I'm not really sure if everything that comes out of the book "Unfit for Command" is true, but the recounts of how Kerry acted in his brief military role (4 months) in Vietnam sure seems damaging now.

With Kerry in the lead, the boats approached a small hamlet with three or four grass huts. Pigs and chickens were milling around peacefully. As the boats drew closer, the villagers fled. There were no political symbols or flags in evidence in the tiny village. It was obvious to Bates that existing policies, decency, and good sense required the boats to simply move on.

Instead, Kerry beached his boat directly in the small settlement. Upon his command, the numerous small animals were slaughtered by heavy-caliber machine guns. Acting more like a pirate than a naval officer, Kerry disembarked and ran around with a Zippo lighter, burning up the entire hamlet.

Add this to the fact that his shipmates have said that his first two purple hearts were for minor injuries and it seems like we really can't trust much of anything Kerry says. However, it seems as if everyone misses the easy way to settle all this once and for all. Release your military records Sen. Kerry. If you want to be the Commander in Chief, do we not have a right to see how you earned your three purple hearts, your silver star, and your bronze star while you were in Vietnam for only four months? Do we not have a right to know what you actually did in those four months in Vietnam which you then returned home from and denounced outright in front of a Congressional committee? It should be quite interesting to see how this all plays out in the weeks to come.

URL: DRUDGE REPORT 2004�