Kerry's Discharge Is Questioned by an Ex-JAG Officer

[daswig]

http://www.nysun.com/article/4040

"A former officer in the Navy's Judge Advocate General Corps Reserve has built a case that Senator Kerry was other than honorably discharged from the Navy by 1975, The New York Sun has learned.

The "honorable discharge" on the Kerry Web site appears to be a Carter administration substitute for an original action expunged from Mr. Kerry's record, according to Mark Sullivan, who retired as a captain in the Navy's Judge Advocate General Corps Reserve in 2003 after 33 years of service as a judge advocate. Mr. Sullivan served in the office of the Secretary of the Navy between 1975 and 1977.

snip

"If that is the case," Mr. Sullivan said, "the true story isn't what was on the Web site. It's what's missing. There should have been an honorable discharge certificate issued to Kerry in 1975,if not earlier, three years after his transfer to the Standby Reserve-Inactive."

Another retired Navy Reserve officer, who served three tours in the Navy's Bureau of Personnel, points out that there should also have been a certified letter giving Mr. Kerry a choice of a reserve reaffiliation or separation and discharge. If Mr. Meehan is correct and all the documents are indeed on the Web site, the absence of any documents from 1972 to 1978 in the posted Kerry files is a glaring hole in the record."

Houston, we have a problem...

[aliali]

Call CBS, Call CBS.

[Connolly]

Of course, this close before the election, I personally wouldn't be surprised if this was a feint based on tenuous links. Also, if this doesn't work to tip the balance of the election strongly in Bush's favour, it can only serve to cripple Kerry, in addition to a gridlocked Congress - this is not something I believe the American people want right now. However, if it does prove to be true... who knows what Kerry's response will be?

[daswig]

Originally Posted by Connolly

Of course, this close before the election, I personally wouldn't be surprised if this was a feint based on tenuous links.

Connolly, it's not a feint, i've been saying this for weeks. All you need to do is understand the military system and look at the documents on Kerry's webpage to have a great big "WTF?!?!?" pop up in your mind.

[pan6467]

Who cares???? I personally believe people are sick and tired of hearing all this crap, otherwise Swift Boats would have been pounding the issue more. And speaking of Swift Boats don't you think that if Kerry had gotten an OTH we would have heard a lot about it before now?

Just the right trying desperately to make sure Bush wins. Right now it's too close and the outcome way too uncertains and the right is way too nervous and wants to hammer something down in the last few hours. Ain't gonna happen, people have already made up thier minds and short of a HUGE HUGE bombshell of a news report comes out, nothing is going to change people's minds.

VOTE TOMORROW..... WRITE IN CANDIDATE DONALD TRUMP FOR PRESIDENT!!!!!!!

[daswig]

Originally Posted by pan6467

Who cares???? I personally believe people are sick and tired of hearing all this crap, otherwise Swift Boats would have been pounding the issue more. And speaking of Swift Boats don't you think that if Kerry had gotten an OTH we would have heard a lot about it before now?

how would we have heard about it? Who would have had an interest in publicizing it? And don't you think that one candidate's essentially being convicted of a felony and then pardoned is a RELEVANT piece of information to the voting public?

How much have we heard about Bush's DUI? That's minor compared to a OTH.

Kerry will not release all of his records because he knows it would destroy his career. He's deliberately witholding information that the people NEED to make an informed decision for his own personal gain.

[aliali]

This story goes nowhere. nowhere. not today. not after the election even if he wins.

[daswig]

Originally Posted by aliali

This story goes nowhere. nowhere. not today. not after the election even if he wins.

I'll settle for the truth coming out after he loses.

[drawerfixer]

Bleh. Both major candidates have, at best, dubious military histories.

I'm voting on who I think will be the better leader for my country.
Technically, I should vote for Cobb.

[daswig]

Originally Posted by drawerfixer

Bleh. Both major candidates have, at best, dubious military histories.

I'm voting on who I think will be the better leader for my country.
Technically, I should vote for Cobb.

If one got an honorable discharge, and one got a OTH, that's HUGE news, ESPECIALLY if he lied to cover it up.

[pan6467]

Again, as scrutinized as his past military career has been it would have come up long before now. Swift Boat group comes to mind.

If he had had an OTH, I seriously doubt he would have been eligible as a credible witness to testify before Congress. I think those who didn't want the hearings would have raised a stink at that time.

This is a last minute red herring because no one has time to investigate it before the election so the GOP can say anything about his military career and know that the truth won't be shown until after the election But those insinuations may draw a few crucial swing votes.

[daswig]

Originally Posted by pan6467

If he had had an OTH, I seriously doubt he would have been eligible as a credible witness to testify before Congress. I think those who didn't want the hearings would have raised a stink at that time.

He testified before he got it, obviously, since it would have happened in 1972, and he testified in what, '71?

Can you come up with another reason for the 6 year discrepancy?

[drawerfixer]

Originally Posted by daswig

If one got an honorable discharge, and one got a OTH, that's HUGE news, ESPECIALLY if he lied to cover it up.

I definitely agree that it is huge news. I'll wait to see if the 'charge' is substantiated. I'll require more information to add that to this list of why Kerry is a douche bag.

Will it change my vote? No. Would it have, had it come out a few weeks ago, and then later substantiated? Who knows? Beyond the obvious character issues, would it change who I think would be the better leader of the US? Probably not.

[irateplatypus]

Originally Posted by pan6467

Again, as scrutinized as his past military career has been it would have come up long before now. Swift Boat group comes to mind.

If he had had an OTH, I seriously doubt he would have been eligible as a credible witness to testify before Congress. I think those who didn't want the hearings would have raised a stink at that time.

This is a last minute red herring because no one has time to investigate it before the election so the GOP can say anything about his military career and know that the truth won't be shown until after the election But those insinuations may draw a few crucial swing votes.

for the good of the country... i hope his records don't get released till after the election and his term (should he earn one) is complete. if kerry were proud of his records... he would have released them by now. seriously, remember how much kerry touted his service in the summer? if his record were without blemish he would have disclosed it in its entirety immediately.

i'll bet any TFP'er however much is ponied up that there is something seriously contentious in Kerry's unreleased documents. even so, the time to release that would have been last march when the other democrats were still in the hunt. no sense in furthur damaging the credibility of someone who has the potential role of leading our troops in wartime... we need all the focus/intensity from the President we can get.

[pan6467]

Irate I really don't think it matters anymore. this election is going to go to the courts and just truly split the country irreppairably. Both sides are so non giving and so self righteous it just doesn't matter.

If Kerry does come out the winner the GOP will refuse to work with him at all, his records will come out mysteriously, there will be more special prosecutors and blah blah blah....

If Bush is elected I'm sure the Dems will try something to derail him.

It doesn't matter who wins the partisan politics are going to destroy us, because both sides refuse to give any ground or any respect.

[daswig]

Originally Posted by pan6467

Irate I really don't think it matters anymore. this election is going to go to the courts and just truly split the country irreppairably. Both sides are so non giving and so self righteous it just doesn't matter.

If it stops at the courts, we'll be lucky.

/hoarding canned goods and ammo