I still can’t vouch for or confirm any of this, so please treat this all as the purest form of Internet rumors. But here’s what’s being posted on and elsewhere this morning:
I [DONALD L. NELSON, CAPT, JAGC, USNR] was on active duty as a U.S. Navy lawyer when all of this was going on some 25 to 30 years ago, and so was Mark F. Sullivan, who at all relevant times was the personal lawyer to J. William Middendorf, then the Secretary of the Navy. We remember.
We are trying to break this absolutely true story nationwide, i.e., Fox News, C Span, and hopefully all the major networks. We are positive that John Kerry was one of those dishonorably dismissed from the Navy for collaborating with the Viet Cong, after he was released from active duty but still in the Navy, and for a totally unauthorized trip to Hanoi. He later got an “honorable” separation in 1978, some 12 years after joining the Navy, under President Carter’s “Amnesty Program” for draft dodgers, deserters, and other malcontents who fled to Canada and Holland, among other places, to avoid military service to our country.
This is why he has refused, and continues to refuse, to release all of his Navy records: they reflect that he was Dishonorably Dismissed from the United States Naval Service. If they do not (which they do), he would have released them to the public. Again, he has not done so, because he well knows that the truth would kill his challenge to President Bush.
New Conservative Voice says that this is a letter sent to Sean Hannity.
I’m still waiting for real evidence, and real on-the-record statements. But for whatever it’s worth, the memo above represents the state-of-play this morning…
Update: I don’t think it’s an unreasonable guess to state that Jeff Jarvis does not approve of this story. That’s Jeff’s choice. I’m not buying it as truth just yet, but the rumor is out there. I won’t report just any rumor, but this one rings true enough to me to post as rumor. We’ll see if it turns out to be true or not.
Update II: NavyChief just posted this at the SwiftVets forum:
The information I posted about a former SECNAV and Kerry’s Discharge was pulled at my request because I jumped the gun.
You couldn’t believe the powerplay behind the scenes at this moment regarding this story.
You can call me many things (and probably will) — I don’t care.
This isn’t my call anymore on how/where/when/why this story will come out.
I’ve been told/asked/cajoled whatever you wish to call it — to stand down.
So, this Chief will STAND DOWN (for now).
That’s all I have to say on the matter. If you want me to personally apologize to everyone — so be it.
– Troy Jenkins (aka “NavyChief”)
One bit of context: although all this action is happening at the Swift Vets forum, NavyChief is not actually a Swift Boat veteran (nor does he claim to be), although he is a veteran.