Page "John Kerry military service controversy" Paragraph 45

Commenting on the Silver Star issue, Republican Sen. John Warner, who was Under Secretary of the Navy at the time, stated " We did extraordinary, careful checking on that type of medal, a very high one, when it goes through the secretary ... I'd stand by the process that awarded that medal, and I think we best acknowledge that his heroism did gain that recognition.

" Elmo Zumwalt, Commander of the United States Naval Forces in Vietnam at that time, signed Kerry's original Silver Star citation and defended the award in 1996, saying " It is a disgrace to the United States Navy that there's any inference that the process was anything other than totally honest.

" Boston Herald, October 28, 1996.