Military Records of ‘08 Presidential Candidates
More than a dozen Democrats and Republicans are vying for the presidency as the 2008 General Election nears. Health care and immigration are among the most hot-button of topics, but the war in Iraq will likely remain the single largest issue for candidates from both parties. Despite the talk about battle and warfare, only one of the 14 declared candidates — Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona — has any significant military service.
It turns out that being battle-tested is becoming less and less important for American voters, though. Polls conducted in the past few months indicate that voters don’t give the kind of weight and importance to military service that they once did.
The tipping point may have been the election of President Bill Clinton, who bested two World War II veterans, incumbent George Bush and Sen. Bob Dole. Despite the shift in cultural thinking, many voters still consider military service when examining a candidate’s credentials and experience as a whole.
Here’s a look at the military service records of some of the most likely candidates for the presidential nod in 2008:
Democrats
- Delaware Sen. Joe Biden: None. Rejected for medical reasons, but would have been eligible in a national emergency.
- New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton: None.
- Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd: Army Reserve (1969-75).
- Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards: None. Draft number was never called.
- Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich: None. Was rejected for military service because of a heart murmur.
- Illinois Sen. Barack Obama: None. Too young to have been drafted for the Vietnam War.
- Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico: None. Received student and medical classifications. Draft number was never called.
Republicans
- Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback: None. Came of age as draft was ending.
- Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani: None. Received student and occupational deferments. Draft number was never called.
- Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee: None. Came of age as draft was ending.
- California Rep. Duncan Hunter: Served as an Army paratrooper and Ranger in Vietnam (1969-71).
- Arizona Sen. John McCain: Served in the Navy (1958-81); prisoner of war in Vietnam (1967-73).
- Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney: None. Received a deferment as a Mormon missionary in France. Was eligible for the draft upon his return to the states but was never selected.
- Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo: None. Received student deferments. Was available for military service in 1969. Reclassified in 1970 because of stress-related anxiety and could have been called up only during a pressing national emergency.
Source: The Associated Press
Leland Tripp
June 19th, 2007 at 9:39 pmOnly on sites of military orformer military can i get the thuth about Iraq. Its so refreshing toread the truth. Please dony give up on us.We’re not all democrats. If you can figure out a way to get 14 million illegals over there, The war would end and America would be better off also.
God bless and keep you safe,
Pete Tripp
Interlachen, Florida 32148
Didereaux
June 28th, 2007 at 12:40 amTo little, too late, and probably futile as well, but someone needs to point out to the ‘rednecks’ and Bubbas that someofthere most beloved ‘heroes’are draft dodgers or deserters. Cheney, Rove, Bush, Giuliani, John Wayne et al. It is irrelevent that they retort with so is Clinton! You cannot argue that Democrat(s) are draft dodging peaceniks and support blindly your own picks who are your demons equals inall respects.
But that expects to much from about half the general population; after all, some God or another speaks to there cowards, pariahs and flim-flammers directly.
Sad, simply sad…and still more die today, and yes I served four years in the far distant ’60’s.
Jon R. White
July 11th, 2007 at 11:36 amI wonder the length that the “Swift boaters” would have gone had Kerry been attempting to gain converts in France instead of winning the Silver Star in Vietnam. I’m sure Romney will have nothing but their full support as some kind of “patriot” based on his professed political party affiliation. Go figure.
Regards,
(12 year military veteran)
Jon
dee mark
July 21st, 2007 at 9:02 pmYou forgot:
Mike Gravel
Gravel joined the U.S. army (1951-1955), where he worked in Communication Intelligence Services and as a Special Agent in the Counter Intelligence Corps. As a Senator, he is primarily known for his efforts in ending the draft following the Vietnam War and for having put into the public record the Pentagon Papers in 1971.
Ron Paul
Paul’s medical training was interrupted when he was drafted during the Cuban Missile Crisis into the United States Air Force. He remained in the military during the early years of the Vietnam War. He was never sent to Vietnam, instead serving active duty (1963-1965) that took him to other countries, including South Korea, Iran, Ethiopia and Turkey. He served as a flight surgeon out of Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas from 1963 to 1965. He then served in the Air National Guard from 1965 to 1968 while completing his medical residency in Pittsburgh.
Joe
August 30th, 2007 at 9:51 amYou show pictures of Mike Gravel (who served in United States Army Counter Intelligence Corps, 1951-1955 which included work throughout the Korean War) and Ron Paul (who served in the Air Force in the early days of Vietnam) but don’t include their military service. Please update to include these.
Elliott
October 8th, 2007 at 9:55 amYou forgot:
Congressman Ron Paul seved as an Air Force Flight Surgeon in the 60’s.
Bruce Hansen
October 15th, 2007 at 6:27 pmThank you dee mark for helping out the editorial staff.
Ernest Caldwell
November 12th, 2007 at 8:52 pmEvery Private, General, Active, Reserve, cook, fighter pilot, ranger etc. takes the same sworn oath to put themselves between the US and its enemies. Thats MILITARY SERVICE!!!
B Baker
November 24th, 2007 at 4:06 pmEvery Private, General, Active, Reserve, cook, fighter pilot, ranger etc. takes the same sworn oath to put themselves between the US and its enemies. Thats MILITARY SERVICE!!!
Nope, They swear to defend the CONSTITUTION from all enemies foreign and domestic, at least that is the oath I took.
I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
Lisa C.
November 28th, 2007 at 4:00 amCongressman Ron Paul USAF/US Air National Guard is still upholding this oath. He is the champion of the Constitution.
Tom Scharbach
November 29th, 2007 at 10:05 amRon Paul has a lot in common with Barry Goldwater, who was also a career USAF/AFNG officer and a champion of the Constitution.
Bill is right about the oath; above all, the oath is first and foremost about the Constitution, and defense of the the Constitution against its enemies, rather than politics, is the purpose of military service. For that reason, I was able, like many, to take the oath and serve with a clear conscience in Vietnam, although I didn’t agree with the war.
Ernest, though, is also right, in the sense that men and women who serve put themselves in harm’s way. Many die, many more bear the scars of mental and physical wounds from service for their lifetime.
What I find distressing today, looking back at age 60, is that many so-called “conservatives” have come equate patriotism with “talking the talk” — loudly proclaiming a right-wing political stance — rather than “walking the walk” — actual service. The volunteer military is undoubtedly easier to manage than a military based on universal service, but we’ve lost a great deal, it seems to me, by abandoning the idea that every citizen should bear an equal share of the risks of military service.
It is telling that, leaving aside John McCain’s flips and flops over the years about DADT, Ron Paul is the only Republican presidential candidate who openly opposes DADT. The rest of the crowd, all of whom apparently had something better to do than put on a uniform when of age for service, hew the line drawn by the Religious Right. It is all nonsense.
Andrew Allan
December 4th, 2007 at 9:46 pmI think Ron Paul must scare the bejeepers out of the republican party leaders. (1.) Vietnam era Veteran. (2.) Anti-war, yet leading all republican candidates in military campaign donations. (3) Conservative, a pro-life obstetrician. (4) Proven leadership, reelected many times over by his constituents.
Only problem is, he wants smaller federal government and less taxes…and they apparently want nothing to do with that.
Dennis Goethe
February 2nd, 2008 at 10:16 pm“Congressman Ron Paul USAF/US Air National Guard is still upholding this oath. He is the champion of the Constitution.”
Well said Lisa!
I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
This is from my USAF Handbook, Feb. 1969. I took this oath in Chicago, Feb. 1969 and am very pleased to learn that Ron Paul is a vet.
He had my vote before I knew this.