John Kerry is a Vietnam veteran who served as a lieutenant, commanded a swift boat, and was awarded a silver star, a bronze star, and three purple hearts over the course of his service. He later became outspoken in his opposition to the war, publicly threw his medals over a fence around the Capitol Building in an anti-war demonstration, and was a major spokesperson for the Vietnam Veterans Against The War organization. He later became a US Senator for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
In 2004, he was the Democratic party candidate for President of the United States, opposite George W. Bush, who was up for reelection. During the campaign, he was attacked for his military record, as allegations, made by the organization Swift Boat Veterans For Truth, that his purple hearts were improperly won became a major fixture of the news cycle. These allegations were completely unsubstantiated and easily refuted, and the term "swiftboating" was coined to describe false political attacks. Kerry narrowly lost the election.
In 2013, he was appointed Secretary of State under President Barack Obama, succeeding Hillary Clinton. His tenure is notable for the negotiation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a treaty with the Islamic Republic of Iran that was designed to limit and reduce the amount of enriched uranium held by them. He retired at the end of the Obama administration.
John Kerry is a Vietnam veteran who served as a lieutenant, commanded a swift boat, and was awarded a silver star, a bronze star, and three purple hearts over the course of his service. He later became outspoken in his opposition to the war, publicly threw his medals over a fence around the Capitol Building in an anti-war demonstration, and was a major spokesperson for the Vietnam Veterans Against The War organization. He later became a US Senator for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
In 2004, he was the Democratic party candidate for President of the United States, opposite George W. Bush, who was up for reelection. During the campaign, he was attacked for his military record, as allegations, made by the organization Swift Boat Veterans For Truth, that his purple hearts were improperly won became a major fixture of the news cycle. These allegations were completely unsubstantiated and easily refuted, and the term "swiftboating" was coined to describe false political attacks. Kerry narrowly lost the election.
In 2013, he was appointed Secretary of State under President Barack Obama, succeeding Hillary Clinton. His tenure is notable for the negotiation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a treaty with the Islamic Republic of Iran that was designed to limit and reduce the amount of enriched uranium held by them. He retired at the end of the Obama administration.