Who Served Exposed

February 5, 2007

Since the 2000 elections, we have seen list after list of Draft Dodger “chickenhawks,” Republicans, while another list of “heroic Democrats” is posted alongside, in some futile attempt to make Democrats look like the only ones qualified to speak about or lead us “out” of the War on Terror, especially the part ongoing in Iraq.

Of course, it also attempts to make Democrats above reproach when they blast George W. Bush’s leadership and Presidency. The bashing and slanderous comments against over 200 highly decorated Viet Nam Combat Veterans, the Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth, including Medal of Honor recipient, Col. (ret) Bud Day, somehow slipped below their radar of Honorable Veterans deserving to speak out.

My attempt here is to set the record straight, to research each name on a typical list and post the truth. I have copied the common list of names and the claims made, both parties. I will not correct bad spelling and will place the original claim in italics with normal font identifying what I find. Where possible, a link will be provided to the source.

Having served in either the Reserves or National Guard is not considered “draft dodging,” or "avoiding the draft" by me.

Ashcroft
spent the rest of the Vietnam War in Missouri, safe and
sound. And quiet: Although Ashcroft was clearly eager to
avoid going to Vietnam, he never protested the war.

It is said Ashcroft received seven draft deferments between 1963 and 1969. As he was born in 1942, he would have been 21 and prior to the escalation of Viet Nam when he received the first deferment, 27 and as Viet Nam was winding down under the “Vietnamization” program when he received the last. While not unheard of, few in that age group were drafted at that time.

Draft Deferments were legal and several members of both parties, before and during Viet Nam, were recipients of them. Receiving a deferment was NOT dodging the draft, unless obtained illegally.

John Ashcroft Bio

Lest see the score board here:

Repubiclans:

Rush Limbough= Donged the draft in Vietnam for "medical reasons"

Limbaugh held a 2-S draft status (student deferement) until he dropped out when he was reclassified as 1-A, available for immediate induction, if called. Shortly after, he was reclassified as 1-Y, (qualified for service only in time of [declared] war or national emergency) due to an inoperable pilonidal cyst and a High School Football injury to his knee. Rush Limbaugh Deferments

Also, these deferments were granted towards the end of the Viet Nam War, making the likelihood of being drafted even less for others with a 1-A classification.

Goerge W. Bush=got out of military servcie by using his dad's political
connections to get a straight line to a Nation Guard position (ahead of the
other 5,000 slobs who were waiting in line) and a DIRECT COMMISSION as a
fighter pilot! In the REAL WORLD the only people who get direct non-field
commissions are Doctors, Lawyers, R.N.'s, Dentists, Pharmacists, etc. Not fighter pilots!

Not at all true. At the time of Bush’s enlistment into the Texas Air National Guard the waiting list was only for enlisted positions, not for those asking to become Fighter Pilots. No strings were pulled for Bush and he did complete his needed hours honorably. At one point, he even requested Viet Nam duty but was denied due to lack of needed hours to qualify for program. George Bush and the F-102 The Real Military Record of George W. Bush


Cheney= Dodged the draft in Vietnam. As his confermation hearing to Sec. of
Defense he said he had better thing to do!

Again, misleading. Yes, Cheney did receive 5 student deferments, hardly unusual considering the hero of the Democrats, Senator John F. Kerry, and received 4, before enlisting in the Naval Reserves.

Cheney was born in 1941 and when he turned 18, in 1959, mostly older men were being drafted at that time and very few. As he turned older, his student deferments were legally obtained and once married and his wife pregnant, he received a 3-A (hardship) exemption. In 1967, he turned 26 and was no longer eligible for the draft.

No Draft dodging there. Dick Cheney Bio

Reagan= Dodged the draft in WW II. Despite that many people OLDER and with
serious medical conditios were either drafted or volunteerd adn saw action.

US Army Air Corps (Captain, 1942-45) Ronald Reagan

Reagan was commissioned as a reserve officer in the Army in 1935. In November 1941, Reagan was called up for combat duty but disqualified because of his astigmatism. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Lieutenant Reagan was activated and assigned to the First Motion Picture Unit in the United States Army Air Forces, which made training and education films for the war effort. Ronald Reagan Bio

Kemp= got a free educatioin at West Point, made it 4 years there and played
footbal for them. But just as he was to graduate and get commissioned, he
developed a rare medical condition that made him too sick to be in the Army,
but healthy enough to play in the NFL!

Jack Kemp started his NFL career in 1957 (born in 1935). He is a graduate of Occidental College. Jack Kemp Bio
Served United States Army Reserve, 1958-1962 (active duty, 1958), was too old for Viet Nam when that came about. Jack Kemp Collection

Democrates:

Truman= WWI vet

US Army (WWI, Major) Harry Truman Bio

Rooservelt= was only member of his family not to serve due to his polio.

Roosevelt wanted to enter military service following the United States' entry into World War I in April 1917, but Josephus Daniels (Naval Secretary) persuaded him to stay on in the post of Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Roosevelt contracted polio in 1921, at the age of 39, after World War One. FDR Bio

Kennedy= War Hero (P.T. 109)

The PT 109 incident remains the only American PT Boat rammed and sunk by a Japanese Destroyer in all of WW2. JFK’s effectiveness and possibilities as President will never be completely known due to be assassinated in his first term, November 22, 1963.

Johnson= served as a Military Intelligence Officer in the NAVY in the Pacific

Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve (USNR). Somehow received an Army Silver Star for gallantry from General McArthur for a single flight as an observer on an aircraft that developed mechanical troubles and turned back. LBJ Military Service

Carter= Annopolis Graduate, served 8 Years in teh Navy. Was hand picked out of
the Academy my Rictover (sp?) to help develop the nuclear navy.

Mostly hype. Carter served in the Navy from 1946 to 1953, when he requested release from his commission due to his father’s death, to run the family business. He was indeed interviewed and accepted by Admiral Rickover, serving from November 1952 to March of 1953 on temporary duty with the Naval Reactors Branch. Carter was preparing to become the engineering officer for the nuclear power plant to be placed in USS Seawolf when his father died and he was released from active duty. Jimmy Carter’s Military Service

Carter is also noted for granting amnesty to Viet Nam Era Draft Dodgers, opening the way back for those that ran, snubbing his nose at those who served.

Bill Clinton= Dodged the draft.

Bill Clinton’s Draft Dodging

Were that the score: Serve your country= evil commie

Dodge the draft= greatest defenders of freedom in the Universe!

Where is Rummy? he did not serve also!

Rumsfeld served in the U.S. Navy from 1954 to 1957 as a naval aviator and flight instructor. His initial training was in the North American SNJ Texan basic trainer after which he transitioned to flying the Grumman F9F Panther fighter. In 1957, he transferred to the Naval Reserve and continued his naval service in flying and administrative assignments as a drilling reservist until 1975. He transferred to the standby reserve when he became Secretary of Defense in 1975 and retired with the rank of Navy Captain in 1989." Donald Rumsfeld

Times Daily Forums: Who Dodged The Draft?

AWOL BUSH Who Served

Prominent Democrats

House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt - Served his country in uniform, 1965-71

Air National Guard 1965 to 1971

House Minority Whip David Bonior - Served his country in uniform, 1968-72

Staff Sergeant US Air Force 1968 to 1972, author of two books: The Vietnam Veteran: A History of Neglect and Walking to Mackinac. Did not serve in Viet Nam.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle - Served his country in uniform, 1969-72

1st Lt., Air Force SAC Intelligence Officer, 1969-72

Vice President Al Gore - Served his country in uniform, 1969-71; recipient of
Vietnam Service Medal

Served 5 months in Viet Nam as a Reporter/Journalist. Everybody that served in Viet Nam qualified for the Vietnam Service Ribbon (not a medal).

Bob Kerrey... Democrat... Congressional Medal of Honor, VN

Served honorably, accused of war crimes during the late 1990s, wrongfully in my opinion.

Daniel Inouye... Democrat... Congressional Medal of Honor, WW II

Served honorably with the infamous 442nd Infantry in Europe. Received MOH for “extraordinary heroism.”

John Kerry... Democrat...Silver Star& Bronze Star, VN

Served 4 months in Viet Nam, medals questionable, especially 3 Purple Hearts without spending a single night in a hospital. Went on to sell out Viet Nam Veterans by accusing them of heinous war crimes “on a day to day basis.”

Charles Rangel...Democrat... Bronze Star, Korea

Served honorably

Max Cleland... Democrat... Silver Star & Bronze Star, VN

Honorable Service, accidentally dropped a live grenade while visiting a battle site in Viet Nam, it went off, costing him both legs and one arm. No Purple Heart awarded, Cleland himself saying, “And it had been my men who took care of the wounded during the rocket attack, not me. Some compassionate military men had obviously recommended me for the Silver Star, but I didn’t deserve it.” Two pages later he added: “I was not entitled to the Purple Heart either, since I was not wounded by enemy action.” (1986 edition of his autobiography Strong at the Broken Places) Max Cleland: Deceptive Democrat Warrior

Howell Heflin... Democrat... Silver Star

Served Honorably, World War Two, USMC

Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA) - two tours in Vietnam, two Distinguished Flying
Crosses as a helicopter pilot, two Bronze Stars, and the Soldier's Medal.

Served honorably, 21 years, retired Lt. Col. US Army.

Ambassador "Pete" Peterson, Air Force Captain, POW, Democratic congressman,
Ambassador to Viet Nam, and recipient of the Purple Heart, the Silver Star
and the Legion of Merit

Served honorably, ex-POW.

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-CA: served in combat with the U.S. Army as a staff
sergeant/platoon leader with the 173rd Airborne Brigade; was wounded and
received a Purple Heart.

Served honorably, Viet Nam.

Prominent Republicans

Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert - avoided the draft, did not serve.

Born in 1942, Rejected from advanced ROTC at Wheaton College for bad shoulder stemming from sports injury

Majority Leader Dick Armey- avoided the draft, did not serve.

Born 1940, was never called.

Majority Whip Tom Delay - avoided the draft, did not serve.

Legal Student deferment (University of Houston 1970); high draft-lottery number afterwards, likelihood of being called very slim. Did not avoid.

Senate Majority Minority Leader Trent Lott - avoided the draft, did not serve.

Born 1941, legal student deferments, never called.

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich - avoided the draft, did not serve

Received legal draft deferments, born 1943

"B-1" Bob Dornan - avoided Korean War combat duty by enrolling in college acting
classes (Orange County Register article)

Attended Loyola Marymount University on a draft deferment until 1953. At age 19, Dornan volunteered to join the United States Air Force. During his time in the air force, he survived two emergency parachute ejections and two "dead stick" forced landings (including one of an F-100). Dornan also served as a photographer during the Vietnam War and he flew relief flights into Biafra. He was an active duty serviceman until 1958, reaching the rank of Captain. He served in the reserves until 1975. Bob Dornan

Senator John McCain - McCain's naval honors include the Silver Star, Bronze
Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. Why did
the Bush campaign smear him so?

Served honorably, best I know. Some former POWs question his conduct while a POW, John McCain, No Hero Why is mentioning the Senators Congressional voting record considered a campaign smear? Is that why Moveon.org is attacking the Senator today?

Former Senator Bob Dole - an honorable man.

An honorable man who was attacked throughout the 1996 campaigns, sort of like the complaint against Bush and McCain, but it was Democrat Bill Clinton this time.

Chuck Hagel - two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, Vietnam.

Served honorably in Viet Nam, 1968

Duke Cunningham - nominated for the Medal of Honor, received the Navy Cross,
two Silver Stars, fifteen Air Medals, the Purple Heart, and several other
decorations

Served honorably and heroically, convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery, serving 8 years in prison.

Re military personnel and public perception of Democrats v. Republicans in
general.

How often must Democrats defend their party against the typical freeper blather
of draft-dodging, service-evading, unpatriotic quakers among us? More often than
we have to.

Gore was right all along. About some things. The "truth" IS on our side.

Really? Conspicuously left off of their list is;

Senate:

Robert Bennett (R-UT)
National Guard 1957-61
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
U.S. Navy 1959-61
Larry Craig (R-ID)
National Guard 1970-72
Michael Enzi (R-WY)
Air National Guard 1967-73
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
James M. Inhofe (R-OK)
U.S. Army 1954-56
Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
National Guard 1966-1972
Richard Lugar (R-IN)
U.S. Navy 1957-60
USAF 1982 – 1988
Frank Murkowski (R-AK)
US Coast Guard (1055 – 57)
Pat Roberts (R-KS)
U.S. Marine Corps (1958-62)
Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
Army Reserves 1973-86
Arlen Specter (R-PA)
U.S. Air Force 1951-53
Ted Stevens (R-AK)
Army Air Corps 1943-46
Craig Thomas (R-WY)
U.S. Marine Corps 1955-59
John R. Warner (R-VA)
U.S. Navy 1945-46
Marine Corps 1950-52
Marine Corps Reserves 1952-1964

From the House;

Spencer Bachus (R-06 AL)
National Guard 1969-1971
John Boehner (R-08 OH)
U.S. Navy 1968
Dan Burton (R-05 IN)
U.S. Army 1957-1958
Army Reserves 1958-1962
Stephen E. Buyer (R-04 IN)
U.S. Army 1984-1987, 1990
Army Reserve 1980-1984, 1987-Present
Howard Coble (R-06 NC)
Coast Guard 1952-1956, 1977-1978
Coast Guard Reserve 1960-1982
Mike Conway (R-11 TX)
U.S. Army 1970-1972
Geoff Davis (R-04 KY)
U.S. Army 1976-1987
Thomas M. Davis (R-11 VA)
U.S. Army 1971-1972
Army Reserves 1972-1979
Nathan Deal (R-09 GA)
U.S. Army 1966-1968
John F. Duncan, Jr. (R-02 TN)
Army Reserve 1970-1987
Terry Everett (R-02 AL)
U.S. Air Force 1955-1959
Ernest L. Fletcher (R-06 KY)
U.S. Air Force 1974-1980
Rodney P. Frelinghuysen (R-11 NJ)
U.S. Army 1969-1971
Wayne T. Gilchrest (R-01 MD)
U.S. Marines 1964-1968
Paul Gillmor (R-05 OH)
U.S. Air Force 1965-1966
Louie Gohmert (R-01 TX)
U.S. Army 1977-1982
Virgil H. Goode, Jr. (R-05 VA)
National Guard 1969-1975
Ralph M. Hall (R-04 TX)
U.S. Navy 1942-1945
Doc Hastings (R-04 WA)
Army Reserves 1964-1969
David L. Hobson (R-07 OH)
National Guard 1958-1963
Duncan Hunter (R-52 CA)
U.S. Army 1969-1971
Sam Johnson (R-03 TX)
U.S. Air Force 1951-1979
Walter B. Jones, Jr. (R-03 NC)
National Guard 1967-1971
Peter King (R-03 NY)
National Guard 1968-1973
John Kline (R-02 MN)
USMC 1969-1974
Ron Lewis (R-02 KY)
U.S. Navy 1973
John Linder (R-7 GA)
US Air Force 1967-69
Charlie Norwood (R-9 GA)
U.S. Army 1967-1969
Ron Paul (R-14 TX)
U.S. Air Force 1963-1965
National Guard 1965-1968
John E. Peterson (R-05 PA)
U.S. Army 1957
Army Reserves 1958-1963
Joseph R. Pitts (R-16 PA)
U.S. Air Force 1963-1969
Ted Poe (R-2 TX)
Air Force Reserve 1970-1976
Jim Ramstad (R-03 MN)
Army Reserves 1968-1974
Ralph Regula (R-16 OH)
U.S. Navy 1944-1946
Harold Rogers (R-05 KY)
National Guard 1957-1964
Mike Rogers (R-8 MI)
US Army 1985-89
John Shadegg (R-03AZ)
National Guard 1969-1975
John Shimkus (R-19 IL)
U.S. Army 1980-1984
Army Reserves 1987-Present
Cliff Stearns (R-06 FL)
U.S. Air Force 1963-1967
Dave Weldon (R-15 FL)
U.S. Army 1981-1987
Army Reserves 1987-1992
Ed Whitfield (R-01 KY)
Army Reserve 1967-1970
Roger F. Wicker (R-01 MS)
U.S. Air Force 1976-1980
Air Force Reserve 1980-Present
Heather A. Wilson (R-01 NM)
U.S. Air Force 1978-1989
The Only woman veteran in Congress.
Joe Wilson (R-2 SC)
US Army Reserve 1972-75
Frank R. Wolf (R-10 VA)
U.S. Army 1962-1963
Army Reserves 1963-1967
C.W. Bill Young (R-10 FL)
National Guard 1948-1957
Don Young (R-All AK)
U.S. Army 1955-1957

Since serving in the National Guard or Reserves is consistently “avoiding the draft,” does that also apply to Senators;

Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Army Reserves 1968-74
Jon Corzine (D-NJ)
USMCR 1969-1975
Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT)
Army Reserve 1969-75
Herb Kohl (D-WI)
Army Reserve 1958-64

And from the House;

Christopher Carney (D-10PA)
Naval Reserves 1995 – Present
William D. Delahunt (D-10 MA)
Coast Guard Reserve 1963-1971
Charles A. Gonzales (D-20 TX)
National Guard 1969-1975
Bart Gordon (D-6 TN)
US Army Reserve 1971-72
Phil Hare (D-17IL)
Army Reserves 1969-1975
Edward J. Markey (D-07 MA)
Army Reserves 1968-1973
Collin C. Peterson (D-07 MN)
National Guard 1963-1969
Robert C. Scott (D-03 VA)
Army Reserves 1970-1974
National Guard 1974-1976
Gene Taylor (D-05 MS)
Coast Guard Reserve 1971-1984
Tim Walz (D-01MI)
National Guard 1981-2005

Veterans in Senate

Veterans in the House

Since whoever compiled the list for the Democrats is so adamant that "the truth IS on our side," you would have expected them to be a bit more honest in the list, wouldn't you?

Lew

UPDATE: Another blogsite A Bluestem Prairie has posted under the title Another Democrat exposed: Tim Walz, draft dodger? what appears to me to be a lame attempt of discrediting my effort here and make it appear to declare one Democrat, Tim Walz, a draft dodger. Nothing could be further from the truth. But, we all know truth is a problem for the left.

For the record, as evidenced by the links after the listed names, Walz is but one of many listed, the date originally posted was wrong, a typo, which is also a mistake. Under an anonymous post, I was informed of this. Since I work for a living and couldn’t instantly correct the date, which wrongfully listed Walz’s enlistment as 1971 instead of 1981, the comment, “Lew still hasn't corrected his list despite a comment letting him know how old Walz was,” was made approximately two hours after the post was made. No biggie, I understand the left’s impatience with others. The fact that we are separated by different time zones and must actually appear at our jobs to receive pay matters little to these people.

What does bother me is that after making two posts here, wrongfully impugning my intentions and impatiently expecting an instant correction, I made a refutation comment on their blog, which has not appeared in over 24 hours. They moderate comments there.

My guess is that to left, only their view is what matters, not truth.

Personally, I have no idea who Tim Walz is, what he stands for or if he is a decent Representative for Minnesota. I reside in Washington State and concern myself with my Representative, Brian Baird, who did not serve at all. Although Baird came of age after the draft ended, I do not hold non-service against him, I respectfully oppose his views and have corresponded with him often, always receiving a respectful reply.

Had the author of A Bluestem Prairie contacted me and just said the dates of the ONE person on the list was wrong, it still would have been corrected, but then, they wouldn’t have their drama.

I can only say to A Bluestem Prairie, “get a life.”


UPDATE: As I have said elsewhere and in replies, NEITHER PARTY HAS ANY CLAIM TO ANY MORAL HIGH GROUND BASED ON WHO DID OR DIDN'T SERVE. Both have Veterans as well as non-servers.

The original "Who Served" list was compiled in a dishonest and deceptive way, picking and choosing who to list, for maximum effect.

Conspicuously missing on the original list are party leaders, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Howard Dean (who had the same classification, 1-Y, as did Rush Limbaugh), Rahm Emanuel, John Edwards, Joe Biden, Dennis Kucinich and I'm sure a few more, who didn't serve. Does this make them draft avoiders? Not to me. But, why is it Republicans that didn't serve are listed as draft avoiders? That is the deception.

Still left unexplained (not asked in this post, asked several years ago by me to others) is why did Military Service matter so much in 1988, 2000 and 2004, but had nothing to do with a candidates ability in 1992 and 1996?

Draw your own conclusion!