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U.S. Reps. Guy Reschenthaler and Scott Perry joined dozens of other Republican military veterans in Congress on Wednesday in accusing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz of misleading the public about his military service, a pointed attack coming the same day that Democrats at their national convention in Chicago are poised to ceremonially name Mr. Walz the vice presidential nominee.  

Mr. Walz, a former teacher, football coach and 24-year veteran of the Army National Guard, has found his military record under scrutiny since the day Vice President Kamala Harris announced him as her running mate two weeks ago.

Mr. Walz retired several months before his unit was deployed to Iraq in 2005. And though he never saw combat, he said during a 2018 discussion on gun violence, “We can make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at.” 

Republicans have seized on the issue and accused Mr. Walz of “stolen valor,” a knock on the vice presidential pick just as Ms. Harris and the Democrats are seeing much stronger polling against Republican Donald Trump since President Joe Biden bowed out of the race. 

“Our grave concern stems from the fact that the office of the vice president is one heartbeat away from becoming the commander-in-chief,” the 50 lawmakers wrote in a letter to Mr. Walz, shared with Politico. “You’ve already demonstrated your unwillingness to lead in time of war and a lack of honor through your blatant misrepresentations exploiting and co-opting the experiences of America’s combat veterans for personal gain.”

The GOP lawmakers urged Mr. Walz to “come clean to the American people.” They took issue with what they described as “egregious misrepresentations” about his service, including that he claimed to be a retired command sergeant major “when you did not complete the requirements.” 

The Harris campaign has said the governor misspoke when he was talking about weapons of war.

The Minnesota National Guard has said Mr. Walz retired before finishing coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, as well as before completing other requirements for the promotion. While he did achieve the rank of command sergeant major, he did not hold it after retirement. So while Mr. Walz can say he retired as a command sergeant major, he cannot say he is a “retired command sergeant major.”

The Democratic ticket and several veterans have argued the attacks ring hollow because Trump has publicly denigrated veterans such as the late Sen. John McCain, and described military members who died for the country “suckers” and “losers,” according to his own former White House chief of staff, retired Gen. John Kelly.   

Veterans group were critical of comments Trump made saying that an award recognizing civilian contributions to society is “much better” than one bestowed on members of the military.

The Minnesota governor has fiercely defended his service, including during a surprise visit with the Pennsylvania delegation here on Monday. 

“I am damn proud of my service to this country,” he said in a Los Angeles speech last week. “And I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s service record.”

Before this week’s letter was sent by Republican lawmakers including Mr. Reschenthaler, R-Peters, and Mr. Perry, R-York, U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio — Trump’s vice presidential candidate — denounced Mr. Walz in a visit last week at VFW Post 92 in Lower Burrell. 

Mr. Vance, who served in the Marines from 2003 to 2007 and was deployed to Iraq as a combat correspondent for six months in 2005, also criticized Democrats and the Biden administration for their treatment of veterans.

“The disability backlog has gotten worse; wait times at our VA have gotten worse; the veterans’ suicide problem is still terrible,” Mr. Vance said. “And Kamala Harris wants to give Medicare and health care to illegal aliens ... we’ve got 300,000 veterans that are homeless in this country right now; let’s take care of them first.”

Mr. Walz is set to speak at the convention here on Wednesday night. 

Mr. Biden, who has for years closed out many speeches with, “May God protect our troops,” touted his administration’s efforts to help veterans in a speech late Monday night. He noted that he signed the bipartisan PACT Act, which the White House says was “the most significant expansion of benefits and services for toxic exposed veterans in more than 30 years.”

He referenced Trump’s remarks about the Medal of Honor, as well.

"He called soldiers who gave their lives for this country, suckers and losers,” Mr. Biden said in the most impassioned part of his speech. “Who does he think he is?"  

View article: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/election-2024/2024/08/21/walz-military-reschenthaler-perry-dnc/stories/202408210063