Vietnam Service Medal

John F. Kerry qualified for four campaign stars in two tours of duty:

U.S.S. Gridley operations: enroute and in Subic Bay, Gulf of Tonkin [9 February–9 May 1968] [REVIEW]

• Tet 1968 Counteroffensive (30 January–l April 1968)
  • Request for duty in Vietnam. 10 February 1968 [Vietnam_duty_request.pdf] 128 KB
  • Kerry fitness report, 1 September–22 March 1968 (Allen W. Slifer) [Fitness_Reports.pdf, pp. 7-8] 8.8 MB
• Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase IV (2 April–30 June 1968)
  • Kerry fitness report, 23 March–20 July 1968 (Wyatt E. Harper) [Fitness_Reports.pdf, pp. 9-10]
  • Search and Rescue mission congratulations, May 1968 [Fitness_Reports.pdf, p. 11]

Coastal Squadron One operations: Cam Ranh Bay, Cat Lo, An Thoi [17 November 1968–26 March 1969]

• Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase VI (2 November 1968–22 February 1969)
  • Kerry fitness report, 8 November–6 December 1968 (Grant W. Hibbard, Coastal Division 14 at Cam Ranh Bay) [Fitness_Reports.pdf, pp. 13-15]
  • Kerry fitness report, 6 December 1968–13 December 1968 (George M. Elliot, Coastal Division 11 at An Thoi) [Fitness_Reports.pdf, pp. 16-17]
  • Kerry fitness report, 13 December 1968–6 January 1969 (Joseph W. Streuli, Coastal Division 13 at Cat Lo) [Fitness_Reports.pdf, pp. 18-19] The first page of the report has been found, but it is missing here.
• Tet 1969 Counteroffensive (23 February–8 June 1969)
  • Kerry fitness reports, 8 December 1968–26 March 1969 (George M. Elliot, Coastal Division 11 at An Thoi) [Fitness_Reports.pdf, pp. 20-23]

Kerry was in charge of PCF-44 from 6 December 1968 to 21 January 1969 and in charge of PCF-94 from 30 January to 25 March 1969. For compilations of after-action "spot" reports and press releases involving these boats for these dates, see:

• PCF-44: [SeaLords252.pdf] 196 KB
• PCF-94: [PCF-94_spot_reports.pdf] 2.8 MB [NOTES]

For declassified information about these operations, see:

• Sealords activation order. 1 November 1968 [SeaLords.pdf] 92 KB
• Operation Order 101-69. For Coastal Division 11 (Adrian Lonsdale, Roy Hoffmann). 1 January 1969 [Operation_Order_101-69.pdf] 284 KB
• Operation Order 201-69. For Task Force 115 (Roy Hoffmann). 28 February 1969. [Operation_Order_201-69.pdf] [Not a complete copy. Pages and sections missing.] 11.2 MB
• Commander Naval Forces Vietnam, Monthly Summaries: Naval Historical Center
• SEALORDS: A Front in a Frontless War

Presidential Unit Citation

Task Force 115 SWIFT boat operations, 6 December 1968–31 March 1969

• President Richard M. Nixon [Presidential_Unit_Citation.pdf] 148 KB

Silver Star

Sealords mission 270, 28 February 1969 [MAP] [REVIEW]

• Droz account. [New York Times]
• Rood, Leeds account. [Chicago Tribune] [Print Solutions]
• Lee account. [Louisville Courier-Journal]
• Upton account. [Hartford Courant]
• Gibson account. [Springfield Republican]
• PCF-94 crew accounts (Belodeau, Medieros, Sandusky, Short, Thorson) [Going Upriver] [Brinkley, pp. 295-296] [Boston Globe, October 28, 1996]
• Rood Bronze Star citation (Elmo Zumwalt). [Chicago Tribune]
• Kerry Silver Star citation (Elmo Zumwalt). [Silver_Star.pdf] 224 KB
  • (Hyland, Lehman) [Silver_Star_later_citations.pdf] 316 KB
• Sealords mission 270 spot report 1. [SeaLords270.pdf, p. 1] 448 KB
• Sealords mission 270 spot report 2. [SeaLords270.pdf, p. 2-3]
• Sealords mission 270 press release. [SeaLords270.pdf, p. 4]
• Sealords mission 270 congratulations. (Roy Hoffmann) [Chicago Tribune]
• UDT 13 weekly situation report. [UDT-13.pdf, p. 6] 76 KB
• U.S. Naval Forces, Vietnam, Historical Summary for February 1969. March 17, 1969 [Texas Tech] [Monthly_Historical_Summary.pdf, pp. 2-3] 96 KB

4 officers and at least 15 crew members present on three boats:

1. PCF-23 OinC LTJG William B. Rood,† Benjamin M. Cueva, Richard J. Lamberson,† Larry C. Lee, Jerry R. Leeds, Kenneth Martin
2. PCF-43 OinC LTJG Donald G. Droz,† Robert E. Hornberger, Lloyd E. Jones, Wayne D. Langhofer,† Stephen A. Miller, Michael S. Modansky
   • PCF-43 crew awards photo (March 6, 1969):
     [Be Good, Smile Pretty]
3. PCF-94 OinC LTJG John Kerry, Thomas Belodeau,† Michael Medeiros,† Del Sandusky, Fred Short, Eugene Thorson, LTJG Charles R. Gibson
   • PCF 94 crew awards photo (March 6, 1969): [Boston Globe]

U.S. Army advisory team members (aboard PCF-23): Bill Hirschler,† Mike Miggins,† Doug Reese
U.S. Navy demolition team members (aboard PCF-94): LTJG Peter N. Upton, Hinson, Mitchell

† Awarded Bronze Star for this mission.

Bronze Star with Combat "V"

Sealords mission 358, 13 March 1969 [MAP] [REVIEW]

• PCF-94 crew accounts (Alston, Belodeau, Medieros, Sandusky, Thorson) [Going Upriver] [Brinkley, pp. 303-318]
• Chenoweth notebook. [Page 1] [Page 2] [transcript]
• Rassmann account. [Wall Street Journal] [Going Upriver]
• Langhofer account. [Washington Post]
• Russell account. [Telluride Daily Planet]
• Lambert account. [Mail Tribune]
• Lambert Bronze Star citation. [Nation]
• Thurlow award recomendation, 23 March 1969. [FactCheck.org]
• Thurlow Bronze Star citation. [FactCheck.org]
• Kerry award recomendation, 23 March 1969. [Bronze_Star_recommendation.pdf] 400 KB
• Kerry Bronze Star citation. [Bronze_Star.pdf] 304 KB
• Sealords 358 spot report. [SeaLords358.pdf, pp. 1-2] 848 KB
• PCF-3 casualty reports (Pees, Hollister, Tryner, Vorphal). [SeaLords358.pdf, pp. 3-6]
• PCF-3 damage report. [SeaLords358.pdf, pp. 7-8]
• PCF-94 casualty report (Kerry). [SeaLords358.pdf, p. 9]
• PCF-94 damage report.[SeaLords358.pdf, p. 10] Part of this damage occurred March 12.
• PCF-51 damage report. [SeaLords358.pdf, p. 11] Part of this damage occurred March 12.
• Commander Task Force 115 weekly update, 14 March 1969 (Roy Hoffmann). [CTF-115_14March.pdf] 212 KB
• Commander Task Force 115 weekly assessment, 18 March 1969 (Roy Hoffmann). [CTF-115_18March.pdf] 212 KB

5 officers and at least 25 crew members present on five boats:

1. PCF-3 OinC LTJG Richard W. Pees, Fred L. Arp, Earl N. Hollister, Kenneth F. Tryner, Leslie L. Vorphal, Walter Wolfe
2. PCF-43 OinC LTJG Donald G. Droz, Robert E. Hornberger, Lloyd E. Jones, Wayne D. Langhofer, Stephen A. Miller, Michael S. Modansky
3. PCF-51 OinC LTJG Larry R. Thurlow,‡ Robert E. Lambert,‡
4. PCF-23, manned by PCF-93 crew, OinC LTJG Chenoweth, Van H. O'Dell,
5. PCF-94 OinC LTJG John Kerry,‡ Del Sandusky, David Alston, Thomas Belodeau, Michael Medeiros, Eugene Thorson

‡ Awarded Bronze Star for this mission.

Purple Heart 1

2 December 1968 [REVIEW]

• Patrick Runyon account. [Cleveland Plain Dealer]
• William Zaladonis account. [Boston Globe]
• James Wasser account. [Brinkley, p. 158]
• Purple Heart presentation letter, 28 February 1969. [Purple_Hearts.pdf, p. 1] 812 KB
• Kerry medical record. [Gerald J. Doyle]

Purple Heart 2

Sealords mission 324, 20 February 1969 [MAP] [REVIEW]

• Sealords mission 324 spot report. [SeaLords324.pdf, pp. 1-2] 332 KB
• Sealords mission 324 congratulations. (Roy Hoffmann) [SeaLords324.pdf, p. 3]
• Kerry casualty report. [SeaLords324.pdf, p. 4]
• Thorson casualty report. [SeaLords324.pdf, p. 5]
• Kerry personnel-file casualty report. [Personnel_Casualty_Report.pdf, pp. 1-2] 576 KB
• Kerry casualty certification. [Personnel_Casualty_Report.pdf, p. 3]
• Purple Heart presentation letter, 5 March 1969. [Purple_Hearts.pdf, p. 3]
• Kerry medical record. [Gerald J. Doyle]

Purple Heart 3

Sealords mission 358, 13 March 1969 [REVIEW]

• Kerry casualty report. [SeaLords358.pdf, p. 9]
• Thrice-wounded reassignment request. [Thrice-wounded_reassignment.pdf] 116 KB
• Kerry personnel-file casualty report. [Personnel_Casualty_Report.pdf, p. 4]
• Kerry casualty certification. [Personnel_Casualty_Report.pdf, p. 5]
• Purple Heart presentation letter, 17 April 1969. [Purple_Hearts.pdf, p. 5]
• Kerry medical record. [Gerald J. Doyle]