Charlie D.
2004-09-27 00:04:06 UTC
In a June 15, 2003 article "A privileged youth, a taste for risk", the
favored Boston Globe reporters wrote: ...As graduation approached,
Kerry knew that he had three choices: be drafted, seek a deferment for
graduate school, or join up and position himself to become an officer.
``It was clear to me that I was going to be at risk,'' Kerry recalled.
``My draft board . . . said, `Look, the likelihood is you are probably
going to be drafted.' I said, `If I'm going to be drafted, I'd like to
have responsibility and be an officer.'
Kerry also had political ambitions -- and was aware of how much
military service had served John Kennedy's career. ``John would
clearly say, `If I could make my dream come true, it would be running
for president of the United States,' '' recalled William Stanberry,
Kerry's debate team partner for three years. ``It was not a casual
interest. It was a serious, stated interest. His lifetime ambition was
to be in political office.''
Sen. Kerry successfully joined the naval reserves. The Navy was the
best bet if you had to serve. The Viet Cong had no Navy and the North
Koreans had only a few small ships. At the time Sen. Kerry joined the
naval reserve there wasnt much chance of being in combat.
http://www.johnkerry.com/pdf/jkmilservice/Enlistment_Contract.pdf
Sen. Kerry was activated into the Navy. President Bushs unit was
never activated, but could have been.
John Kerry's first year of duty, from June 1967 to June 1968, was
spent aboard the USS Gridley, a guided -missile frigate. During this
year, Kerry experienced no combat. His assignment on board the Gridley
is, however, the basis on which Kerry claims to have served "two
tours" in Vietnam. From June 1967 to November 1967.
In an interview with New York Times, April 23, 1971, "An Angry War
Veteran", Kerry stated "I wanted to go back and see for myself what
was going on, but I didn't really want to get involved in the war." So
late in 1968 he volunteered for an assignment on "swift boats" - the
short, fast aluminum craft that were then used for patrol duty off the
coast of Viet Nam."
Kerry also admitted the same to the Boston Globe, "Kerry initially
hoped to continue his service at a relatively safe distance from most
fighting, securing an assignment as "swift boat" skipper. While the
50-foot swift boats cruised the Vietnamese coast a little closer to
the action than the Gridley had come, they were still considered
relatively safe. "I didn't really want to get involved in the war,"
Kerry said in a little-noticed contribution to a book of Vietnam
reminiscences published in 1986. "When I signed up for the swift
boats, they had very little to do with the war. They were engaged in
coastal patrolling and that's what I thought I was going to be doing."
Two weeks after he arrived in Vietnam, the swift boat mission changed
-- and Kerry went from having one of the safest assignments in the
escalating conflict to one of the most dangerous. Under the newly
launched Operation SEALORD, swift boats were charged with patrolling
the narrow waterways of the Mekong Delta to draw fire and smoke out
the enemy. Cruising inlets and coves and canals, swift boats were
especially vulnerable targets."
favored Boston Globe reporters wrote: ...As graduation approached,
Kerry knew that he had three choices: be drafted, seek a deferment for
graduate school, or join up and position himself to become an officer.
``It was clear to me that I was going to be at risk,'' Kerry recalled.
``My draft board . . . said, `Look, the likelihood is you are probably
going to be drafted.' I said, `If I'm going to be drafted, I'd like to
have responsibility and be an officer.'
Kerry also had political ambitions -- and was aware of how much
military service had served John Kennedy's career. ``John would
clearly say, `If I could make my dream come true, it would be running
for president of the United States,' '' recalled William Stanberry,
Kerry's debate team partner for three years. ``It was not a casual
interest. It was a serious, stated interest. His lifetime ambition was
to be in political office.''
Sen. Kerry successfully joined the naval reserves. The Navy was the
best bet if you had to serve. The Viet Cong had no Navy and the North
Koreans had only a few small ships. At the time Sen. Kerry joined the
naval reserve there wasnt much chance of being in combat.
http://www.johnkerry.com/pdf/jkmilservice/Enlistment_Contract.pdf
Sen. Kerry was activated into the Navy. President Bushs unit was
never activated, but could have been.
John Kerry's first year of duty, from June 1967 to June 1968, was
spent aboard the USS Gridley, a guided -missile frigate. During this
year, Kerry experienced no combat. His assignment on board the Gridley
is, however, the basis on which Kerry claims to have served "two
tours" in Vietnam. From June 1967 to November 1967.
In an interview with New York Times, April 23, 1971, "An Angry War
Veteran", Kerry stated "I wanted to go back and see for myself what
was going on, but I didn't really want to get involved in the war." So
late in 1968 he volunteered for an assignment on "swift boats" - the
short, fast aluminum craft that were then used for patrol duty off the
coast of Viet Nam."
Kerry also admitted the same to the Boston Globe, "Kerry initially
hoped to continue his service at a relatively safe distance from most
fighting, securing an assignment as "swift boat" skipper. While the
50-foot swift boats cruised the Vietnamese coast a little closer to
the action than the Gridley had come, they were still considered
relatively safe. "I didn't really want to get involved in the war,"
Kerry said in a little-noticed contribution to a book of Vietnam
reminiscences published in 1986. "When I signed up for the swift
boats, they had very little to do with the war. They were engaged in
coastal patrolling and that's what I thought I was going to be doing."
Two weeks after he arrived in Vietnam, the swift boat mission changed
-- and Kerry went from having one of the safest assignments in the
escalating conflict to one of the most dangerous. Under the newly
launched Operation SEALORD, swift boats were charged with patrolling
the narrow waterways of the Mekong Delta to draw fire and smoke out
the enemy. Cruising inlets and coves and canals, swift boats were
especially vulnerable targets."