Is Dick Gephardt a Vietnam veteran?

[TheYellowDog]

I ask this question because I could have sworn that I heard he served in Vietnam from around 1965-1971. I think I saw it on one of those sites talking about Bush being AWOL, but I don't have a link. Does anyone know if Dick Gephardt served?

[JohnKleeb]

1. yeah you read correctly

USN just as you said.

[TheYellowDog]

2. then how come

they only talk about Kerry's service in Vietnam? Why does Dick get ignored? :shrug:

[JohnKleeb]

6. maybe Dick doesnt like to talk about it

I also have no problem with Gep talking about his father being a teamster. I would if I were a presidential candiate bring up my family's story. It could be that the reason is that Kerry got decorated I am not sure.

[TheYellowDog]

3. Er

it says that he served in the Missouri National Guard, not the USN.

[TheYellowDog]

4. Reminds me of Bush.

:(

[Dr Fate]

21. It does not remind me of that deserter at all...

Dick was in uniform during wartime-

I doubt hehe ever got special treatment, or went AWOL or anything, like Bush..

[Media_Lies_Daily]

34. Difference? Gephardt never refused to take a physical and never went AWOL.

[JohnKleeb]

8. oh my bad I am a fool

I am sorry yellow, I was wrong it was the national guard.

[sandnsea]

5. Air National Guard

1965-1971, that's the info I have. Let's just hope there's a record of every single day, although I would strongly bet there is.

Bush's problem wouldn't be as big if he'd actually bothered to show up. Different people had different views about college and guard service to avoid Vietnam. Where I grew up, in California, you were an idiot if you didn't try to avoid service. Where my husband grew up, in rural Washington, you were a draft dodger if you avoided service. Now, it all just depends on whether a Democrat or Republican is running and what is the 'serving honorably' sentiment of the moment.

On edit:

And Kerry served two tours. Nobody, but nobody, served two tours. Well, a few, but not too many!

[OrdinaryTa]

19. Kerry's "Tours"

Nobody, but nobody, served two tours

Well, a few people did, but Kerry wasn't one of them. Kerry served six months aboard a carrier tender, totally out of danger. After he trained in San Diego, Kerry commanded a swift boat in Vietnam for four months. Kerry's brief period of personal risk was terminated at his own request. He exploited a loophole in Navy regulations to get back to the United States, where a cushy job as an admiral's aide was waiting for him.

[Dr Fate]

22. Is this supposed to be scandal?

he served in combat, was decorated, and appears to have had a successful, by-the-book career- unlike Bush and the many GOP chickenhawks...

[OrdinaryTa]

30. No, Not Scandalous

Kerry's military career appears to have been run-of-the-mill. He got the awards that undeserving officers usually get, plus a few breaks that other officers don't get. Nothing special at all about him. I'm glad you agree.

[Dr Fate]

32. undeserving?

What's the point in that kind of acusations towards a DEM, and possible candidate?

The Bush folks cant slander him like that without opening questions about Bush's complete failure to serve- voters would see the difference...So why should DEMS do it?

- I'm not sure that suggesting he did not do his job properly is a good strategy- or even true...

[Media_Lies_Daily]

33. Not so fast...

...if you want to talk about "breaks that other officers don't get", why don't you stick to talking about Bush who flew a jet to protect the shores of Texas from the North Vietnamese, and when that grew to be too stressful he refused to take a physical and went AWOL.

In regards to Kerry, let's see what his biography says about him. And please try to remember that if anyone had anything on Kerry about his military service he would have been gone from Congress quite some time ago.

Here's Kerry's website...after you get there, click on the tab entitled "About" and then click on "Biography":

<http://www.senate.gov/~kerry/high/index_high.html>

"A graduate of Yale University, John Kerry entered the Navy after graduation, becoming a Swift Boat officer, serving on a gunboat in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. He received a Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, and three awards of the Purple Heart for his service in combat.

By the time Senator Kerry returned home from Vietnam, he felt compelled to question decisions he believed were being made to protect those in positions of authority in Washington at the expense of the soldiers carrying on the fighting in Vietnam. Kerry was a co-founder of the Vietnam Veterans of America and became a spokesperson for the Vietnam Veterans Against the War..."

You need to understand that NOBODY earns "a Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, and three awards of the Purple Heart" during a military career that appears, in your words, "to have been run-of-the-mill". Kerry was wounded THREE different times, and was awarded SIX different times for heroism under fire (one Silver Star, and five Bronze Stars). Swift boats were not for the faint of heart...that was one of the most hazardous duties you could ever get in Vietnam.

Next time you slam a vet, try to have your facts straight.

[TheYellowDog]

7. Ok, I have a question then.

If service in the Air National Guard during the Vietnam era while supporting any war since then makes someone a chickenhawk, doesn't that make Dick Gephardt a chickenhawk?

[TheYellowDog]

9. Of course Lieberman would be

a chickenhawk too then, and Edwards wouldn't be because he was too young to have served in Vietnam, I think. And Kerry certainly wouldn't be, because he served honorably in Vietnam.

[sandnsea]

14. Edwards was old enough

I'm 45, he's 50. He would have been able to serve the last few years because I was in high school at that time. Maybe he just got lucky and got low draft numbers, maybe he got a college deferrment. Maybe the real reason he studied hard to get into college was to stay the hell out of Vietnam!!! Wouldn't be the first one to do it and if he did, good for him!

[Catch22Dem]

16. Not true

If he's 50, then odds are, he never received a draft number at all.

[sandnsea]

18. Why would that be?

He would have been 18 in 1971. His draft number was 76. I don't get it.

[JohnKleeb]

10. a chickenhawk is a constant war hawk

[Dr Fate]

24. how is Dick a Chickenhawk, like Bush & Cheney?

He served in uniform during wartime- did he get any special treatment or somthing?

[BushHasGotToGo]

36. He served only in the national guard and supported war in Iraq

That's the definition aint it.

Vote Dean. He's the only honest one.

[sandnsea]

11. He's never bragged on it

for one. And he probably showed up every time he was supposed to, for two.

[Cocoa]

12. lol

kind of a roundabout way of saying Gephardt is a chickenhawk.

You get these people to look up Gephardt's military service, thinking you really want to know.

Welcome to DU! :toast:

[GregW]

13. No

A "chickenhawk is defined as, "A politician or other person who promotes war without having had any personal experience of it; especially those who have avoided the experience."

When has milque-toast Gephardt promoted war?

[OrdinaryTa]

20. Gephardt Voted For the Iraq War

Gephardt was one of the more hawkish members of Congress. He did more than support the Iraq war resolution, his appearances with Bush in the Rose Garden were particularly disgraceful. Gephardt is a piece of shit.

[Catch22Dem]

15. No it doesn't

At least he served his term.

[Cocoa]

17. the Freepers think Gep's a chickenhawk

"AJ Insider" agrees with you.

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/962200/posts?page=4

Posted on 08/11/2003 2:18 PM PDT by AJ Insider

Gephardt the Chickenhawk

A regular occurrence in the blogosphere revolves around liberals calling President George W. Bush a "chickenhawk" because he served in the Air National Guard (in their opinion to avoid service in Vietnam) and has been ordering American forces into combat.

If service in the Air National Guard during the Vietnam era while supporting any war since then makes someone a "chickenhawk", why haven't these liberals stuck the same label on Dick Gephardt?

According to his bio, Gephardt served in the Air National Guard from 1965-1971 following law school. I'm not saying I agree with the label for Bush or Gephardt, but if it applies to one it should apply to both.

[TheYellowDog]

25. I never called Gephardt a chickenhawk

I merely was saying that just because someone served in the national guard does not make them a chickenhawk. THAT was my point.

[Dr Fate]

27. If they got the slot through special privlege...

...and on top of that, go AWOL while being "for" war- then they are a Chickenhawk.

Bush, not Dick, fits this description.

[Dr Fate]

26. They forgot to mention that Bush went AWOL...

Dick on the other hand, appears to have had a scandal-free career and as far as I know actually performed his duties...Did he get special treatment, like Bush?

...So there is really no comparison to Bush at all-

[Dr Fate]

23. No, Chickenhawks refused to serve during war, or went AWOL...

..like Bush, Cheney, Lott, DeLay, Frist and amazingly, almost any Republican of note, including Rush, O'Reilly and Hannity...

Dick and holy Joe dont fit that description- they served in unifrom during wartime- and apparently enjoyed careers free of scandal, unlike Bush...

[TheYellowDog]

28. Lieberman didn't serve

in uniform during wartime. He got two deferments.

[Dr Fate]

29. Cool- I thought he was in the National Gaurd or somthing...

...my bad-

What about Dick- any special treatment?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

31. No. See the link to his biography inside...

...he is a Vietnam Era serviceman, but never saw duty in Vietnam.

<http://www.dickgephardt2004.com/plugin/template/gephardt/15/*>

"Gephardt also served in the Air National Guard from 1965 to 1971. He enlisted in the National Guard in 1965 and became an officer as Judge Advocate for the 131st Combat Support Squadron based in St. Louis. He achieved the rank of Captain before being honorably discharged."

[BushHasGotToGo]

35. I think he was National Guard

don't quote me though

[IndianaGreen]

37. Gephardt never served

He managed to get elected to political office early in his life, which was a ticket to a draft-free life.

Lieberman also got out of the draft. His student deferment expired in 1967 after he graduated from law school (the draft lottery did not start until December 1969). In 1970 Lieberman was first elected to political office, which also gave him a draft-free life.

People without influence or influencial friends always get out of conscription.

Dean reported to a draft physical, and flunked!

[TheYellowDog]

38. Again,

IG, where were you during Vietnam?

[TheYellowDog]

39. Oh, and btw,

the person you hate the most besides Lieberman, John Kerry, was a decorated Vietnam officer.