Kerry Purple Heart Doc Speaks Out

[darrels joy]

May 04, 2004, 4:26 p.m.
Kerry Purple Heart Doc Speaks Out
The medical description of his first wound.

By Byron York

Some critics of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry have questioned the circumstances surrounding the first of three Purple Hearts Kerry won in Vietnam. Those critics, among them some of Kerry's fellow veterans, have suggested that a wound suffered by Kerry in December 1968 may have made him technically eligible for a Purple Heart but was not severe enough to warrant serious consideration, even for a decoration that was handed out by the thousands. Whatever the case, Kerry was awarded the Purple Heart, and, along with two others he won later, it allowed him to request to leave Vietnam before his tour of duty was finished.

Kerry was treated for the wound at a medical facility in Cam Ranh Bay. The doctor who treated Kerry, Louis Letson, is today a retired general practitioner in Alabama. Letson says he remembers his brief encounter with Kerry 35 years ago because "some of his crewmen related that Lt. Kerry had told them that he would be the next JFK from Massachusetts." Letson says that last year, as the Democratic campaign began to heat up, he told friends that he remembered treating one of the candidates many years ago. In response to their questions, Letson says, he wrote down his recollections of the time. (Letson says he has had no contacts with anyone from the Bush campaign or the Republican party.) What follows is Letson's memory, as he wrote it.

I have a very clear memory of an incident which occurred while I was the Medical Officer at Naval Support Facility, Cam Ranh Bay.
John Kerry was a (jg), the OinC or skipper of a Swift boat, newly arrived in Vietnam. On the night of December 2, he was on patrol north of Cam Ranh, up near Nha Trang area. The next day he came to sick bay, the medical facility, for treatment of a wound that had occurred that night.

The story he told was different from what his crewmen had to say about that night. According to Kerry, they had been engaged in a fire fight, receiving small arms fire from on shore. He said that his injury resulted from this enemy action.

Some of his crew confided that they did not receive any fire from shore, but that Kerry had fired a mortar round at close range to some rocks on shore. The crewman thought that the injury was caused by a fragment ricocheting from that mortar round when it struck the rocks.

That seemed to fit the injury which I treated.

What I saw was a small piece of metal sticking very superficially in the skin of Kerry's arm. The metal fragment measured about 1 cm. in length and was about 2 or 3 mm in diameter. It certainly did not look like a round from a rifle.

I simply removed the piece of metal by lifting it out of the skin with forceps. I doubt that it penetrated more than 3 or 4 mm. It did not require probing to find it, did not require any anesthesia to remove it, and did not require any sutures to close the wound.

The wound was covered with a bandaid.

Not [sic] other injuries were reported and I do not recall that there was any reported damage to the boat.
http://www.nationalreview.com/york/york200405041626.asp

[reconeil]

That's beautififul. So then, and given The Kerry Standards for such, all whom ever served in The Military and having required that a bandaid be put on by a doctor,...would automatically qualify for The Purple Heart? Years ago, one had to shoot oneself in the foot to get out of duty.

Sure would like to hear from some REAL Purple Heart recipients out there, and what "They" think of such a grandstanding warrior or phoney: "Rambo" and wannabe Commander-In-Chief. Though,...please calm down first. I know that such demeaning of The Purple Heart by Kerry, MUST MAKE the blood boil for anyone ACTUALLY wounded in combat? AND RIGHTFULLY SO!!!

Neil

[colmurph]

Well....why don't you ask Gimpy? He has a Purple Heart.

[SuperScout]

Admittedly, there is a wide variety of wounds and the severity thereof that can qualify one for an award of the PH. Neither of my two were life-threatening, caused no loss of limbs, sight or or body functions, but were wounds nevertheless. One did, however, almost cause a loss of sphincter control!

Personally, I don't give a fig, a rat's behind, or combination of same how many PH's Kerry's claims to have been awarded, or how many he claims to have thrown over a fence somewhere, or claims to have framed on his Senate Office wall. The most reprehensible thing he did was to utter the baseless lies, to slander the honorable service of my fellow warriors, and to give aid and comfort to the enemy. There is not enough MOH's, DSC's SS's and PH's to overcome that sorry performance of his.

[Gimpy]

Evident that the esteemed "col" murph has had another severe lapse of memory and has totally forgotten that I have ALREADY commented on this "subject"! So I guess I'll just have to give him a "refresher" course ......AGAIN!

And I quote my post of 4/30/04,

"Gimpy
"Suthern ta tha core"!

04-30-04 11:55 PM

I shall not allow myself to descend to the depths of degradation of which you have found so appropriate as to the charges you've made regarding "my" military service and subsequent VA disability compensation award.

I have no inclination to lower myself morally, or to stoop so low as to debase or otherwise shed undignified suggestions towards anothers military service..............nor the severity and degree of disability incured by their "combat-wounds".

However, I will NOT submit nor yield in any manner to intimidation, or reprehensible, degrading behavior intended to demean, deprecate, belittle or dishonor MY military service and subsequent combat related VA disabilty compensation award!

Is that clear? __________________
Gimpy "..........................................End quote.

########

And, as a matter of FACT! YOU (murph) sure are one to be talking about "comparisons" of "combat-wounds", ya know?

Here's what YOU said! And I quote,

colmurph
Moderator

04-28-04 09:43 PM

"I have the Purple Heart too Gimpy. And I'm not on the "suck", I do however, collect a retirement check from Uncle because I spent 35 1/2 years wearing the green. So lets compare combat wounds Gimpy........put up or shut up!"

Well, I DID "put up", now didn't I?

All you did was post your DD-214 that stated you "received" a purple heart. You NEVER did offer any "evidence" that indicated the "severity" of YOUR "combat wounds" like I did................now DID YA?????????

Whatzamatta, you "ashamed" of how insignificant YOUR
"wounds" might be considered by some folks around here?

Just asking? :cd:

[catman]

You two "At ease" you both have served our country well and both have been awarded Purple Hearts, both have been granted retirement and/or compensation for such services.

It is time to return to the topic at hand and quit measuring one another.

Personally, I feel the future of this country is at stake. After all the mud slinging and bullshit clears, I can not find one good reason for John Kerry to run this country. Can someone, without stating the Republicans did this or the Democrats did that please outline Kerry's qualifications to run this country.

Trav

[SuperScout]

What Trav said.........

In spades...........

[Gimpy]

to your "boy" Murph!

He's the one who keeps fanning the "flames"!

I'll shut up when HE does!

PS..........If John Kerrys' "wounds" are open season...why not Murphs'.................he's doing a whole lot of screamin & hollerin about OTHER folks 'wounds" ain't he???

[reconeil]

What both Trav and SS have stated aside,...what does what you've stated have to do with the obviously BAND-AID and/or phoney combat wounds which got Kerry out of Vietnam in only 4 months?

Many others, not able to decorate themselves accordingly and as needed, had to tough-it-out for a year in hostile Indian Territory,...IF SO LUCKY? Do you think such even fair?

Neil

[Gimpy]

For Gods' sake man! WAKE UP!

NO ONE can "decorate" themselves!

His superior officer had to recommened Kerry for this award.

If ANY of you have a 'beef" it SHOULD be with him.........NOT Kerry!!!