We covered the story when it first broke here.
Scott Swett has some new details over at the American Thinker.
It’s a long article, and I’m pressed for time today. If this is of interest to you read the whole thing, meanwhile below are the closing paragraphs.
Navy sources told reporters that Sanders was responsible for what they referred to as “administrative errors” in the creation of the award, and said that he “may have lied.”
Other veterans familiar with the case question whether the Navy awarded a Silver Star to Sanders in the first place. They believe he fabricated the documentation while he was a high-ranking Pentagon official, in a position that would have offered ready access to his own personnel file. Sanders was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Reserves by President Clinton on July 22, 1993, and remained in the job until 1998.
Stolen Valor author B.G. Burkett, an expert on fraudulent military awards, considers such an event to be well within the realm of possibility. He notes that it is far more difficult to validate Navy awards than those issued by the other services. The Army, for example, numbers each general order sequentially and maintains a copy at the unit level, making it much easier to identify discrepancies. Attempts to research problematic Navy awards are also hindered by a longstanding institutional reluctance to publicly disgrace an officer.
The Navy’s decision to suppress the NCIS investigation report is unfortunate. Have other well-connected officials also manipulated a flawed system to enhance their credentials? Wade Sanders held a significant office under the Secretary of the Navy and later played an important role in a Presidential campaign. The public deserves to know what the Navy found out about his Silver Star to take the extraordinary step of revoking it.
Would a FOIA request get the NCIS report released? Just asking. And the public deserves to know what else Sanders may have to done to benefit his benefactor.
At last – there are more than a couple of us “nut cases” out here asking questions. Thank you, Scott, for keeping this issue close enough to the front burner that perhaps those of us who have been vilified for asking questions all these decades will finally be vindicated.
@ #2 – OWB; Why shoot! You are one of the best nutcases I’ve ever ran with! Haha!
Good to see Burkett is still around. I heard him say in an interview a few years back about his book, that when he dies, it might not ever be republished because of all the lawsuits. He himself has been vindicated when ever he has been brought to trial by some of the wannabees who claim he is defaming them. They can never prove their case but in the future other publishers might not be as willing to fight it.
Personal opinion is that John Kerry got a dishonorable discharge after his court-martial for trading with the enemy but it was commuted by Jimmy Carter. Thanks JC! That’s why we’ll never see his original dd214.
It just goes to show you what being related to the right people will do for you doesn’t it. John “you know I served in Vietnam” Kerry had the right connections. He got to throw away his medals and score some super hairy hippie chicks when he got home then wrap himself in the flag when he wanted to run for president. I don’t understand people from Mass. that shit wouldn’t fly here in Missouri. He would have been called on that shit his first election.
@5 – Is that just pure out wishful thinking?
Hey, Purple Dragon? Unless Zero, OWB or Scott recall sKerry being dishonorably discharged nothing is turning up about such action on wintersoldier.com…Care to expand our knowledge?
“…a longstanding institutional reluctance to publicly disgrace an officer.”
Google “Navy officer relieved” and you’ll see that dog don’t hunt these days. Some other job title he once held might explain it better.
As I said it’s straight personal opinion and a gut feeling on my part. He could have gotten a less than honorable discharge rather than a dishonorable discharge. Actually that’s more probable as I think a dishonorable discharge would probably take a lot more political interference and leave far more track’s.
About his elections in Mass., you can thank the political machine there, that’s why Killer Kennedy kept getting re-elected.
roger that, Purple
Not to mention, Teresa Heinz K buying little Johnny anything he wanted. She tried to buy the presidency for him, but that evil Bush got in the way.