Just out of curiousity, when you have whatever -- a half inch? -- of metal sticking out of your arm, do you assume there's no more than a fraction of an inch
in your arm?
I guess Kerry would have had to have had x-ray vision to know the total size of the shrapnel piece.
And I guess that those of you who have never been in the military would not know that purple hearts are awarded for all injuries in a combat zone? Getting a piece of shrapnel in your arm doesn't qualify as a self-inflicted wound unless you jam it in yourself. It's called 'friendly fire' if in fact, that's what it was.
If you read up on Hibbard, he has changed his story since writing glowing fitness reports on Kerry at the time. i wonder if he's recalling correctly...?
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In a fitness report dated Jan. 8, 1969, Hibbard said Kerry "has had a most demanding job" and said he found him as someone who would be "most valuable" to the Navy officer corps. The Kerry campaign has posted all of the documentation for his medals and the fitness reports on its Web site,
www.johnkerry.com.
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