Who Served Our Country - And Who Didn't
"I had other priorities in the 60's than military service." Dick Cheney
Well. Okay. As long as we're on that subject -- I got a fascinating email today that struck me as particularly germane, what with President Bush getting orchestrated hurrahs from carefully handpicked military audiences this week, while continuing to ignore Cindy Sheehan--and so many other Gold Star Mothers--who want to see an end to the war in Iraq.
The email came from a longtime House staffer who currently works for a powerful congressman and says it's been around the Hill and back, vetted and authenticated. Some of the information we've all seen before. Some is verrry enlightening.
Anti-war; Pro-war. Blue State; Red State. Good; Evil. Right; Wrong. You be the judge.
Democrats -- The "knee-jerk liberals" who want us out of Iraq:
* John Kerry: Lt., Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, Purple Hearts.
* Richard Gephardt: Air National Guard, 1965-71.
* 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.
* 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, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91.
* Fritz Hollings: Army officer in WWII; 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.
* David Bonior: Staff Sgt., Air Force 1968-72.
* 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: 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.
Republicans -- The "patriotic Americans" supporting the war:
* George W. Bush: failed to complete six-year National Guard duty; got assigned to Alabama so he could campaign for family friend running for U.S. Senate; failed to show up for required medical exam; disappeared from duty.
* Dick Cheney: did not serve. Several deferments, the last by marriage.
* Jeb Bush: did not serve.
* Saxby Chambliss (the man who attacked Max Cleland's patriotism): did not serve. "Bad knee."
* Karl Rove: did not serve.
* Tom Delay: did not serve.
* Bill Frist: did not serve.
* Rick Santorum: did not serve.
* Dennis Hastert: did not serve.
* Roy Blunt: did not serve.
* Mitch McConnell: did not serve.
* Trent Lott: did not serve.
* John Ashcroft: did not serve. Seven deferments to teach business.
* 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.
* Donald Rumsfeld: served in Navy (1954-57) as flight instructor.
* B-1 Bob Dornan: Enlisted after fighting was over in Korea.
* Phil Gramm: did not serve.
* Dana Rohrabacher: did not serve.
* John M. McHugh: did not serve.
* JC Watts: did not serve.
* Jack Kemp: did not serve. "Knee problem," although continued in NFL for 8 years.
* Dan Quayle: Journalism unit of the Indiana National Guard.
* Rudy Giuliani: did not serve.
* George Pataki: did not serve.
* Spencer Abraham: did not serve.
* John Engler: did not serve.
* Lindsey Graham: National Guard lawyer.
* Ronald Reagan: due to poor eyesight, served in a non-combat role making movies.
* Arnold Schwarzenegger: AWOL from Austrian army base.
* John McCain: Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross, POW. (But we all knew that and continue to applaud him for it... all the while wondering why in God's name he's still a Republican.)
Pundits & Preachers & Judges, Oh My
* 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.
* Sean Hannity: 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.
* Ralph Reed: did not serve.
* Michael Medved: did not serve.
* Charlie Daniels: did not serve.
* Antonin Scalia: did not serve.
* Clarence Thomas: did not serve.
* Ted Nugent: did not serve. (He only shoots at things that don't shoot back.)
And by the way:
* John Wayne: did not serve.
If you can refute any of these (or add any), knock yourself out, we'd love to know.
Labels: Arbitrary A List, Political Polemics, Warring with War
posted by Sally Swift at 10:34 AM
11 Comments:
You're counting Ted Kennedy?
"While expelled, Kennedy enlisted in the Army, but mistakenly signed up for four years instead of two. His father, Joseph P. Kennedy, then U.S. Ambassador to England, pulled the necessary strings to have his enlistment shortened to two years, and to ensure that he served in Europe, not Korea, where a war was raging. Kennedy was assigned to Paris, never advanced beyond the rank of Private, and returned to Harvard upon being discharged."
I'm not counting anybody, I'm just reporting the information as I got it.
However, if you going to get huffy about Daddy protecting SonnyBoy, where's your outrage over Georgie Junior?
At least Ted Kennedy served as an actual soldier, which is a lot more than can be said for George W Bush.
So out of that whole list he found that? The differences between the lists did not bother him at all?
By the way I hope you do not mind I posted this over at my site with a link to you ...
To the first poster Joseph Kennedy may have pulled strings to keep Ted safe. Maybe had good reason He had already lost his oldest son in WWII and almost lost Jack. So why don't you go suck Rush the super patriotic junkies anal cyst.
TheAlGuy said...
By the way I hope you do not mind I posted this over at my site with a link to you ...
No problem, what's a little link from one old Hippie to another? (except of course that female hippies/boomers Never age...)
Sally "Snide" Swift,...has a lil ring to it.
hmm, how many eSSSes can one gal have? or is that how many asses can one blog have? ... I guess it's better than Sally Slug Swift or, I know! how 'bout Sally Swing Swift (try saying that 5 times in a row)
Another case where the facts speak for themselves, as do the comments from the other side.
"At least Ted Kennedy served as an actual soldier, which is a lot more than can be said for George W Bush."
You are an ass. To belittle the thousands of National Guardsmen and Airman who protect you in order to make your partisan political point just show your true values. EVERY National Guard and Reserve soldier is EVERY bit as much a "real" soldier. Guess that's the problem, too many "unreal" soldiers serving in the military.
Mr Rogers, I wonder why you need to call me names in order to make your point. And where, may I ask, do you see me denigrate the National Guard or the Reserves? George W. Bush is the one who did that when he used every means possible to get out of National Guard duty. Mr Bush was a reluctant member of the National Guard in name only, as opposed to actual heros who serve with honor and don't have rich political fathers to get them out of any duty.
I have nothing but the highest respect, admiration and thanks to offer every single man and women who serve in any branch of the military, past and present.
And I don't understand why you're angry with me.
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