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In a 2018 endorsement letter to the West Central Tribune, retired Command Sergeants Major Thomas Behrends and Paul Herr detailed their experiences with Walz, alleging that he has “embellished and selectively omitted facts and circumstances of his military career for years.” The retired veterans outlined a timeline of Walz’s service post-9/11 and accused him of abandoning his unit just before a deployment to Iraq.
“Tim Walz has embellished and selectively omitted facts and circumstances of his military career for years,” Behrends and Herr wrote. They criticized Walz for leaving his unit in 2005, shortly after being promoted to Command Sergeant Major, stating he abandoned them at a crucial time. According to the letter, Walz claimed he needed to retire to run for Congress, but the retired veterans argue he could have requested permission to run while still serving.
“If he had retired normally and respectfully, you would think he would have ensured his retirement documents were correctly filled out and signed, and that he would have ensured he was reduced to Master Sergeant for dropping out of the academy. Instead he waited for the paperwork to catch up to him. His official retirement document states, SOLDIER NOT AVAILABLE FOR SIGNATURE,” the letter stated.
Walz was subsequently demoted to Master Sergeant, a detail that undermines his claim of being the highest-ranking enlisted man ever elected to Congress. This narrative has fueled further allegations of dishonesty about his military service.
Republican vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance recently accused Walz of stolen valor, drawing a stark contrast between his own service and Walz’s actions. “As a Marine who served his country in uniform… when the United States of America asked me to go to Iraq to serve my country, I did it… When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, you know what he did? He dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him,” Vance stated.
Vance further condemned Walz, saying, “I think it’s shameful to prepare your unit to go to Iraq, to make a promise that you’re going to follow through, and then to drop out right before you actually have to go.”
Brutal “Pocket Weapon” Stops Hearts (discounted for next 78)
He also pointed to a past statement from Walz regarding gun control, in which Walz appeared to suggest he had carried weapons in a combat zone. Walz said, “And we can make sure that those weapons of war that I carried in war is the only place where those weapons are allowed.” This claim has been heavily scrutinized, with media outlets like CNN highlighting the lack of evidence that Walz faced direct combat.
CNN’s fact-check on the matter stated, “There is a significant difference between being stationed in a combat area during wartime and being under direct enemy fire,” and labeled Walz’s assertions as “absolutely false.”
As the controversy continues to unfold, the scrutiny on Governor Walz’s military service record remains a significant issue in the campaign, raising questions about his credibility and character at a critical juncture in his political career.
