Post by Cablemender on Aug 27, 2004 7:46:31 GMT -7
I read this article this morning and I found some new information in it. But I want to clarify something first; I really don't give a hoot about Kerry's medals, as I already stated, because I feel there is enough other information available with which to judge his ability to lead the country. Others DO care about this, so here is more information.
Personally, I have been through this process of correcting records while I was on active duty, and to say it is slow and bureacratic is a massive understatement. In my case, I was submitted for a certain award, the awarding authority downgraded it, then issued me one of each type of medal, i.e. two for the same accomplishment. It took me over a year to backtrack it and determine which of the two I was properly entitled to. It took another 4 years to get the wrong one eradicated from my records, during which they deleted the right one, leaving the wrong one, and had to fix that. I bring this up so others can understand why I have so little faith in simply what is written on a DD-214/215. Quite often, there is much more to the story.
The new information I learned had to do with Kerry's date of discharge, which I always thought was early in the 1970s. Now it appears it was much later. There is probably some good valid reason, perhaps his total obligated service ran to that date and he was in inactive reserve status or something, and that would be no problem in such a case. But, I read this and hadn't seen it in the discussions here and thought I'd toss it in the ring.
www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-lips27.html
Personally, I have been through this process of correcting records while I was on active duty, and to say it is slow and bureacratic is a massive understatement. In my case, I was submitted for a certain award, the awarding authority downgraded it, then issued me one of each type of medal, i.e. two for the same accomplishment. It took me over a year to backtrack it and determine which of the two I was properly entitled to. It took another 4 years to get the wrong one eradicated from my records, during which they deleted the right one, leaving the wrong one, and had to fix that. I bring this up so others can understand why I have so little faith in simply what is written on a DD-214/215. Quite often, there is much more to the story.
The new information I learned had to do with Kerry's date of discharge, which I always thought was early in the 1970s. Now it appears it was much later. There is probably some good valid reason, perhaps his total obligated service ran to that date and he was in inactive reserve status or something, and that would be no problem in such a case. But, I read this and hadn't seen it in the discussions here and thought I'd toss it in the ring.
www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-lips27.html
