When Kamala Harris announced the selection of pro-abort, anti-gun Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as a running mate on Tuesday, the Democrats thought they'd hit a trifecta. They have a Midwestern (though, in fairness, Minnesota is much more of an ersatz Canada than Midwestern) veteran high school coach to take the edge off Kamala's particularly nutty form of Marxism. Things haven't worked out that way.
Within hours of Walz's announcement, it became apparent that his military service was characterized by opportunism and selfishness rather than the servant leadership that is the tradition of the United States Army. RedState has covered the issue exhaustively since it emerged.
BACKGROUND
A Tale of Two Veterans: What the Service of Walz and Vance Tells Us About the Men – RedState
Tim Walz Goes Full Metal Stolen Valor in Anti-Gun Rant – RedState
As Walz's Military Record Combusts Under Casual Scrutiny, the Left Goes for Whataboutism – RedState
JD Vance Rightly Calls Tim Walz Out for Being a Sheep and a Coward – RedState
The media has been torn over the subject. CNN debunked Walz's claims that he served in combat (see Even CNN Torches Tim Walz in Blistering Fact Check About Carrying Weapon 'In War' – RedState). But the preponderance of evidence is beginning to indicate that Walz himself portrayed his service as duty in combat. A Bloomberg profile posted the day of Walz's announcement specifically says that Walz served in Iraq. It has since been edited with no explanation of how the error came to be (see NEW: The Tim Walz Stolen Valor Scandal Just Got Much Worse Following Bombshell Report – RedState).
The Harris campaign has sought to minimize Walz's lack of manliness by denigrating JD Vance's service in the US Marine Corps in Anbar Province, Iraq. A top Harris surrogate claimed that Vance had not served in the military; see Top Harris Surrogate's Claim About Vance's Military Service Is So Disgusting Jim Acosta Has to Jump In – RedState and Harris and Walz Using the 'Big Lie' With No Media Pushback Portends a Very Ugly Campaign – RedState.
Online, they have been portraying Vance's service as a safe, cushy job because the Marines assigned him to be a public affairs specialist.
USMC Major Megan McClung was also a Marine public affairs officer. She was killed by an IED in Anbar, Iraq. She wasn’t kicking down doors, either. She is buried in Section 60 at Arlington.
— Patrick Poole (@pspoole) August 7, 2024
Shame on you. https://t.co/DuXFKvVvda pic.twitter.com/ZTvL4LgNbV
I have other questions about Walz's military service. For instance, how did Walz's military career survive doing 95 in a 55 while functionally embalmed? See Tim Walz Drove 95 in a 55, Tried to Flee Police, and Blamed It on 'Deafness'—RedState.
Two generic defenses are emerging.
"Walz has said he left the guard to run for Congress, according to the Star Tribune," reports CBS.
This may have been Walz's choice, but it was not a requirement. Many members of the National Guard and Reserve have served in the House and Senate. Tulsi Gabbard is probably the highest-profile example of the last few years. Walz could have decided that service in the Guard cramped his style, but his decision to run for Congress did not necessitate his retirement.
A second emerging narrative is that Walz did not know his unit would be mobilized.
The Harris-Walz camp is using a former colleague of Walz's as a surrogate to push this story.
Did Tim Walz retire from the Army National Guard because he knew that his unit was about to be deployed to Iraq in 2005? Joseph Eustice, who served with Walz, tells @LelandVittert that there were only “rumors” of deployment when Walz ended his Guard career to run for Congress.… pic.twitter.com/CWQCXO3xB4
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) August 8, 2024
We know for a fact that the mobilization of Walz's battalion was public knowledge months before he retired. How do we know? Walz's Congressional campaign told us.
Did Tim Walz retire from the Army National Guard because he knew that his unit was about to be deployed to Iraq in 2005? Joseph Eustice, who served with Walz, tells @LelandVittert that there were only “rumors” of deployment when Walz ended his Guard career to run for Congress.… pic.twitter.com/CWQCXO3xB4
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) August 8, 2024
Walz Still Planning to Run for Congress Despite Possible Call to Duty in Iraq
March 20, 2005 — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On Thursday, March 17 the National Guard Public Affairs Office announced a possible partial mobilization of roughly 2,000 troops from the Minnesota National Guard. First District congressional candidate Tim Walz currently holds the rank of Command Sergeant Major in the 1-125th Battalion, which is based in New Ulm and largely composed of men and women from southern Minnesota. The announcement from the National Guard PAO specified that all or a portion of Walz’s battalion could be mobilized to serve in Iraq within the next two years.
Walz, who teaches Global Geography at Mankato West High School, has been an active member of the National Guard since 1981. He has been previously deployed during his 23 years in the National Guard, including an eight month deployment during Operation Enduring Freedom.
When asked about his possible deployment to Iraq Walz said, “I do not yet know if my artillery unit will be part of this mobilization and I am unable to comment further on specifics of the deployment.”
Although his tour of duty in Iraq might coincide with his campaign for Minnesota’s 1st Congressional seat, Walz is determined to stay in the race. “As Command Sergeant Major I have a responsibility not only to ready my battalion for Iraq, but also to serve if called on. I am dedicated to serving my country to the best of my ability, whether that is in Washington DC or in Iraq.”
“I don’t want to speculate on what shape my campaign will take if I am deployed, but I have no plans to drop out of the race. I am fortunate to have a strong group of enthusiastic supporters and a very dedicated and intelligent wife. Both will be a major part of my campaign, whether I am in Minnesota or Iraq.”
If called to duty, Walz would leave behind his wife Gwen and four year old daughter, Hope.
In May 2005, Walz retired two years short of the six-year enlistment he was serving and took a one-grade demotion.
First off, the idea that the first inkling that Walz got of mobilization was a press release from the National Guard Bureau is ludicrous. The unit command group would have received a warning order, or WARNORD, months before the official notification. What is instructive is that in March, Walz told everyone that he intended to deploy with his battalion. For Walz to retire in May, his retirement request would have already been submitted. He not only abandoned his men, he lied to his constituents.
In short, neither of the newfound excuses for Walz is operable. He didn't retire from the National Guard to run for office because a) there was no requirement that he do so and b) because his campaign said he would deploy to Iraq with his unit, and the campaign would go on. He did know his unit would deploy to Iraq because it was public knowledge in March and the decision by the Pentagon to call up his unit would have been made months earlier.
My colleague, Joe Cunningham, has a must-read titled On Tim Walz, Stolen Valor, and American Values – RedState. Americans will forgive a lot of stuff (see the Clinton 1992 and Trump 2016 campaigns). They won't forgive cowardice and duplicity.
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