Kerry’s 3rd
Purple Heart Award

Kerry’s Navy Injury Report:

"LTJG Kerry suffered
shrapnel wounds in his left buttocks
and contusions* on his right forearm
when a mine detonated close aboard PCF-94."

*bruises (not broken, or bleeding)

Officer Larry Thurlow,
on shore with Kerry that day:

Kerry's buttocks shrapnel wound came from a self-inflicted wound when Kerry threw a concussion grenade into a rice pile and stayed too close.

John Kerry’s
own journal entry:

"I got a piece of small grenade in my ass from one of the rice bin explosions."

The regulations for the Purple Heart
exclude accidental injury
and self-inflicted wounds.

Kerry lied.

He reported to the Navy that he had been wounded by shrapnel in his buttocks from an enemy mine.

In reality he negligently wounded himself and then lied about the wound in order to secure a third Purple Heart and a quick trip home – 243 days early.