Kerry volunteered.

This form the John Forbes Kerry Timeline.
Kerry is interviewed in a New York Times article titled "An Angry War Veteran," in which he admits to the reporter that he enlisted in the Swift Boats to avoid the war in Vietnam, since the boats were only used for patrol duty:

      "That first trip to Vietnam piqued his curiosity, 'I wanted to go back and see for myself what was going on, but I didn't really want to get involved in the war.' So late in 1968 he volunteered for an assignment on "swift boats" - the short, fast aluminum craft that were then used for patrol duty off the coast of Vietnam.

"Two weeks before he arrived in Vietnam as a swift boat commander, he said, 'they changed the policy on the use of the boats - decided to send them up the river to prove to the Vietcong that they didn't own the waters.'

He signed up for the Naval RESERVE (not the US Navy) after the draft deferment he applied for was denied.

I don't expect you to believe this since it is not from your usual source of information, John Kerry.com.

Rest assured that it is accurate.

If you consider John Kerry to be a man of honor, integrity and character, then I am happy not to be ranked with him in your estimation.

The snowboard incident took place inn Sun Vally, Idaho, Google John Kerry snowboard and read all about it. Also check out Dave Barrys encounter with Kerry in a local rental shop.

Ronald Reagan did not bastardize his child when he divorced his first wifr and what in the world does that have to do with John Kerry?

As for his early political aspirations, there have been numerous interviews with former classmates that address this very subject. The JFK remark was simply one among many. If you like, I'll find some for you and post them. I'll just give links. You've indicated that you don't like cut and paste.

In closing, I notice that you uaed the line, "he was in combat. He didn't rum." in a post to me.

Thank you. I posted that line on 21-Jan-2006. I was refering to Kerry.

troll