OUR honorable Veterans

[serryjw]

At least we can be proud. It is embarrassing how many of them NEVER served in the military...Sure this has been posted.....a welcome reminder for our new members

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RECOGNIZING THOSE WHO SERVED

This could be the last election where military service
in Vietnam has any political currency. But just for
the record, it's worth noting who really served among
the heavyweights in each of the major political
parties. Thereare some surprises here among those who
spend their time jabbering about military service (the
TV pundits) have their military credentials exposed.
(Information gathered from public records.)

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, 1951-1953.
Tom Harkin: Lt., Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve,
1968-74.
Jack Reed: Army Ranger, 1971-1979; 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 1951-1953
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

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. "Bad knee." 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 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, 1973-1986
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.

Please pass this so we can all contemplate who has the
right and the knowledge and the experience to lead us
into war...and who has not!

[BOSSHOG]

1. Can we all make the proper conclusion

that opinions are shaped by military service? I served 24 years, but I am not an advocate of compulsory service. But your post makes the strong argument that War should be a last resort and those who have been there think that way. I served in a combat zone and today I am a proud Democrat who will never, ever vote for a conservative candidate for any office. Limbaugh mocks the argument that one must have to serve in the military to be accepted in political discussion. He is wrong. One's military experience has to be accepted as a shaper of opinion. Just as one's lack of experience and strong efforts to not serve must be taken into account as well. bush never "served." How easy it is for him to send my neighbor to Iraq.

[serryjw]

2. bush never "served." How easy it is for him to send my neighbor to Iraq.

None of the neocons served except Rummy. Whom may have done the worst job yet. He wanted a war on the cheap and young people are paying for it with their lives.We talk about the over 1050 fallen soldiers. What about the 20,000 whom will never have a life. Brain damgage & loss of limbs will changed the life they should have had forever.
I assume you are a parent, I'm not. I can't imagine what it would be like to know this didn't have to happen.