Changes

==Military Career ==

==Military Career ==

Kerry enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve in February, 1966, and began active service that August as Ensign aboard the USS Gridley, a Guided Missile Frigate deployed in the Gulf of Tonkin.  During his tour of duty, Kerry requested his second tour be in Vietnam, listing his preferred position as commandeering a Fast Patrol Craft (PCF) or "Swift Boat."  His request was granted, and on November 17, 1968 he reported to Cam Ranh Bay for a month of training.  During his service, he recieved the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and a total of three Purple Hearts during combat operations inside Vietnam, and after his third injury was permitted to request reassignment as per Navy instruction 1300.39, Leaving Vietnam on April 2, 1969.  Upon returning stateside, he served as personal aide to Rear Admiral Walter Schlech until March 1970 when his active duty obligation had ended.  Kerry continued serving in the Naval Reserves until February 1972.

Kerry enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve in February, 1966, and began active service that August as Ensign aboard the USS Gridley, a Guided Missile Frigate deployed in the Gulf of Tonkin.  During his tour of duty, Kerry requested his second tour be in Vietnam, listing his preferred position as commandeering a Fast Patrol Craft (PCF) or "Swift Boat."  His request was granted, and on November 17, 1968 he reported to Cam Ranh Bay for a month of training.  During his service, he received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and a total of three Purple Hearts during combat operations inside Vietnam, and after his third injury was permitted to request reassignment as per Navy instruction 1300.39, Leaving Vietnam on April 2, 1969.  Upon returning stateside, he served as personal aide to Rear Admiral Walter Schlech until March 1970 when his active duty obligation had ended.  Kerry continued serving in the Naval Reserves until February 1972.

==Opposition to the Vietnam War==

==Opposition to the Vietnam War==

:"''There are all kinds of atrocities, and I would have to say that, yes, yes, I committed the same kind of atrocities as thousands of other soldiers have committed in that I took part in shootings in free fire zones. I conducted harassment and interdiction fire. I used 50 caliber machine guns, which we were granted and ordered to use, which were our only weapon against people. I took part in search and destroy missions, in the burning of villages. All of this is contrary to the laws of warfare, all of this is contrary to the Geneva Conventions and all of this is ordered as a matter of written established policy by the government of the United States from the top down. And I believe that the men who designed these, the men who designed the free fire zone, the men who ordered us, the men who signed off the air raid strike areas, I think these men, by the letter of the law, the same letter of the law that tried Lieutenant Calley, are war criminals.''"<ref>[http://hnn.us/articles/3552.html Vietnam 30 Years later: What John Kerry Said on Meet the Press], George Mason University, History News Network</ref>

:"''There are all kinds of atrocities, and I would have to say that, yes, yes, I committed the same kind of atrocities as thousands of other soldiers have committed in that I took part in shootings in free fire zones. I conducted harassment and interdiction fire. I used 50 caliber machine guns, which we were granted and ordered to use, which were our only weapon against people. I took part in search and destroy missions, in the burning of villages. All of this is contrary to the laws of warfare, all of this is contrary to the Geneva Conventions and all of this is ordered as a matter of written established policy by the government of the United States from the top down. And I believe that the men who designed these, the men who designed the free fire zone, the men who ordered us, the men who signed off the air raid strike areas, I think these men, by the letter of the law, the same letter of the law that tried Lieutenant Calley, are war criminals.''"<ref>[http://hnn.us/articles/3552.html Vietnam 30 Years later: What John Kerry Said on Meet the Press], George Mason University, History News Network</ref>

During his 2004 campaign for President, several groups were formed, most notably the [[Swift Boat Veterans for Truth]]<ref>[http://www.swiftvets.com/index.php Swift Vets and POWs for Truth]</ref>, to counter the charges of  "[[war crimes]]" Kerry repeatedly made against Vietnam veterans (see below) and to call Kerry's military record into question, accusing him of inflicting his own wounds,<ref>[http://www.learnedhand.com/kerryunfitepilogue.htm John Kerry - Unfit For Command]</ref> going to unusual lengths to obtain his Purple Hearts,<ref>[http://www.archive-news.net/Articles/FD040830.html ''Forging a Paper Hero: The Mystery of Kerry’s Medals] </ref> and attacking unarmed civilians.  Swift Boat Veterans for Truth had been publically criticised, firstly because no member of the group actually served on the boats that Kerry commanded or witnessed the events described, and secondly for internal consistancy and contradiction.  As an example, one member of the group was Kerry's commanding officer, George Elliott, who as late as 2003 expressed having "no regrets or second thoughts at all" about writing Kerry up for his Silver Star,<ref>[http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/061603.shtml ''John Kerry: A Candidate in the Making] </ref> only claim the exact opposite the following year.,<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/politics/kerry/service.asp ''Snopes.com: Service Mettle] </ref>

During his 2004 campaign for President, several groups were formed, most notably the [[Swift Boat Veterans for Truth]]<ref>[http://www.swiftvets.com/index.php Swift Vets and POWs for Truth]</ref>, to counter the charges of  "[[war crimes]]" Kerry repeatedly made against Vietnam veterans (see below) and to call Kerry's military record into question, accusing him of inflicting his own wounds,<ref>[http://www.learnedhand.com/kerryunfitepilogue.htm John Kerry - Unfit For Command]</ref> going to unusual lengths to obtain his Purple Hearts,<ref>[http://www.archive-news.net/Articles/FD040830.html ''Forging a Paper Hero: The Mystery of Kerry’s Medals] </ref> and attacking unarmed civilians.  Swift Boat Veterans for Truth had been publicly criticized, firstly because no member of the group actually served on the boats that Kerry commanded or witnessed the events described, and secondly for internal consistency and contradiction.  As an example, one member of the group was Kerry's commanding officer, George Elliott, who as late as 2003 expressed having "no regrets or second thoughts at all" about writing Kerry up for his Silver Star,<ref>[http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/061603.shtml ''John Kerry: A Candidate in the Making] </ref> only claim the exact opposite the following year.,<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/politics/kerry/service.asp ''Snopes.com: Service Mettle] </ref>

An internal memorandum for Attorney General [[John Mithcell]] from a Nixon staffer released by the National Archives in July 2007 revealed the Nixon White House had considered recruiting John Kerry. The memorandum states in part,  

An internal memorandum for Attorney General [[John Mitchell]] from a Nixon staffer released by the National Archives in July 2007 revealed the Nixon White House had considered recruiting John Kerry. The memorandum states in part,  

{{Cquote|He was asked the direct question of how he voted in 1968.  He said "if he had voted (which he did not), he would have voted for Nixon." <ref>[http://www.nixonlibrary.gov/virtuallibrary/documents/donated/042671_chotiner.pdf Memo from Chotiner to Mitchell], April 26, 1971.</ref> }}

{{Cquote|He was asked the direct question of how he voted in 1968.  He said "if he had voted (which he did not), he would have voted for Nixon." <ref>[http://www.nixonlibrary.gov/virtuallibrary/documents/donated/042671_chotiner.pdf Memo from Chotiner to Mitchell], April 26, 1971.</ref> }}