Kerry Purple Heart Doc Speaks OutThe medical description of his first wound.
By Byron York
http://www.nationalreview.com/...6.asp
Some critics of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry have questioned the circumstances surrounding the first of three Purple Hearts Kerry won in Vietnam. Those critics, among them some of Kerry's fellow veterans, have suggested that a wound suffered by Kerry in December 1968 may have made him technically eligible for a Purple Heart but was not severe enough to warrant serious consideration, even for a decoration that was handed out by the thousands. Whatever the case, Kerry was awarded the Purple Heart, and, along with two others he won later, it allowed him to request to leave Vietnam before his tour of duty was finished.
Kerry was treated for the wound at a medical facility in Cam Ranh Bay. The doctor who treated Kerry, Louis Letson, is today a retired general practitioner in Alabama. Letson says he remembers his brief encounter with Kerry 35 years ago because "some of his crewmen related that Lt. Kerry had told them that he would be the next JFK from Massachusetts." Letson says that last year, as the Democratic campaign began to heat up, he told friends that he remembered treating one of the candidates many years ago. In response to their questions, Letson says, he wrote down his recollections of the time. (Letson says he has had no contacts with anyone from the Bush campaign or the Republican party.) What follows is Letson's memory, as he wrote it.
"I have a very clear memory of an incident which occurred while I was the Medical Officer at Naval Support Facility, Cam Ranh Bay. John Kerry was a (jg), the OinC or skipper of a Swift boat, newly arrived in Vietnam. On the night of December 2, he was on patrol north of Cam Ranh, up near Nha Trang area. The next day he came to sick bay, the medical facility, for treatment of a wound that had occurred that night.
"The story he told was different from what his crewmen had to say about that night. According to Kerry, they had been engaged in a fire fight, receiving small arms fire from on shore. He said that his injury resulted from this enemy action.
"Some of his crew confided that they did not receive any fire from shore, but that Kerry had fired a mortar round at close range to some rocks on shore. The crewman thought that the injury was caused by a fragment ricocheting from that mortar round when it struck the rocks.
"That seemed to fit the injury which I treated.
"What I saw was a small piece of metal sticking very superficially in the skin of Kerry's arm. The metal fragment measured about 1 cm. in length and was about 2 or 3 mm in diameter. It certainly did not look like a round from a rifle.
"I simply removed the piece of metal by lifting it out of the skin with forceps. I doubt that it penetrated more than 3 or 4 mm. It did not require probing to find it, did not require any anesthesia to remove it, and did not require any sutures to close the wound.
"The wound was covered with a bandaid.
"Not [sic] other injuries were reported and I do not recall that there was any reported damage to the boat.
Kerry Purple Heart Doc Speaks Out
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Movingviolation240
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who friggin cares.
will be be a good president? will be be better or worse than bush?
I hate this stupid mudraking garbage that keeps going around- to be honest I dont give a s*** about how or why kerry got his damn medals, I just want to know what his policies are on the major issues, and - even more importantly- how he's actually going to implement them. This human interest "kerry is a bad guy cause of this this this" garbage makes me sick. It truly has nothing to do with how he will perform in office-- and even if it does, Dubwya over there certanly isnt lilly white either.
Can we please talk about something important?
will be be a good president? will be be better or worse than bush?
I hate this stupid mudraking garbage that keeps going around- to be honest I dont give a s*** about how or why kerry got his damn medals, I just want to know what his policies are on the major issues, and - even more importantly- how he's actually going to implement them. This human interest "kerry is a bad guy cause of this this this" garbage makes me sick. It truly has nothing to do with how he will perform in office-- and even if it does, Dubwya over there certanly isnt lilly white either.
Can we please talk about something important?
What amazes me is that Bush people are dumb enough to even bring this up.
Quite frankly I don't like either Bush or Kerry. But to bring up an issue that is so clearly slanted against you is just plain dumb.
Ok Kerry may not have been severly injured. But to be injured you actually have to go into combat. And people forget that Kerry went out and saved a man who was caught under enemy fire.
Bush on the other hand was keeping the VietCong out of Texas by flying an outdated plane in what was referred to as the "Champagne Division". Most of the time he didn't even bother to show up for duty, probably because he was hungover.
What bugs me is when people attack someone on a stupid claim. I don't recall Clinton questioning Bush Sr.'s WWII record. I never questioned Dole or McCain's record.
Seems to me that the republican's are just pissed cause for once the opponent is more of a "man" then they are.
Even though I don't see what fighting in combat has to do with political leadership.
Quite frankly I don't like either Bush or Kerry. But to bring up an issue that is so clearly slanted against you is just plain dumb.
Ok Kerry may not have been severly injured. But to be injured you actually have to go into combat. And people forget that Kerry went out and saved a man who was caught under enemy fire.
Bush on the other hand was keeping the VietCong out of Texas by flying an outdated plane in what was referred to as the "Champagne Division". Most of the time he didn't even bother to show up for duty, probably because he was hungover.
What bugs me is when people attack someone on a stupid claim. I don't recall Clinton questioning Bush Sr.'s WWII record. I never questioned Dole or McCain's record.
Seems to me that the republican's are just pissed cause for once the opponent is more of a "man" then they are.
Even though I don't see what fighting in combat has to do with political leadership.
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JESTER
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I am a republican but GW is sliding down slope fast for me. He needs to do something about this prisoner abuse stuff quick, fast, and in a hurry.
And to be honest. I think Elvis had a more eventfull military service than GW or Kerry. General Clark seems like a real prick, maybe a decent general, but a prick none the less. John Edwards, well come on. I am from his home states, and he cant even do a full term in the senate or house or what ever we elected him too (I didn't ), before he wants to be president. Get real! Ralph Nader, he really needs to find a new hobby. Running for president just doesnt seem to be working out too well.
The good Rev Sharpton is trying to keep the faith. But he aint got a chance of winning. I am fairly sure he realizes this. So he needs to pack it in and find a good puppet to pawn off like us republicans do.
Then there is Mr. Mccain. I actually like him unlike most of the other guys. He seems to have common sense, which is in short supply in D.C. I hate saying that as he is a Democrate, but he seems best able to do the job to me.
There is nothing better than all the dirt slinging in a presidential election year. (note sarcasim) If you didn't watch 60 minutes last night, Andy Rooney said it pretty well.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories...shtml
And to be honest. I think Elvis had a more eventfull military service than GW or Kerry. General Clark seems like a real prick, maybe a decent general, but a prick none the less. John Edwards, well come on. I am from his home states, and he cant even do a full term in the senate or house or what ever we elected him too (I didn't ), before he wants to be president. Get real! Ralph Nader, he really needs to find a new hobby. Running for president just doesnt seem to be working out too well.
The good Rev Sharpton is trying to keep the faith. But he aint got a chance of winning. I am fairly sure he realizes this. So he needs to pack it in and find a good puppet to pawn off like us republicans do.
Then there is Mr. Mccain. I actually like him unlike most of the other guys. He seems to have common sense, which is in short supply in D.C. I hate saying that as he is a Democrate, but he seems best able to do the job to me.
There is nothing better than all the dirt slinging in a presidential election year. (note sarcasim) If you didn't watch 60 minutes last night, Andy Rooney said it pretty well.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories...shtml
lol, McCain, kinda like the rifleman....
anywho, i think Kerry is a plussy. if he gets elected, this country is going to be EFFed in the A. then again, although i am republican, i think Bush needs to sit the next one out. i really dont think he was ready to be president when he was elected. If he stays in office another term, this country, like the outcome for Kerry, will be EFFed in the A. so, to solve these problems, im voting socialist
anywho, i think Kerry is a plussy. if he gets elected, this country is going to be EFFed in the A. then again, although i am republican, i think Bush needs to sit the next one out. i really dont think he was ready to be president when he was elected. If he stays in office another term, this country, like the outcome for Kerry, will be EFFed in the A. so, to solve these problems, im voting socialist
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AZhitman
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She's busy. She's attending some clinic put on by Ellen DeGeneres.
I say we shelve this one before it gets ugly... No reason to fight about politics on a web board, if any of us were experts, they'd be interviewing us on C-Span.
BTW, I support giving Ronnie a triple-dose of experimental anti-Alzheimer's drugs and propping him up for a third term. We could use the Gipper right about now...
I say we shelve this one before it gets ugly... No reason to fight about politics on a web board, if any of us were experts, they'd be interviewing us on C-Span.
BTW, I support giving Ronnie a triple-dose of experimental anti-Alzheimer's drugs and propping him up for a third term. We could use the Gipper right about now...
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Movingviolation240
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AZhitman wrote:She's busy. She's attending some clinic put on by Ellen DeGeneres.
BTW, I support giving Ronnie a triple-dose of experimental anti-Alzheimer's drugs and propping him up for a third term. We could use the Gipper right about now...
I thought hilary had moved in with Rosie O'donell?
And yes, I could go for Ronni Ray-Gun.... I don't think anybody would mess with us if he was back in charge.
Paul