Saturday, August 21, 2004
Kerry Was a Naval Officer until 1978
As Instapundit points out, Kerry remained a commissioned officer in the Navy Reserve until 1978.
This means he was still in the Navy when he testified before the Senate about US war crimes alleged in the Winter Soldier "investigation", when he met with the North Vietnamese delegation in Paris (a meeting which violated Federal Law, as I understand it) and during his VVAW activity, in particular the November 1971 meeting (which Kerry might or might not have attended) at which assassination of pro-war politicians was allegedly discussed. (To Kerry's credit, even those who say he attended the meeting state that he voted against any such action and then resigned from the group -- but he never reported the assassination discussion to any authorities.)
I am not an expert on the UCMJ, but I strongly suspect that Kerry's activities in Paris and with the VVAW would have been punishable had he been on active duty. I don't know whether the UCMJ would apply to his activities while he was in the Reserves. But one thing I am sure of -- Kerry's activities violated the oath he took when he was commissioned.
In light of the above and the kerfuffle about Christmas in Cambodia, the "magic hat" and the Swifties' allegations, the most charitable thing I can say about Kerry is that he's an unmitigated phony, down to the marrow.
This means he was still in the Navy when he testified before the Senate about US war crimes alleged in the Winter Soldier "investigation", when he met with the North Vietnamese delegation in Paris (a meeting which violated Federal Law, as I understand it) and during his VVAW activity, in particular the November 1971 meeting (which Kerry might or might not have attended) at which assassination of pro-war politicians was allegedly discussed. (To Kerry's credit, even those who say he attended the meeting state that he voted against any such action and then resigned from the group -- but he never reported the assassination discussion to any authorities.)
I am not an expert on the UCMJ, but I strongly suspect that Kerry's activities in Paris and with the VVAW would have been punishable had he been on active duty. I don't know whether the UCMJ would apply to his activities while he was in the Reserves. But one thing I am sure of -- Kerry's activities violated the oath he took when he was commissioned.
In light of the above and the kerfuffle about Christmas in Cambodia, the "magic hat" and the Swifties' allegations, the most charitable thing I can say about Kerry is that he's an unmitigated phony, down to the marrow.
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