Except - since you brought in Tim Walz:
The marked difference between the two is that the people closest to Walz don't regard him very well at all. Whereas there is no such reference to Vance - probably because he didn't lie about his rank.
Ret. Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Behrends, who said he was a member of Walz's battalion, scolded the Minnesota governor for misleading the American public about his military career.
Asked about Trump running mate Sen. JD Vance's accusation that Walz is guilty of "stolen valor," the National Guard veteran told Fox News host Laura Ingraham that it's "far darker than a lot of people think."
"He's used the rank that he never achieved in order to advance his political career," he said. "I mean, he still says he's a retired command sergeant major to this day, and he's not. He uses the rank of others to make it look like he's a better person than he is."
"I mean, if he thinks Italy was a combat zone or a war zone and he was carrying that in war, he's delusional," he added.
Behrends said Walz had been promoted to command sergeant major in 2004, but claimed he was required to serve two additional years or the promotion would be void.
Or here:
or here:
Stolen Valor Act:
The Stolen Valor Act of 2013 amends the federal criminal code to rewrite provisions relating to fraudulent claims about military service to subject to a fine, imprisonment for not more than one year, or both for an individual who, with intent to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit, fraudulently holds himself or herself out to be a recipient of:
They are Swift-boating Walz.
1996 — Walz transfers to Minnesota National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery.
September 2001 — Though Walz qualified for retirement at 20 years of service, he said in
an interview for a Library of Congress oral history project that the Sept. 11 attacks convinced him to reenlist.
Aug. 3, 2003 — Walz’s unit deploys for nine months of active duty, based in Vicenza, Italy, to support Operation Enduring Freedom, the war in Afghanistan. The troops provided security for Air Force bases in Turkey, Italy, Belgium and Britain, with some elements deployed to support stability operations in Bosnia and Kosovo,
a unit history says. In the Library of Congress interview, Walz said the experience made him more politically aware.
April 2004 — Walz returns to Minnesota.
Feb. 5, 2005 — Walz, describing himself in
a news release as “Mankato West High School teacher and Command Sergeant Major in the National Guard,” files
paperwork saying he is exploring running for Congress.
March 17 — The National Guard announces possible partial mobilization of 2,000 troops. “The announcement from the National Guard PAO [Public Affairs Office] specified that all or a portion of Walz’s battalion could be mobilized to serve in Iraq within the next two years,” according to a
March 20 news release issued by the Walz campaign. “Walz Still Planning to Run for Congress Despite Possible Call to Duty in Iraq,” the headline said.
In the news release, Walz said he “had no plans to drop out of the race.” He also said: “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.”
From the link in the earlier post:
Al Bonnifield served under Walz, as did his younger brother. Bonnifield vividly recalls the first time he saw his new sergeant upon returning from annual training.
"He was down at the motorpool barking orders at everyone," Bonnifield said.
Bonnifield said he and his squad mates weren't sure what to make of him.
"We all kind of looked at him kind of funny like, 'Who is this guy?'" Bonnifield said. "But after a while we all got to know him and respect him very much."
They worked together in the armory base supply shop. He knew Walz as a guy who would play practical jokes on fellow soldiers and who would chat up anyone, regardless of differences in rank.
Bonnifield said they also bonded during a deployment to Italy connected to post-Sept. 11 Operation Enduring Freedom. After seven months abroad, the unit returned to Minnesota.
But Walz had already begun thinking about an exit and bounced it off others, including Bonnifield.
"Would the soldier look down on him because he didn't go with us? Would the common soldier say, 'Hey, he didn't go with us, he's trying to skip out on a deployment?' And he wasn't," Bonnifield said. "He talked with us for quite a while on that subject. He weighed that decision to run for Congress very heavy. He loved the military, he loved the guard, he loved the soldiers he worked with."
Walz said it was merely time to leave and he saw a chance to make a difference in the public policy arena.
"Once you're in, it's hard to retire. Of my 40 years or 41 years, I had been in the military 24 of them. It was just what you did," he said. "So that transition period was just a challenge."
Bonnifield and his brother did deploy to Iraq, in different units. And they both dealt with severe mental health issues upon their return. Bonnifield said Walz the congressman worked to connect struggling Guard members with help and sought to cut red tape.
"If you listen to him, he's got a very loud, strong voice," Bonnifield said. "But there's a very caring person inside. And one very good leader, too."
