Miller, who is retiring next month, scorched Kerry in the Republican National Convention's keynote address, in which he suggested the four-term Massachusetts Democrat had voted to cut so many weapons systems, it appeared he wanted to send the military to war with only spitballs.

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ran ads after the Democrat convention questioning whether Kerry was in fact the decorated Vietnam War veteran that he claimed to be.

'Daring to Speak the Truth'

"The Swift Boat veterans performed an invaluable service to America," Miller said in a statement. "These veterans took a lot of undeserved criticism for daring to speak the truth."

Official military records and even statements from Swift Boat veterans in Navy documents raised questions about their largely unsubstantiated claims, but the political damage had been done. At a post-election forum Wednesday in Boston, Mary Beth Cahill, Kerry's campaign manager, said she regretted underestimating the impact of the Swift Boat ads.

Roy Hoffmann, the retired Navy rear admiral who founded the Swift Boat group, said he didn't know much about Miller but was pleased with the honor. The goal, he said, was to ensure that Kerry didn't become commander in chief.

"We achieved our goal," Hoffmann said. "That was our primary concern, and we are pleased someone recognized the effort, or at least the impact, we had on the election."

Richard Lessner, executive director of the American Conservative Union, said Miller had spoken at a previous banquet, and "lit up the crowd."

Democrats shrugged off the choices of honorees and presenter.

"It seems fitting that a Republican in Democratic clothing is recognizing the work of Republican agents, namely the smears that the Swift Boat veterans launched against John Kerry," said Jano Cabrera, spokesman for the Democratic National Committee.

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