Since one of the big hullabaloos of this "campaign" has focused on military service, you may want to take a look at this and judge for yourself. Here are the service records of prominent people on both sides of the political arena. Unlike the lies and innuendos that have been flying around, these are verifiable facts. You'll be surprised by the pattern that is evident in these data! It would be refreshing if people would actually pay attention to the truth instead of all the lies.
Democrats
Richard Gephardt: Air National Guard, 1965-71
David Bonior: Staff Sgt., Air Force 1968-72
Tom Daschle: 1st Lt., Air Force SAC 1969-72
Al Gore: enlisted Aug. 1969; sent to Vietnam Jan. 1971 as an army
journalist in 20th
Engineer Brigade
Bob Kerrey: Lt. j.g. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam
Daniel Inouye: Army 1943-47; Medal of Honor, WWII
John Kerry: Lt., Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V
Purple Hearts
John Edwards: did not serve
Charles Rangel: Staff Sgt., Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea
Max Cleland: Captain, Army 1965-68; Silver Star &Bronze Star, Vietnam
Ted Kennedy: Army, 1951-53
Tom Harkin: Lt., Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74
Jack Reed: Army Ranger, 1971-79; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91
Fritz Hollings: Army officer in WWII, receiving the Bronze Star and seven
campaign ribbons
Leonard Boswell: Lt. Col., Army 1956-76; Vietnam, DFCs, Bronze Stars, and
Soldier's Medal
Pete Peterson: Air Force Captain, POW. Purple Heart, Silver Star and Legion
of Merit
Mike Thompson: Staff sergeant, 173rd Airborne, Purple Heart
Bill McBride: Candidate for Fla. Governor. Marine in Vietnam; Bronze Star
with Combat V
Gray Davis: Army Captain in Vietnam, Bronze Star
Pete Stark: Air Force 1955-57
Chuck Robb: Vietnam
Howell Heflin: Silver Star
George McGovern: Silver Star &DFC during WWII
Bill Clinton: Did not serve. Student deferments. Entered draft but received 311
Jimmy Carter: Seven years in the Navy
Walter Mondale: Army 1951-53
John Glenn: WWII and Korea; six DFCs and Air Medal with 18 Clusters
Tom Lantos: Served in Hungarian underground in WWII. Saved by Raoul Wallenberg
Wesley Clark: U.S. Army, 1966-2000, West Point, Vietnam, Purple Heart,
Silver Star. Retired 4-star general
John Dingell: WWII vet
John Conyers: Army 1950-57, Korea
NOW FOR THE EYE OPENER!:
Republicans
Dennis Hastert: did not serve
Tom Delay: did not serve
House Whip Roy Blunt: did not serve
Bill Frist: did not serve
Rudy Giuliani: did not serve
George Pataki: did not serve
Mitch McConnell: did not serve
Rick Santorum: did not serve
Trent Lott: did not serve
Dick Cheney: did not serve. Several deferments, the last by marriage.
John Ashcroft: did not serve. Seven deferments to teach business.
Jeb Bush: did not serve
Karl Rove: did not serve
Saxby Chambliss: did not serve because of "bad knee." He's the man who attacked Max Cleland's patriotism
Paul Wolfowitz: did not serve
Vin Weber: did not serve
Richard Perle: did not serve
Douglas Feith: did not serve
Eliot Abrams: did not serve
Richard Shelby: did not serve
Jon Kyl: did not serve
Tim Hutchison: did not serve
Christopher Cox: did not serve
Newt Gingrich: did not serve
Don Rumsfeld: served in peacetime Navy (1954-57) as aviator and flight instructor
George W. Bush: six-year Nat'l Guard commitment (incomplete)
Ronald Reagan: due to poor eyesight, served in a non-combat role making movies
Gerald Ford: Navy, WWII
Phil Gramm: did not serve
John McCain: Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross
Bob Dole: an honorable veteran
Chuck Hagel: two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, Vietnam
Jeff Sessions: Army Reserves, 1973-86
JC Watts: did not serve
Lindsey Graham: National Guard lawyer
G.H.W. Bush: Pilot in WWII. Shot down by the Japanese
Tom Ridge: Bronze Star for Valor in Vietnam
Antonin Scalia: did not serve
Clarence Thomas: did not serve
Pundits and Preachers
Sean Hannity: did not serve
Rush Limbaugh: did not serve (4-F with a 'pilonidal cyst.')
Bill O'Reilly: did not serve
Michael Savage: did not serve
George Will: did not serve
Chris Matthews: did not serve
Paul Gigot: did not serve
Bill Bennett: did not serve
Pat Buchanan: did not serve
Bill Kristol: did not serve
Kenneth Starr: did not serve
Michael Medved: did not serve |
