WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy Friday found Democratic presidential candidate's John Kerry's Vietnam war service medals to be properly awarded, rejecting a call by a private group for an in-depth review.
Judicial Watch, which describes itself as a public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption and abuse, called on the Navy to review the circumstances of Kerry's three Purple Hearts, Silver Star and Bronze Star.
"We carefully examined the Judicial Watch request contained in letters of 18 August and 8 September 2004 and conducted a review of Senator Kerry's awards," Navy Inspector General Vice Adm. R. A. Route wrote in a letter to the Navy Secretary Friday, a copy of which was obtained by United Press International.
"Our examination found that existing documentation regarding (all the awards) indicated the awards approval process was properly followed. In particular, the senior officers who awarded the medals were properly delegated authority to do so. In addition, we found that they correctly followed the procedures in place at the time for approving these awards," the letter said.
Judicial Watch contended Kerry's service records, which he did not fill out, indicate he won a Silver Star with a "V" for valor. A Pentagon official said the "V" was a typographical error on the part of the clerk who typed up the form. Kerry had nothing to do with the form, and has never attempted to wear a "V" with his medal, to the Pentagon's knowledge. Moreover, another official said "Vs" are never issued with Silver Stars.
The Navy said conducting any further review of awards made 30 years ago unproductive.
"The passage of time would make reconstruction of the facts and circumstances unreliable, and would not allow the information gathered to be considered in the context of the time in which the events took place."
The IG said part of the decision not to conduct a further investigation has to do with Kerry's long public record.
"Senator Kerry's post-active duty activities were public and ... military and civilian officials were aware of his actions at the time. For these reasons, I have determined that Senator Kerry's awards were properly approved and will take no further action in this matter," Route wrote.
Judicial Watch based its claims on the military records posted on Kerry's Web site, which it contends have irregularities and include the "illicit" combat "V."
"Orders and citations posted on Senator Kerry's Internet site reflect citations for the Silver Star being 'awarded' to Senator Kerry under the authority of both Vice Admiral Zumwalt (commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Vietnam) and Admiral Hyland (commander in chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet). Section 113.3 of SECNAVINST 1650.1G directs that only the Secretary of the Navy can, in the name of the president, award the Silver Star," Judicial Watch said.
Judicial Watch's request that 31 additional pages of Kerry's military records be released was also rejected by the Navy. A Navy official said Friday those pages contain personal information and are covered by the Privacy Act and therefore are not releasable under the Freedom of Information Act. A pro-President Bush group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has also questioned Kerry's medals in a series of high-profile ads that helped erode his post-convention popularity.
Judicial Watch was a constant thorn in the side of Democratic President Clinton, playing prominent roles in the Lewinsky and "Filegate" scandals, among other things. It has also targeted Republican Vice President Dick Cheney's secretive energy task force in legal filings.
