Stolen Valor

[Intense]

It's the same as Faking a College education, a PHD, an MD, Plagiarism, Right?????

No harm no foul Right?????

It's All Relative Man.

 

[Intense]

Most criminals are pathetic.
But they're still criminal.

False innuendo.

Claiming you have a medal is ONLY illegal because someone decided to make a pathetic attempt for attention that harms no one a crime.

Will we next arrest Dr Gregg for "Stolen Learning" because he claims he has a PhD in Genetics? Congress could pass just such a law and such pathetic behavior would suddenly become criminal. Such a law would nonetheless be inane.

Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Fraudulent claims surrounding the receipt of the Medal
of Honor, the distinguished-service cross, the Navy cross, the
Air Force cross, the Purple Heart, and other decorations and
medals awarded by the President or the Armed Forces of the
United States damage the reputation and meaning of such
decorations and medals.
http://ftp.resource.org/gpo.gov/laws/109/publ437.109.pdf

S. 1998:

Stolen Valor Act of 2005
109th Congress

This is a bill in the U.S. Congress originating in the Senate ("S."). A bill must be passed by both the Senate and House and then be signed by the President before it becomes law.


Because this bill was introduced in a previous session of Congress, no more action can occur on it.
Primary Source

See S. 1998 [109th] on THOMAS for the official source of information on this bill or resolution.

A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to enhance protections relating to the reputation and meaning of the Medal of Honor and other military decorations and awards, and for other purposes.
Overview
Sponsor:

Sen. Kent Conrad [D-ND]

Status:

Occurred: Introduced Nov 10, 2005
Occurred: Referred to Committee View Committee Assignments
Occurred: Passed Senate Sep 7, 2006
Occurred: Passed House Dec 6, 2006
Occurred: Signed by President Dec 20, 2006
This bill became law. It was signed by George Bush.
Last Action:
Dec 20, 2006: Became Public Law No: 109-437.
Related:


Votes:

Sep 7, 2006: This bill passed in the Senate by Unanimous Consent. A record of each senator’s position was not kept.
Dec 6, 2006: This bill passed in the House of Representatives by voice vote. A record of each representative’s position was not kept.

S. 1998 [109th]: Stolen Valor Act of 2005 (GovTrack.us)


It would seem that the US Congress disagrees with you.

Track Every last one down!

 

[Charles Stucker]

It would seem that the US Congress disagrees with you.

That's nothing new. I want a balanced budget (from slashing spending) less national debt, and lower taxes. But congress disagrees with me on all three.

 

[Toome]

I see this as a two-part issue:

The first one is more of a fraud issue. Purple Heart recipients are granted certain privileges such as not being charged for parking in city or state parking facilities. Medal of Honor recipients are given a whole list of benefits and privileges that translate into theft of services if falsely claimed.

The second one is a matter of honor. I'm not sure if this should be a criminal act, but I'm not opposed to how the Stolen Valor law is interpreted. While I've run into my fair share of "PX Rangers," I basically see no harm with these wannabes; they're only embarrassing themselves. However, a fake Medal of Honor recipient brings dishonor to those who wear it as well as those who were awarded posthumously. If it weren't for the law, then I would take out a baseball bat and club them short of death so that they could survive with the pain and agony they deserve. If you never wore the uniform or took a walk in the dark of night with the devil at your side, you'd just never understand.

 

[kwc57]

It is being challenged now in federal court. Xavier Alvarez, a California man convicted in 2007 of falsely claiming to be a decorated Marine, is asking the U.S. Court of Appeals to overturn the conviction and rule the Stolen Valor Act unconstitutional. A ruling could come at any time.

Stolen Valor: Challenges to Fake Medals Met with Criticism - ABC News


I understand that there are 3 separate cases where the ACLU is trying to get the law overturned.

What say you Veterans? Is falsely claiming medals or service within the 1st amendment rights?

Oh, I thought this might be a thread about Ollie North, but it isn't. Nevermind.

 

[Intense]

It is being challenged now in federal court. Xavier Alvarez, a California man convicted in 2007 of falsely claiming to be a decorated Marine, is asking the U.S. Court of Appeals to overturn the conviction and rule the Stolen Valor Act unconstitutional. A ruling could come at any time.

Stolen Valor: Challenges to Fake Medals Met with Criticism - ABC News


I understand that there are 3 separate cases where the ACLU is trying to get the law overturned.

What say you Veterans? Is falsely claiming medals or service within the 1st amendment rights?

Oh, I thought this might be a thread about Ollie North, but it isn't. Nevermind.

I'll take Ollie over You or Kerry Any day, clown.

 

[maineman]

I am a vet, and I have my share of fruit salad over my breast pocket... and I think that there does not need to be a LAW against this despicable behavior. I think that the deservedly severe condemnation of society ought to be sufficient. If I were an employer, and I found out that a job applicant had fabricated military service in order to improve his or her chances of being hired, I would not hire them, and if I found out after hiring, I would fire them... and warn all of my peers in the business community about them as well.

 

[kwc57]

It is being challenged now in federal court. Xavier Alvarez, a California man convicted in 2007 of falsely claiming to be a decorated Marine, is asking the U.S. Court of Appeals to overturn the conviction and rule the Stolen Valor Act unconstitutional. A ruling could come at any time.

Stolen Valor: Challenges to Fake Medals Met with Criticism - ABC News


I understand that there are 3 separate cases where the ACLU is trying to get the law overturned.

What say you Veterans? Is falsely claiming medals or service within the 1st amendment rights?

Oh, I thought this might be a thread about Ollie North, but it isn't. Nevermind.

I'll take Ollie over You or Kerry Any day, clown.

You can keep Kerry and Ollie both. Ollie was a disgrace to the Marine uniform. No amount of turning a buck off of his military connections will ever change that.

 

[Intense]

Oh, I thought this might be a thread about Ollie North, but it isn't. Nevermind.

I'll take Ollie over You or Kerry Any day, clown.

You can keep Kerry and Ollie both. Ollie was a disgrace to the Marine uniform. No amount of turning a buck off of his military connections will ever change that.

Pussy!


I will keep Ollie. Kerry should go straight to the Swifties, apologize, and come clean. He can start with Standard Form 180.

 

[maineman]

I'll take Ollie over You or Kerry Any day, clown.

You can keep Kerry and Ollie both. Ollie was a disgrace to the Marine uniform. No amount of turning a buck off of his military connections will ever change that.

Pussy!


I will keep Ollie. Kerry should go straight to the Swifties, apologize, and come clean. He can start with Standard Form 180.

kerry actually signed an SF180. Bush did not. Any documentation surroundig Bush's failure to follow a direct order to take a flight physical have been "lost" somehow in the national guard's paper warehouse. hmmmmmmm.

 

[Intense]

You can keep Kerry and Ollie both. Ollie was a disgrace to the Marine uniform. No amount of turning a buck off of his military connections will ever change that.

Pussy!


I will keep Ollie. Kerry should go straight to the Swifties, apologize, and come clean. He can start with Standard Form 180.

kerry actually signed an SF180. Bush did not. Any documentation surroundig Bush's failure to follow a direct order to take a flight physical have been "lost" somehow in the national guard's paper warehouse. hmmmmmmm.

Not to my understanding. I believe You have Your facts wrong. Kerry released selective documents. Bush had everything out there. You all used that against him throughout both terms. Show where Kerry signed form 1080.

 

[kwc57]

I'll take Ollie over You or Kerry Any day, clown.

You can keep Kerry and Ollie both. Ollie was a disgrace to the Marine uniform. No amount of turning a buck off of his military connections will ever change that.

Pussy!

Do you come by being a douchenozzle naturally, or do you have to work at it? What's with the name calling? If that is the best you have, you lost the argument. Oliver North sold weapons to terrorists as a bargain to free hostages......and you hold him up as a model Marine and some sort of patriotic, conservative icon. No thanks. My conservatism has too much integrity to include a self promoting, money grubbing lackey using his former Marine status for gain. I appreciate that he appreciates the troops. That being said, he disgraced himself by his actions and no amount of sucking up will redeem him for that. You can have him if you want him.

 

[maineman]

Pussy!


I will keep Ollie. Kerry should go straight to the Swifties, apologize, and come clean. He can start with Standard Form 180.

kerry actually signed an SF180. Bush did not. Any documentation surroundig Bush's failure to follow a direct order to take a flight physical have been "lost" somehow in the national guard's paper warehouse. hmmmmmmm.

Not to my understanding. I believe You have Your facts wrong. Kerry released selective documents. Bush had everything out there. You all used that against him throughout both terms. Show where Kerry signed form 1080.

and I am quite sure that you have your facts wrong. Kerry signed an SF180. That's a fact. Bush, on the other hand, DID have a web site with all sorts of documents on it, but it was hardly all-inclusive. Like I said, he disobeyed a direct order to report for a flight physical. An officer disobeys a direct order, and SOMETHING goes in his record, guaranteed... but NADA in the records that Dubya selectively released.

edit: as per your request:

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/w...ows_navy_release_of_military_medical_records/

On May 20, Kerry signed a document called Standard Form 180, authorizing the Navy to send an ''undeleted" copy of his ''complete military service record and medical record" to the Globe. Asked why he delayed signing the form for so long, Kerry said in a written response: ''The call for me to sign a 180 form came from the same partisan operatives who were lying about my record on a daily basis on the Web and in the right-wing media. Even though the media was discrediting them, they continued to lie. I felt strongly that we shouldn't kowtow to them and their attempts to drag their lies out."

Many of the records contain praise for Kerry's service. For example, the documents quote Kerry's former commanding officers as saying he is ''one of the finest young officers with whom I have served;" is ''the acknowledged leader of his peer group;" and is ''highly recommended for promotion."

now...admit that you were wrong...

 

[SFC Ollie]

You all are off topic, this battle was fought 6 years ago. Kerry was awarded medals that I disagree with and he used them politically, but he had them awarded to him legally and had the right to wear them.

Bush received very few medals but received them as he should have.

 

[maineman]

You all are off topic, this battle was fought 6 years ago. Kerry was awarded medals that I disagree with and he used them politically, but he had them awarded to him legally and had the right to wear them.

Bush received very few medals but received them as he should have.

whether YOU disagree with the awards board that awarded Kerry a silver star and a bronze star is completely irrelevant. SInce when do E-7's get to decide when officers have earned such awards?

and no thoughts on Bush disobeying a direct order?

I understand.

 

[Intense]

You all are off topic, this battle was fought 6 years ago. Kerry was awarded medals that I disagree with and he used them politically, but he had them awarded to him legally and had the right to wear them.

Bush received very few medals but received them as he should have.

Have You read the Swifty Book? If so You know that there were issues with the medals. The Standard Form #180 would clear some of it up. One of them was denied by the Commanding Officer and Doctor. He later reapplied after the two were reassigned elsewhere. One was the result of a wound repaired with a pair of tweezers. His mission was to get 3 Purple Hearts so He could be sent home Early. It took allot of scamming and manipulating, but I agree, He was awarded 3 Purple Hearts. No matter that the injuries were self inflicted.

I have a close friend that received a purple heart in the army, during the Vietnam era, he was in the Army band, and got allergies in boot camp. He likes to play the disabled Vet, yet, rarely goes into detail about how He got the Purple Heart. I guess I just caught Him once with His Guard down. He's sort of like a Lou Costello.

 

[SFC Ollie]

You all are off topic, this battle was fought 6 years ago. Kerry was awarded medals that I disagree with and he used them politically, but he had them awarded to him legally and had the right to wear them.

Bush received very few medals but received them as he should have.

whether YOU disagree with the awards board that awarded Kerry a silver star and a bronze star is completely irrelevant. SInce when do E-7's get to decide when officers have earned such awards?

and no thoughts on Bush disobeying a direct order?

I understand.

You understand very little, and are blinded by your bias. See the highlighted section? And I have no knowledge of Bush disobeying an order. Were you there? Have you seen the documentation? Me neither.

 

[maineman]

You all are off topic, this battle was fought 6 years ago. Kerry was awarded medals that I disagree with and he used them politically, but he had them awarded to him legally and had the right to wear them.

Bush received very few medals but received them as he should have.

whether YOU disagree with the awards board that awarded Kerry a silver star and a bronze star is completely irrelevant. SInce when do E-7's get to decide when officers have earned such awards?

and no thoughts on Bush disobeying a direct order?

I understand.

You understand very little, and are blinded by your bias. See the highlighted section? And I have no knowledge of Bush disobeying an order. Were you there? Have you seen the documentation? Me neither.

I am not about to spend my saturday morning googling so that you can see what everyone already saw years ago. Bush was given orders to report for his annual flight physical... interestingly enough, it was, as I recall, the first flight physical where the military would be doing drug testing as an integral part thereof...and Bush failed to report, and NONE of the documentation that Dubya posted on the internet had a THING to do with that order or any fallout that occured when he failed to carry that order out.

 

[maineman]

still waiting for intense to man up.

::yawn::

kerry actually signed an SF180. Bush did not. Any documentation surroundig Bush's failure to follow a direct order to take a flight physical have been "lost" somehow in the national guard's paper warehouse. hmmmmmmm.

Not to my understanding. I believe You have Your facts wrong. Kerry released selective documents. Bush had everything out there. You all used that against him throughout both terms. Show where Kerry signed form 1080.

and I am quite sure that you have your facts wrong. Kerry signed an SF180. That's a fact. Bush, on the other hand, DID have a web site with all sorts of documents on it, but it was hardly all-inclusive. Like I said, he disobeyed a direct order to report for a flight physical. An officer disobeys a direct order, and SOMETHING goes in his record, guaranteed... but NADA in the records that Dubya selectively released.

edit: as per your request:

Kerry allows Navy release of military, medical records - The Boston Globe

On May 20, Kerry signed a document called Standard Form 180, authorizing the Navy to send an ''undeleted" copy of his ''complete military service record and medical record" to the Globe. Asked why he delayed signing the form for so long, Kerry said in a written response: ''The call for me to sign a 180 form came from the same partisan operatives who were lying about my record on a daily basis on the Web and in the right-wing media. Even though the media was discrediting them, they continued to lie. I felt strongly that we shouldn't kowtow to them and their attempts to drag their lies out."

Many of the records contain praise for Kerry's service. For example, the documents quote Kerry's former commanding officers as saying he is ''one of the finest young officers with whom I have served;" is ''the acknowledged leader of his peer group;" and is ''highly recommended for promotion."

now...admit that you were wrong...

 

[Intense]

Fair Enough. I was wrong about Kerry signing the Standard Form #180. I think I had already given up on it at the time.



August 20, 2004, 10:31 a.m.
Sunshine Policy
John Kerry should sign an SF 180.



Thanks to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, Senator John Kerry's Vietnam sojourn faces fresh scrutiny. Kerry can easily answer their claims that he has exaggerated or falsified details of his four months in combat: He should sign the Pentagon's Standard Form 180 to assure that his military records are fully public. Total transparency would help voters decide if Kerry should become commander-in-chief.

In a May 4 open letter, just under 200 of Kerry's fellow Swift Boat veterans urged him to instruct the Navy to release his "complete and unaltered" military records. "We believe that you have withheld and/or distorted material facts as to your own conduct in this war," read the letter, signed by Democrats, Republicans, and independents. "Permit the American public the opportunity to assess your military performance upon the record, and not upon campaign rhetoric."

Regnery's best-selling book, Unfit for Command, by John O'Neill and Jerome Corsi, identifies several mysteries that Kerry's unabridged military documents could solve. Among them:

Dr. Louis Letson used tweezers to pull a splinter of shrapnel from Kerry's left arm on December 3, 1968. The next day, with a Band-Aid upon his elbow, Kerry applied for a Purple Heart.

"The scratch didn't look like much to me; I've seen worse injuries from a rose thorn," Commander Grant Hibbard says in Unfit for Command. "Kerry didn't get my signature. I said 'no way' and told him to get out of my office."

How did Kerry score a Purple Heart after Hibbard's rejection? The paperwork that could explain this anomaly, the Swiftees say, contains gaps.

Did Kerry willfully venture five miles into Cambodia that December 24, as he claimed for decades; carelessly straddle the "watery borders between Vietnam and Cambodia," as Kerry's campaign suggested last August 11; or merely relax 50 miles away in Sa Dec, South Vietnam, as his contemporaneous journal indicates? "No snow, no sleighs, no fat jolly Santa Claus with frosted lips," Kerry wrote home that evening. "It's Christmas Eve." Records could settle this.

Kerry won a Silver Star for a February 28, 1969, mission in which his supporters say he led an attack on a Viet Cong stronghold and, according to his commendation, neutralized a "numerically superior force in the face of intense fire." Swiftees say he followed another boat's lead and merely shot a single, wounded Viet Cong guerrilla in the back. O'Neill and Corsi write that the actual after-action report that could resolve this dispute is not among the documents on Kerry's website.

For its part, Kerry-Edwards says it has been open. "We had requested the entire military record from the U.S. Navy, and we took those records and put them on the World Wide Web at johnkerry.com," spokesman Chad Clanton insists by phone.

Clanton's statement may be perfectly valid, but how can anyone know for sure, any more than Americans can be perfectly confident about President Bush's also reputedly public service records? An SF 180 autographed by John Kerry indisputably will show that the Navy has disgorged itself of every paper bearing his name. The SF 180 also could free anything still lodged among the Pentagon's papers that a less formal "request" might have missed. What's good for the donkey is good for the elephant: Bush should sign an SF 180, too.

The SF 180 can be downloaded at www.vetrecs.archives.gov or faxed on demand via 301-837-0990 (request document 2255). Concerned Americans can generate SF 180s and personally hand them to Senator Kerry as he campaigns. This will give him multiple opportunities to bring a verifiable measure of openness to this issue.

The fog of war and clouded memories both raise questions about who may be right on these matters, although many more Swiftees contradict rather than confirm Kerry's accounts. It also could be, as Rashomon teaches cinematically, that the same event viewed by different people from various angles can yield sincere but conflicting recollections.

There is a straightforward way to judge whether Kerry is correct, forgetful, or a talented teller of tall tales. John Kerry himself can answer many of these questions by signing Standard Form 180 to demonstrate that his whole record is open and untouched. As August's bright days prove, sunshine is the best disinfectant.

Deroy Murdock on Swift Boat Veterans on National Review Online




Kerry allows Navy release of military, medical records
Show numerous commendations
By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff | June 7, 2005

WASHINGTON -- Senator John F. Kerry, ending at least two years of refusal, has waived privacy restrictions and authorized the release of his full military and medical records.

The records, which the Navy Personnel Command provided to the Globe, are mostly a duplication of what Kerry released during his 2004 campaign for president, including numerous commendations from commanding officers who later criticized Kerry's Vietnam service.

The lack of any substantive new material about Kerry's military career in the documents raises the question of why Kerry refused for so long to waive privacy restrictions. An earlier release of the full record might have helped his campaign because it contains a number of reports lauding his service. Indeed, one of the first actions of the group that came to be known as Swift Boat Veterans for Truth was to call on Kerry to sign a privacy waiver and release all of his military and medical records.

But Kerry refused, even though it turned out that the records included commendations from some of the same veterans who were criticizing him.

On May 20, Kerry signed a document called Standard Form 180, authorizing the Navy to send an ''undeleted" copy of his ''complete military service record and medical record" to the Globe. Asked why he delayed signing the form for so long, Kerry said in a written response: ''The call for me to sign a 180 form came from the same partisan operatives who were lying about my record on a daily basis on the Web and in the right-wing media. Even though the media was discrediting them, they continued to lie. I felt strongly that we shouldn't kowtow to them and their attempts to drag their lies out."

Many of the records contain praise for Kerry's service. For example, the documents quote Kerry's former commanding officers as saying he is ''one of the finest young officers with whom I have served;" is ''the acknowledged leader of his peer group;" and is ''highly recommended for promotion."

Kerry's refusal to waive privacy restrictions dates back to at least May 2003, when the Globe asked in writing for Kerry to sign the Form 180. As questions were raised about various actions in Vietnam, the Kerry campaign gradually released documents last year, but had not authorized the release of the entire file until now.

In April 2004, Kerry said he had already released his military records. ''I've shown them, they're available for you to come and look at," Kerry said in a television interview. But when a reporter showed up at campaign headquarters, he was told that no new records would be released. That prompted a flood of Republican criticism, and the campaign responded by gradually releasing more military records on its website. Kerry then released his ''fitness reports" -- evaluations by commanding officers -- on April 21, 2004.

Two days later, the campaign allowed some reporters to view Kerry's medical record but did not allow copies to be made and did not post that information online.

By signing Form 180 now, Kerry may hope to achieve several goals: settle the question of whether there is an explosive document in the file; put pressure on critics to release their military records; and try to put to rest an issue that dogged his 2004 campaign and would probably come up again if he seeks the presidency in 2008.

The file does not provide new documents about various combat actions. It contains mostly a repetition of Kerry's citations for the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts. For example, it does not include the combat ''after action reports" that detail what happened in some of the firefights in which Kerry participated. Those reports are available for public inspection at the Navy historical center in Washington and have already been widely disseminated.

John O'Neill, the leader of the Swift Boat veterans group and coauthor of the book ''Unfit for Command," said yesterday that he would be disappointed if Kerry's files do not contain new information. ''I would still have the same beliefs expressed in my book," he said.

O'Neill, who said he has already authorized the release of his records, has questioned a number of Kerry's combat actions involving the first Purple Heart, the Silver Star, and the Bronze Star.

For example, Kerry received his first Purple Heart for action on Dec. 2, 1968. Kerry told historian Douglas Brinkley that ''I never saw where the piece of shrapnel had come from." Kerry's critics have questioned whether the wound came from enemy fire, and his former commanding officer said the wound resembled a ''scratch." The file includes a previously reported reference to Kerry being treated for the wound and that he was awarded the Purple Heart, but it does not address the details of the combat that night. No after-action report for the incident has been found.

Kerry allows Navy release of military, medical records - The Boston Globe




Kerry signs SF-180 form
By Michelle Malkin • May 24, 2005 07:40 AM During an interview yesterday with Boston Globe editorial writers and columnists, John Kerry said he signed Form SF 180. The form will be sent to the U.S. Navy within the next few days.

Globe columnist Joan Vennochi writes:

During an interview yesterday with Globe editorial writers and columnists, the former Democratic presidential nominee was asked if had signed Form SF 180, authorizing the Department of Defense to grant access to all his military records.

”I have signed it,” Kerry said. Then, he added that his staff was ‘’still going through it” and ”very, very shortly, you will have a chance to see it.”

The devil is usually in the details. With Kerry, it’s also in the dodges and digressions. After the interview, Kerry’s communications director, David Wade, was asked to clarify when Kerry signed SF 180 and when public access would be granted. Kerry drifted over to join the conversation, immediately raising the confusion level. He did not answer the question of when he signed the form or when the entire record will be made public.

Several e-mails later, Wade conveyed the following information: On Friday, May 20, Kerry obtained a copy of Form 180 and signed it. ”The next step is to send it to the Navy, which will happen in the next few days. The Navy will then send out the records,” e-mailed Wade. Kerry first said he would sign Form 180 when pressed by Tim Russert during a Jan. 30 appearance on ”Meet the Press.”
Last summer, “Unfit for Command” author John O’Neill said if Kerry signed SF-180, reporters or anyone else could obtain all of Kerry’s military records from DoD. “If he executes Standard Form 180, he would no longer be the gatekeeper, the gatekeeper would be the U.S. military,” he told the Washington Times.

Background:
- A copy of a blank SF-180 form is here (.pdf file)
- Though Kerry’s spokesman said the form will be sent to the Navy, National Archives seems to suggest it should be sent to the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis.
- How long will it take to process Kerry’s request? We may be waiting a few months:

Response times for records requested from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) vary greatly depending on the nature of the request. For example, the NPRC Military Records Facility currently has a backlog of 180,000 requests and receives approximately 5,000 requests per day. Routine requests for separation documents currently require only 2-4 weeks for servicing. However, requests that involve reconstruction efforts due to the 1973 fire [ed. note: see here] or older records which require extensive search efforts may take much longer. The average turnaround time on all requests is currently running at approximately 12 weeks.
-The Swift Boat Vets first called on Kerry to sign the SF-180 form on May 4, 2004: “[W]e the undersigned formally request that you authorize the Department of the Navy to independently release your military records (through your execution of Standard Form 180), complete and unaltered, including your military medical records.”

- On August 18, 2004, the Washington Times reported that the Kerry campaign said it had released all of Kerry’s war records to the public:

“Senator Kerry’s entire military service record is posted on JohnKerry.com. His entire record,” said Michael Meehan, adviser for communications to the campaign, at a press conference called to defend Mr. Kerry against recent charges that the former Navy lieutenant didn’t deserve some of his war decorations – three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star.
- Deroy Murdock was one of the first columnists to call on Kerry to sign the SF-180 form.

- PoliPundit kept the pressure up this spring with the SF-180 clock.

Update: Ed Morrissey says that even after signing the SF 180 form, Kerry need not release his military records to the public:

t could be a cold day in Hell before all or any of it gets released to the media. In fact, Kerry could argue that signing it was all he agreed to do. When, he could say, did I commit to sending it to the Navy? You FOOLS! Mwa-HAHAHAHA!

All kidding aside, Kerry only agreed to sign off on the SF-180. He didn’t agree to release every document that results from that request. The SF-180 will only release the information to Kerry, who can then cull the material for anything embarrassing before making it public.
This contradicts what John O’Neill said last summer. As I noted above, O’Neill said that once the SF-180 is signed and executed, anyone can obtain all of Kerry’s records directly from DoD. Either O’Neill was right or Morrissey is right, but not both. I’m sure the blogosphere will quickly figure it out.

Update II: Mark Coffey suggests a new Kerry clock.

Update III: N.Z. Bear asks a good question.

Michelle Malkin Kerry signs SF-180 form