As concerns over “stolen valor” recirculated, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance reacted to the “absolutely shameful” allegations about what Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz did before his battalion deployed to Iraq.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate’s record of radical policies wasn’t all that was being scrutinized Tuesday as the longtime politician joined the Democratic Party ticket. Now seeking to hold the second highest office in the land, the governor’s fitness for office was challenged over the timing and nature of his retirement from the Minnesota National Guard.
“I mean, your job as a senior enlisted guy in a unit is to keep your people safe. That’s not a job you can switch out of on a moment’s notice,” said Vance to the Daily Mail. Having served with the United States Marine Corps, the senator added, “So if he abandoned his troops before they went to Iraq or wherever…absolutely shameful.”
Further commentary was provided by the Republican nominee for vice president as he fielded questions from the press in Shelby County, Michigan, and challenged, “Well I wonder, Tim Walz, when were you ever in war?”
“What was this weapon that you carried into war given that you abandoned your unit right before they went to Iraq? And he has not spent a day in a combat zone,” accused Vance. “What bothers me about Tim Walz is the stolen valor garbage. Do not pretend to be something that you’re not. And if he wants to criticize me for getting an Ivy League education — I’m proud of the fact that my Mamaw supported me, that I was able to make something of myself. I’d be ashamed if I was him and I lied about my military service like he did.”
.@JDVance: “What bothers me about Tim Walz is the stolen valor garbage. Do not pretend to be something that you’re not … I’d be ashamed if I were him and lied about my military service like he did.” pic.twitter.com/ysXxQYsx73
— CSPAN (@cspan) August 7, 2024
Allegations against Walz predate his initial run for Congress during the 2006 midterms, a year after he had retired as a master sergeant for benefits purposes, having attained the rank of command sergeant major but lacking additional coursework completion.
According to a 2018 Facebook post from retired Command Sergeant Major Thomas Behrends, the man who succeeded Walz, “In early 2005, a warning order was issued to the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion, which included the position he was serving in, to prepare to be mobilized for active duty for a deployment to Iraq.”
“On May 16th, 2005, he quit, betraying his country, leaving the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion and its Soldiers hanging; without its senior Non-Commissioned Officer, as the battalion prepared for war,” Behrends went on.
He continued those allegations as Walz pursued his gubernatorial re-election in 2022 when he had joined former state Sen. Scott Jensen and other veterans who criticized the pre-deployment retirement.
The response to the allegations included him saying of Behrends during a Medal of Honor Memorial dedication, as reported by the Star Tribune, “I don’t know if Tom just disagrees with my politics or whatever, but my record speaks for itself and my accomplishments in uniform speak for itself, and there’s many people in this crowd, too, that I served with. It’s just unfortunate.”
It had also been suggested that the reason for his resignation was because he was deciding to run for Congress.
Similarly, in 2006 Walz responded to criticism from Iraq war veteran Tom Hagen who co-authored a letter to the Winona Daily News regarding the politician’s retirement, referring to their claims as “lies” as he cited his campaign website’s biography that read, “Walz served overseas with his battalion in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.” The detail referenced his service in Italy.
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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