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June 27, 2004
Letter from Grant Hibbard, USN Retired
Marine Corps Moms has never been intended to be a political site - there are many blogs out there, including milblogs, that do a wonderful job of discussing current issues. We're all about troop support.
However.
It's Sunday afternoon, I'm out of chocolate, and I just saw this on Cassandra's site:
Criticism of Kerry's Purple Heart is justRetired U.S. army colonel David Hackworth defends presidential candidate John Kerry's Purple Hearts. He correctly notes that they are awarded for a wound that necessitates treatment by a medical officer and that is received in action with an enemy (''The meaning of a Purple Heart,'' The Forum, June 16).
I was the commanding officer to whom Kerry reported his injury on Dec. 3, 1968. I had confirmed that there was no hostile fire that night and that Kerry had simply wounded himself with an M-79 grenade round he fired too close. He wanted a Purple Heart, and I refused. Louis Letson, the base physician, saw Kerry and used tweezers to remove the tiny piece of shrapnel -- about 1 centimeter in length and 2 millimeters in diameter. Letson also confirmed that the scratch was inflicted with our M-79.
We admire Col. Hackworth, but he, above all people, knows why it is unacceptable to nominate yourself for an award. It compromises the basic military principle that we survive together. To promote yourself is to denigrate your team. I hope Col. Hackworth will rethink his characterization of Kerry's swift-boat comrades as ''grousers'' passing on ''secondhand bilge.'' In our case, this is firsthand knowledge, and our integrity is unquestioned.
Kerry orchestrated his way out of Vietnam and then testified, under oath, before Congress that we, his comrades, had committed horrible war crimes. This testimony was a lie and slandered honorable men. We, who were actually there, believe he is unfit to command our sons and daughters.
Grant Hibbard, retired commander
U.S. Navy, Gulf Breeze, Fla.Louis Letson, M.D.
Retired lieutenant commander
Medical Corps, U.S. Navy Reserve
Scottsboro, Ala.
Bolding mine.
Posted by Deb at June 27, 2004 06:07 PM
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Comments
I never really cared much for Col. Hackworth, I mean, I could take him or leave him, ya know. But I lost all respect for him when I learned that he trashed CWO4 Michael J. Durant. Durant, if you recall, was a Blackhawk helo pilot with the elite 160th SOAR, shot down over Mogadishu and taken captive. Hackworth was way out of line.
Jennifer Martinez sends
Posted by: Jennifer Martinez at June 27, 2004 08:15 PM
Amazing that Col. Hackworth could even say that about the other sweift boat commanders.
I do recall that he was saying some very nasty things about Sen. John McCain's behavior as a POW. I found THAT to be secondhand bilge.
Col. Hackworth lost active duty Marine friends with his comments about McCain, my husband included.
It's a shame, in a way, because he has always been very pro soldier/Marine. He was always "boys over toys" but his comments in the past few years have been more than the road will bear.
Posted by: Carrie at June 28, 2004 07:52 AM
Good Morning Marine Moms. Speaking of the Swiftboat Vets, thought you might be interested in the following site. www.wwiftvets.com
If you have the time watch the videos under the Media tab on the side of their page. You will see the sincerity of these men in their faces while they speak. As far as I am concerned the good Col. needs to back up and regroup a bit.
Posted by: Guy S. at July 3, 2004 08:33 AM
Where do the republicans get these radical service personnel. Are they paid to verify trash about any service man who is poses a PR one upman ship on this administration.
Posted by: Marge at August 1, 2004 10:18 AM
What a shame. Col. Hackworth has now shrunk to posting politically biased propoganda. Certainly, we can do better.
Please Col., shut up!
Posted by: james major at August 13, 2004 11:53 AM
Based on what I have read, Kerry looks just like a Kennedy to me.
Posted by: moot at September 2, 2004 12:50 PM
WHERE IN HELL ALL THESE RIGHTWING UNPATROTIC MILITARY,OR SO THEY SAY, COME FROM. THEY DISGRACE ALL TRUE MILITARY VETERANS. AND WHAT ABOUT THAT BUNCH OF DISGRACFUL GROUP THATS TRASHING SENATOR KERRY. I GUESS THOSE COWARDS ARE JEALOUS
Posted by: JOHN SYLVE at May 7, 2005 03:51 PM