Stolen Valor: The Coward's MO

Reprehensible:  Politicians Lying about Military Service for Political Gain

In the interest of full disclosure, I am not an unbiased reporter when it comes to Stolen Valor.  My father was a tall, handsome, recruitment-poster-worthy career U.S. Marine officer who did not smoke, drink, or swear.  He was a hero of WWII, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam War.  In the latter, he earned -- EARNED -- the Bronze Star Medal with the Combat V for Valor.  He died entirely too early at the age of 67 thanks to the effects of his combat.  The good news is that he lived long enough to meet the oldest of his four grandchildren.  The bad news is that my mother lost her husband, I lost my father, and my children lost their grandfather, but this is the price families of heroes pay.  

My father was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with Full Military Honors and is interred in Section 60 with the heroes of Iraq and Afghanistan.

My favorite uncle was the crew chief of a B-24 bomber during WWII.  He was stationed with US troops in Italy and survived a plane crash.  His older brother flew a Corsair during WWII.  Another uncle served in the U.S. Air Force, and my first cousin was in the U.S. Navy, stationed on a ship off the coast of Vietnam during that conflict.  

My mother, while not in the armed forces, worked at a munitions factory in NC where she tested the explosive that went into 40mm shells that my father (before they met) probably shot in the Solomon Islands where he spent WWII.  She wasn't exactly Rosie the Riveter, but neither was her job insignificant.  If those shells did not explode, they were ineffective in bringing down attacking aircraft.

Not to be left out is my father-in-law, a career U.S. Army officer who retired as a full Colonel.  He served in Europe during WWII and was in the Battle of the Bulge, where he was wounded.  He earned -- that's right, EARNED -- the Bronze Star for his service there as well as a Purple Heart.

Having laid out my family credentials and acknowledging my bias, the subject now turns to politicians who lie about their service for POLITICAL GAIN.  

The current governor of Maryland, Democrat Wes Moore, LIED about earning the Bronze Star.  He didn't.  As the daughter and daughter-in-law of Bronze Star recipients, that totally burns my grits.  I never liked him anyway, what with his atrocious spending habits (that's for another blog), but now I truly despise him for claiming what he did not earn.

The current Democratic vice-presidential nominee, Tim Walz, takes the cake for gutless, spineless, shameless LYING about his military service.  Sure, he served twenty-some years in the National Guard.  That's nice.  However, he re-upped but, when his unit was scheduled to be sent into combat, he un-re-upped and retired (before his term was completed) so he could focus on running for Congress.  Political gain.  Adding insult to every combat veteran, he claimed to have carried a weapon in war . . . during Iraq . . .while he was stationed in Italy.  He might have carried pasta and pizza, maybe, but any carrying of a weapon was done during transport, not while in combat.  And, claiming a rank he did not earn just adds more insult to those who have served.

As far as I am concerned, any vote cast for the Democratic Harris/Walz ticket disrespects any and all veterans who served their country honorably.  His actions are nothing short of reprehensible.  PERIOD.