In
case you didn't know here are the military experiences of some of our elected
officials and pundits.
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.
* Charles Rangel: Staff
Sgt., Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea.
* Max Cleland: Captain,
Army 1965-68; Silver Star & Bronze Star, Purple Heart, 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.
* Gray Davis: Army Captain
in Vietnam, Bronze Star.
* Pete Stark: Air Force
1955-57
* Chuck Robb: LT in
Vietnam
* Howell Heflin: Silver
Star
* George McGovern: Silver
Star & DFC during WWII.
* Bill Clinton: Did not
serve. IIS Student deferment. Entered draft but
received #311.
* Jimmy Carter: Seven
years officer in the US 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:
* Dick Cheney: did not
serve. Several deferments, the last by marriage.
* Dennis Hastert: did not
serve.
* Tom Delay: did not
serve.
* Roy Blunt: did not
serve.
* Bill Frist: did not
serve.
* Mitch McConnell: did not
serve.
* Rick Santorum: did not
serve.
* Trent Lott: did not
serve.
* 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 flight instructor.
* George W. Bush: failed
to complete his six-year National Guard requirement; got assigned to Alabama
so he could campaign for family friend running for U.S. Senate; failed to show
up for required medical exam and was removed from flight status; left Guard
duty early.
* Ronald Reagan: due to
poor eyesight, served in a non-combat role making movies.
* Bob Dornan: enlisted
after fighting was over in Korea.
* Phil Gramm: did not
serve.
* John McCain: Silver
Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying
Cross.
* 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.
* Arnold Schwarzenegger:
went AWOL from Austrian Army.
Pundits & 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.
* John Wayne: did not
serve.
* Bill Kristol: did not
serve.
* Kenneth Starr: did not
serve.
* Antonin Scalia: did not
serve.
* Clarence Thomas: did not
serve.
* Ralph Reed: did not
serve.
* Michael Medved: did not
serve.
* Charlie Daniels: did not
serve.
* Ted Nugent: did not
serve.
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