These documents answer all the questions no one asked.

Wow - Kerry was in Vietnam?

I did not know that!

U.S. sent medically unfit soldiers to Iraq?!?

Back in my day only the fittest of men were sent off to war.

An Outrage!

I would beg to differ about Kerry's last job being a "Highly promotable follow on." As a retired Naval Officer, my take is that Flag Aide for MSTS (Military Sealift Transportation Service)was your typical going nowhere (Can I light your cigarette?)job. A Surface Line LT who wanted to be promoted would have been begging to punch his Dept. Head ticket and then an early command tour or Postgrad School.

I see what you mean when you say Kerry wasn't planning on a military career. He was promoted to Lieutenant on January 1, 1970 and requested an early separation on January 3, 1970. I notice his "full" service records are available through his site now, but if his medical records and clinical reports were included, I missed them. There is one "Personnel Casualty Report" available, though, which I presume documents treatment for the "sucking scratch wound" you mentioned.

This is soo cool. I wish we had Bush's record so we could compare them and show what a hack Kerry is.

I don't get it. Kerry made an issue out of Bush's records knowing he had questionable stuff in his? And this man wants to be leader of the free world.

I know that in some commands in country, a temporary medical record was opened on each person, which was trashed when the person rotated stateside. Reason? To avoid any embarassment to those people treated for STD's. So, the fact that his medical records are missing is not necessarily because he is hiding them.

I find the fitreps remarkable for what they *don't* say in the remarks section. Kind of telling that he never get's broken out which tell's me he's a mid-pack/average player.
The one fitrep that praises him for being a "brilliant conversationalist" is a hoot. Never seen that line used in a fitrep in my 22+ years in the Navy.

you're right..fair is fair. Kerry should release ALL his records...in a joint press conference with the gerbil-in-chief (that is, if president cheney can find the time). HONESTLY, good god, what is good for the goose is good for the gander; can either of these guys tolerate a level playing field? let the presidential debates begin.............

Maybe things were different in 'nam or in the Navy, but these days all numerical ratings are inflated. It's the comments that tell the tale, with certain code words and phrases separating the wheat from the chaff.

""Number 1" or "number 2" of "X" in my command" would be outstanding, as in "The number one of my ten Swift Commanders".

Kerry's records descrbe him as one of "the top few" - faint praise that most military would interpret as exactly that, a description of a lackluster performer whose talents are best applied elsewhere.

Kerry's military career was uninspiring at best. His feelings of jealousy and inadequacy towards those who serve without complaint could also explain his bitterness in attacking the military after he fled his command, and his deplorable life-long voting record against the military and its people while in the Senate.

The point is not that Bush's service was more or less worthy than Kerry's. The point is that the Kerry camp failed to look beyond the "chest full of medals" to the hollow-chested man that wore them.

As none on the left are military types they likely never will.

kerry is a rich BOY that would throw a fit when things did't go his way . when he found out that swifts were going into the rivers . he pitch a bitch . thats when he started beaching before the aumbush . SOP was to run thru the aumbush firing our 50 cals and M-60's , then stop or beach and then hit them with our 81mm . kerry was and is a asshole . you only have to read the stories of the PCF-43 , PCF-50 ,[i was there ] and PCF-23r[and here] to know about real swiftys . in a year and 6 months in country i never saw or heard of the horror kerry talks about , there was none . dennis kempf

Hey, Check out www.swiftboats.net click on 60 scroll down to #66 and look for John Forbes Kerry.
You will see he spent two months recovering for his sucking scratch. all the other guys dare I say stayed one year.

Look, as a former military man, I think that Bush has attacked ALL military men by allowing ads to attack Kerry because he didn't leave the military in either a body bag or without limbs. Bush DIDN'T serve AT ALL in the war -- there is a huge difference.

So, are you saying then that if a man in the military doesn't sustain permanent injuries (or any, as in many cases) that their service was totally unjustified and should be made into a humiliation?

I'm very offended that somehow because Kerry -- as a rich man -- volunteered -- when many of us joined because we WEREN'T rich -- and served -- and was injured. So, he didn't die and he didn't sever a limb. But does that make any of us who didn't die or lose limbs LESS, too??

I think you bastards have no clue what it's like to fight in a real war -- rich or not. It's man against the enemy -- not rich against poor -- and not saying one is a better soldier because he died or had permanent injuries -- we were all in this together. Get YOUR act together. Quit insulting those who served when you didn't get your asses over there!!

Bob here again. Guess my PTSD kicked in -- I put my email address in wrong above -- here you go, guys, the right one! Prefer if you answer here, though, 'cause I delete a lot of mail as spam.

There are thousands of us who served and came back whole -- hope you have enough sense to see it's important to put your life at risk even if you don't come home in a body bag. Don't destroy our pledge to serve because you don't like Kerry -- he was one of us -- Bush wasn't. Like Kerry or not, he did the honorable thing and he didn't have to -- I admire that.

pot calling the kettle black...those of you who are criticizing what's not in kerry's records are in denial...or going to vote for bush regardless of any factors, and therefore taking the time to play shill for the sake of feeling right about something....where are bush's

Last DD-214 (separation document), flight log pages, records from the Flight Inquiry Board convened after Bush was suspended as a pilot, any evidence of Bush’s reclassification into another AFSC after suspension as a pilot, and photos of Bush in a military uniform after 1972, anything at all from any Alabama unit with Bush’s name on it, any copies of form 44a from the Alabama NG certifying attendance, anything proving service (not just receipt of pay) by Bush between May 1972 and May 1973

???

It's a brilliant tactic to attack kerry's millitary record as it dwarfs that of bush's...so by keeping the focus on kerry's record day by day, bush's record goes unnoticed...

but for how long?

all the paperwork that is out there does not support the theory that bush wasn't AWOL during a period of time...if someone has proof to combat this, i'd be happy to see it

Here's a link to a Conservative who voted for Bush. Some insight into this.

http://reese.king-online.com/Reese_20040521/index.php