Gulf Breeze, Fla.
Sen. John Kerry’s former Navy commander said this week that the Democratic presidential candidate did not deserve the first of three Purple Hearts he was awarded in Vietnam. Kerry was hit by shrapnel during a river patrol two weeks after arriving in Vietnam. He showed the wound to his superior, Grant Hibbard, and said he was filing an application for the medal. Hibbard, now retired and living in Florida, told The Boston Globe that the wound was just a scratch on Kerry’s forearm. “I’ve had thorns from a rose that were worse,” said Hibbard, a registered Republican. The Kerry campaign disputed Hibbard’s claim, saying the Navy would not have approved the medal if Kerry hadn’t earned it.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.