Following recent Republican efforts to discredit Kerry's military service
medals, the ultra conservative group Judicial Watch, best known for nuisance
lawsuits against Democrats, asked the Navy to open an investigation into the
matter.

In response to that request, Navy Inspector General Vice Admiral Ronald A.
Route conducted a review of Kerry's Vietnam-era military service awards and
concluded Friday that procedures were properly followed in the approval of
Sen. John Kerry's Silver Star, Bronze Star and three Purple Heart medals,
according to an internal memo written to Navy Secretary Gordon England.

"Our examination found that existing documentation regarding the Silver
Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart medals indicates the awards approval
process was properly followed," Route wrote in the memo. "In particular, the
senior officers who awarded the medals were properly delegated authority to
do so. In addition, we found that they correctly followed the procedures in
place at the time for approving these awards."

"Conducting any additional review regarding events that took place over 30
years ago would not be productive," Route continued. "The passage of time
would make reconstruction of the facts and circumstances unreliable, and
would not allow the information gathered to be considered in the context of
the time in which the events took place."

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Those of us who earlier defended Kerry's medals will now certainly watch
to see if those Republicans who were so quick to openly belittle Kerry's
medals in recent weeks will be as quick to openly admit their mistake, or
will they now choose to attack the Navy Inspector General's review instead.

Stewart