John Kerry: The Early Years

The Beginnings

Born December 11, 1943 in Aurora, Colorado Parents: Richard and Rosemary

Raised Roman Catholic Alter Boy Thoughts of entering priesthood

Family Lineage

James Grant Forbes, maternal grandfather

Margaret Tyndal Winthrop, maternal grandmother

Richard John Kerry, father Rosemary Forbes, mother

Richard John Kerry

Yale graduate, 1939 Harvard Law School degree, 1940 U.S. Army Air Corps. U.S. Department of State Met Rosemary Forbes in 1937

Rosemary Forbes

Born in Paris, France Nurse Red Cross, Paris, World War II Stood to inherit $20-$40 million (2004 dollars)

Married Richard Kerry, January 1941

Childhood

Family Estate, Saint-Brieuc, France Summer holidays

Roving Family Adventurous

Norway England Germany France

Schooling

Fesseden School Newton, Mass. 1957

St. Paul’s School Concord, New Hampshire 1958 - 1962

Schooling

Outcast at St. Paul’s Democrat, not Republican Roman Catholic, not Episcopalian Poor, not Rich Hard-working, ambitious, not an heir

Schooling (Extra-curricular)

Hockey Lacrosse The Electras

Bass player 500 album copies, 1961

John Winant Society Debate Issues

Political Beginnings

1962, Senatorial Campaign Edward M. Kennedy

Summer 1962, dated Janet Jennings Auchincloss Jackie Kennedy’s half-sister

Summer 1962, met John F. Kennedy Auchincloss estate

College

Yale University, 1962-1966 Political Science

B.S. Summer jobs:

Loaded trucks at a grocery warehouse

Sold encyclopedias door to door

College

President Yale Political Union Orations

Won debates against students nationwide

March 1965, Ten Eyck prize Class oration at graduation

April 1965, Yale Skull and Bones

Ironic

“He has spent a lifetime overcoming the St. Paul’s ethos. But, now, that’s

exactly what’s demanded of him.”

John Kerry: War and Post-War

Joining the Military

Kerry joined the Navy on Feb. 18, 1966

Was ordered into active duty on Oct. 19, 1966

Received Navy commission on Dec. 16, 1966

Kerry’s Military Service

Service can be divided into 2 parts:

-First Tour of Duty – Non-violent missions

-Second Tour of Duty – Heavy combat

First Tour of Duty

Began in December of 1967 Served as lieutenant in electrical

department on USS Gridley Stayed relatively far away from combat

Thoughts About Vietnam

Kerry didn’t want to be involved in the war or any combat

He signed up for commander of swift boats, which were engaged in coastal patrols

This would keep him away from most combat

Sudden Changes

Two weeks after signing up for swift boats, Operation Sea Lords was launched

This put the swift boats in the middle of heavy combat in the Mekong River Delta

Fierce and Courageous

“To his crew, Kerry was one of the most daring skippers in the US Navy…” Wikipedia.

Kerry would go beyond his Navy orders, in one incident chasing into the jungle and killing a wounded Viet Cong who carried a rocket launcher

Still Against the War

Retained his strong anti-war beliefs Lost 5 friends, including Yale

classmate Richard Pershing “If I do nothing more…it will be to give

every effort we can…to end once and for all this willingness to expend ourselves in this stupid, endless self-destruction.” Wikipedia

Medals from Vietnam

Received 3 Purple Hearts for injuries in battle

Received Silver Star for chasing and killing Viet Cong with rocket launcher

Received Bronze Star for rescuing Green Beret James Rassmann while injured

Returning Home

After third injury, Kerry returned to the US

Remained on active duty for a year, then transferred to US Naval Reserve in 1970

Received honorable discharge in 1978

Anti-War Activism

After seeing the impact that a student protest conducted in France by National Student’s Union at the Sorbonne had, which Kerry’s cousin was president of, Kerry decided to become an anti-war activist and organizer

Many Actions Against War

Appeared on television Joined Vietnam Veterans Against the

War Organized protest in Washington D.C. Testimony before US Senate Armed

Services Committee Participated in Medal Tossing

Marriage

On May 23, 1970, Kerry married Julia Thorne

They had 2 children; Alexandra in 1973, and Vanessa in 1976

They divorced on July 25, 1988 after being separated for many years

Aggravating President Nixon

Kerry was such an activist, that he warranted the attention of President Nixon and the F.B.I.

Resigning from VVAW

Kerry resigned from VVAW at a meeting in St. Louis in July of 1971

There is a little controversy as to if Kerry resigned before or after the meeting in Kansas City, where the VVAW suggested assassinating pro-war politicians

John Kerry: Politics

Law, politics and public service

Entered Boston College Law School in Sep. 1973, within days of the birth of his daughter Alexandra

Graduated in May 1976, the same year his second daughter, Vanessa was born

Opened a cookie and muffin shop called Kilvert & Forbes with a friend in Boston’s Quincy Market area

Law practice and first election

First Assistant District Attorney of Middlesex County, Mass from 1977 to 1979

Opened a private law practice in 1979 In the fall of 1982 he began planning to run

for lieutenant governor of Mass During the campaign for lieutenant

governor, he separated from his first wife, Julia

Law practice and first election

He won the election in 1982 and served under Gov. Michael Dukakis until 1984

In January of 1984, he announced his decision to run for the U.S. Senate

Promised to mix liberal compassion with tight budget controls

Law practice and first election

Won the election despite the reelection of a Republican President

Claimed his victory meant that the people of Mass. “emphatically reject the politics of selfishness and the notion that women must be treated as second- class citizens”

Iran-Contra hearings

In April 1986, Kerry and Sen. Dodd proposed that hearings be conducted by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee regarding charges of Contra involvement in cocaine trafficking

Iran-Contra led to investigation at the events in Cuba, Haiti, the Bahamas, Panama, and Honduras

Kerry’s reports

1989 report criticized the Regan administration

The Government “turned a blind eye” In 1999, the CIA affirmed Kerry’s

findings

Investigation of Noriega

BCCI facilitated Noriega’s drug trafficking and money laundering

BCCI shut down by banking regulators in December 1992

“The BCCI Affair”

Released in December 1992 BCCI was working with Terrorists Criticized U.S. Department of Justice,

Department of the Treasury, Customs Service, Federal Reserve Bank, high-level lobbyists, and CIA

“The BCCI Affair”

Criticized Bush Sr.’s deputy attorney general

Kerry is criticized for his family’s drug-dealing roots, not giving up offshore Forbes family properties and trusts

Committee Assignments and chairmanships

Committee on Foreign Relations Commerce, Science and

Transportation Finance Chairman of the Committee on Small

Business and Entrepreneurship from 2001 to 2003

Committee Assignments and chairmanships

Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from 1987 to 1989

Among many others

Presidential nomination and Senate reelection

Kerry was reelected to the Senate in 1990, 1996, and 2002

Recently in 2003 and 2004 Kerry defeated Sen. John Edwards, Howard Dean and Retired Gen. Wesley Clark

Running for President against the incumbent George W. Bush in 2004

Random facts about Kerry

6 foot 4 inches “Lanky Yankee” Johnny Surfing Hockey Hunting Playing the bass

Random facts about Kerry

Dated Morgan Fairchild and Catherine Oxenberg

Diagnosed and cured of prostate cancer in 2003

Favorite movies are Giant and Casablanca

Married Julia Thorne in 1970

Random facts about Kerry

Kerry and Thorne separated in 1982 and divorced July 25, 1988

The marriage was formally annulled by the Roman Catholic Church in 1997

Kerry and Teresa Heinz met at the U.N.-sponsored Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992

Random facts about Kerry

Kerry and Teresa were married on May 26, 1995 in Nantucket, Mass.

Teresa has three sons from a previous marriage: John, Andre, and Christopher

The net worth of the Kerry-Heinz fortune is between $199 million and $839 million