Could this be true? Is this revealing to anyone else in this political world with accusations flying this way and that? This was sent through an email to me and I am astounded and not surprised. I have no source to back this up, but I wish I did. I wish I had the time to check it out. I am not saying every person needs to serve. What I find so interesting about this list is that service must influence a way a person thinks about what a government is meant for. I know that service influenced my own family. My great-grandfather served. My grandfather served. My father served. They all believed that the government is meant not hold people back, but rather, to build them up.
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 Forc e 1955-57 Chuck Robb: in Vietnam
Howell Heflin: Silver Star
George McGovern: Silver Star & DFC during WWII.
Bill Clinton: Did not serve. Student deferments.
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 H ungarian underground in WWII.
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.
John Ashcroft: did not serve. Seven deferments.
Jeb Bush: did not serve.
Karl Rove: did not serve.
Saxby Chambliss: did not serve. (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: Navy flight instructor.
George W. Bush: six-year Nat'l Guard commitment (incomplete).
Ronald Reagan: 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. Distinguished Flying Cross.
Bob Dole: Veteran.
Chuck Hagel: in Vietnam.
Jeff Sessions: Army Reserves.
JC Watts: did not serve.
Lindsey Graham: National Guard lawyer.
G.H.W. Bush: Pilot, WWII. Tom Ridge: 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.
Michael Savage: did not serve.
Joe Scarborough: 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.
1 comment:
I know that much of the list is accurate. I've been arguing this fact for a few years to little avail. What is important is NOT that one must serve in the military, but if one does not, he or she should be VERY uncomfortable sending someone else or someone else's child or parent, spouse or sibling off to war.
This is where the Republican leadership has utterly failed. They love every war they can send working class kids to fight and they can make money from (e.g. Halliburton in Iraq).
The Democrats, having experienced military life and many of them combat as well are much more cautious about making war than our brave Republicans. Interesting, no?
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