under the definition General
Washington intended 222 years ago. Had Mr. Kerry walked into the General's
tent and shown him his self-inflicted "wound" the General probably would
have had him physically removed from his tent and possibly court-martialed
or arrested for fraud. That is precisely what Coastal Division 14 Commander
Grant Hibbard did on the morning of Kerry's appearance in his office. Upon
hearing his ridiculous description of how he received his one to two
centimeter "wound", and that he was requesting a Purple Heart, Hibbard
promptly replied "No way" and told Kerry to get out of his office! (Not Fit
For Command, p.38)

Kerry reportedly received three purple hearts in four months in Vietnam. 
Bob Dole, who lost the use of his right arm in the second world war, a true
American hero and a man who knows the difference between superficial and
internal war wounds, and a man who considers himself a friend of John 
Kerry' s,said last Sunday on CNN's "Late Edition", "Three Purple Hearts and he
never bled that I know of..They're all superficial wounds. Three purple
hearts and your out." (Emphasis Ours) Getting "in" and getting "wounded" 
and getting "out" as quickly as possible was Kerry's whole purpose and intent
while in Vietnam! He already had designs on the presidency of the United
States (as we heard expressed by the men around him) and sought an heroic
service report from the war he despised. This was not the immature actions
of a rambling youth, this was the pre-meditated planning of a future 
classic pseudo-politician and self-professing "war hero" seeking the means for
advancing his own political career and aspirations. The smell of fakery has
never left the image of John Kerry. It remains today. Mr. Kerry did not
spend one single night in a hospital. Dr. Louis Letson, the attending
physician who examined Kerry several hours after the "wounding" incident at
Cam Ranh Bay, showed complete surprise when he looked at Kerry in the
sickbay and asked "Why are you here?" It took seconds to remove a small
piece of American shrapnel with tweezers and stick a band-aid over the
scratch! No real soldier would even have mentioned receiving such a 
"wound"!

How does Kerry's supposed "wound" compare with United States Senator Daniel
K. Inouye's wound? In March 1943, 18-year-old Inouye was assaulting a
heavily defended hill in Italy when he was hit in his abdomen by a bullet
that came out his back, barely missing his spine. He continued to lead the
platoon and advanced alone against a machine gun nest. He tossed two hand
grenades before his right arm was shattered by a German rifle grenade.
Inouye threw his last grenade with his left hand, continued attacking with 
a submachine gun and was finally knocked down the hill by a bullet in the 
leg. Inouye spent 20 months in Army hospitals after losing his right arm. On 
May 27, 1947, he was honorably discharged and returned home as a Captain with 
a Distinguished Service Cross (recently upgraded to a Medal of Honor), Bronze
Star, Purple Heart with cluster and 12 other medals and citations. That is a 
true, valid Purple Heart recipient.

What about my friend Clebe McClary? (CSP, 1st Lt USMC) McClary was assigned
as platoon leader of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion. On a tea plantation
in Vietnam in 1968, on his 19th and last patrol, Lt. McClary's 13-man unit
engaged the enemy in behind-the-lines hand to hand combat. In that event,
McClary lost his nose, most of his teeth, both eardrums, both his left arm
and left eye and much of the use of his remaining right hand to an 
exploding satchel charge. Though his body was mangled, he continued leading 
his men until they were successfully evacuated. He was injured 7 times, 
suffered 34 operations and endured 30 long months of recovery time in Walter 
Reed Naval Hospital in Washington, D. C.. He was awarded three Purple Hearts, 
the Silver Star and the Bronze Star for bravery. Today, McClary speaks at 200
engagements a year, including Fortune 500 corporations, military
installations, professional organizations, educators, medical groups and
universities. He is a legitimate American hero. That, Mr. Kerry is a true
occasion for the awarding of the Purple Heart.

Your experience is vastly different from my own experience in Vietnam. 
While leading my squad of Marines on a mine sweep in Quang Nam Province, South
Vietnam, on March 8, 1971, a little after 1:30 in the afternoon, I stepped
on a sixty pound box mine. On several occasions we had picked up small
pieces of remains after other Marines had stepped on the same size device.
Destiny and the providence of Almighty God was good to this Marine on that
day. Though the blast was horrendous, my life was spared. Lance Corporal
Earl Lewis was the fifth man in formation on the sweep that day. He said my
body did several flips in the air. Lewis said that when he ran up to where 
I was hit it looked like someone had taken a five gallon bucket of red paint
and poured it all over my body. Ray Birtchey, our radio man, who was
75-yards to the rear said the explosion blew his helmet off his head. When
they put me on the medi-vac chopper not a single one of the men in my squad
thought I would make it to the operating table alive.

After seventy-two hours, naval doctors gave up hope. I spent two weeks on
the USS Sanctuary, two weeks in the naval hospital on Guam and then eight
long difficult months in the Naval Hospital in Philadelphia. Eight months!
Thirteen major surgeries! For this I received one purple heart. Eleven
inches remain on my left leg, three inches remain on my right leg-and one
purple heart!

Mr. Kerry, I wish you could have visited ward 1-A in the Philadelphia Naval
Hospital in April, 1971. At any given time there were 30-40 Marines on that
ward. Every single man was an amputee from Vietnam. Many had lost an arm.
Many lost one or two legs. Some had lost their legs and an arm. They
received one purple heart!

I now know why it was so easy for you to criticize the war in Vietnam.
Number one-it was the popular thing to do at the time. Number two-you had 
no stomach for real battle, no intention of staying and fighting for your
country-you did little or nothing while you were there except inflict your
own "wound" and seek your own self-aggrandizement. While myself and many
other double amputees lay in our beds at Philadelphia Naval Hospital
recovering, you were spewing your trash talk against the American
Government, the war effort and against the memory of 58,000 young men who
would eventually die for their country in South Vietnam.

This former Marine will be greatly surprised if the American people elect 
to the highest office in the free word a man who sets himself up as a
pseudo-war-hero, and bases his entire political existence on the feeble,
imaginary experience of being "wounded".

Thinking, rational Americans will not read the first five pages of Unfit 
for Command before realizing that the man they're reading about is a fake, a
self-made eastern politician who takes himself far too seriously and who
should never be allowed to sit down behind the desk where true patriotic
American statesmen have sat.

Mr. Kerry, the most "frightening night" of your life may occur on November
2nd when the American people inform you that they didn't buy your story,
your politics, or your self-inflicted "wound". That would be a wound 
indeed.

 [permission was given to pass this along, uneditted, to anyone]

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