Ted Cruz’s campaign chair furiously scrubs bio after newspaper questions his combat claims

[tabasco]

Source: Raw Story

A Republican lawmaker who’s serving as chairman of Sen. Ted Cruz’s campaign in Washington state is either unwilling or unable to verify that he is a decorated combat veteran.

State Rep. Graham Hunt (R-Orting), who was elected in 2014 to the legislative seat to which he was appointed the year before, listed three medals on his official and campaign biographies that a military personnel center has no record of him receiving, reported The Seattle Times.

A military spokeswoman pointed out to the newspaper that the personnel center’s records are sometimes incomplete — but Hunt has been quietly deleting some details about his service record from online biographies since reporters have begun to press him for more information.

Hunt, who traveled out of state earlier this month to meet with armed militants who are occupying an Oregon wildlife refuge, says he was “wounded in combat” but has offered only vague details about what happened.

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/2016/01/ted-cruzs-campaign-chair-furiously-scrubs-bio-after-newspaper-questions-his-combat-claims/

---

Another day, another lying republican stolen valor phony combat vet.

[SoapBox]

1. And was it the Supremes that recently said it's not a crime to lie about such?

Up is down...black is white...etc. etc.

[Android3.14]

7. Not a crime, nor is claiming to be a Christian

When you are not.

[daleanime]

12. Crime, no....

dishonest, yes.

[Salviati]

27. And while it may not be a crime

I would be fully in favor of the armed forces maintaining a public wall of shame, publicly posting the names of people who have made verifiable claims (such as in their campaign bio...) to medals and awards that they had not earned.

Freedom of speech is a two way street. And letting people know what you yourself have publicly claimed should in no way be considered cruel or unusual.

[daleanime]

29. Oh, hell yes....

[3catwoman3]

31. I like this idea.

A lot.

[roguevalley]

13. he exposed the fundamental evil of that side

[Plucketeer]

2. He was probably on the chopper that Brian Williams was on

[whopis01]

9. Or threw himself in the line of fire to protect Hillary against snipers. n/t

[Plucketeer]

10. or BOTH!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

33. Now I envision Williams, Clinton, and Cruz on American Legion barstools

swilling cheap beer and swapping war stories.

[louis-t]

3. Wounded? Sat on a potato peeler?

Received a medal for platoon chug-a-lug contest?

[Human101948]

14. Don't belittle that wound, he suffered a serious STD!

And there was a rash as well!

[marble falls]

17. You had to have been there, man. It was like the worst MickyDee anywhere!...

the unit motto was, "Freedom and Freedom Fries, Forever!"

We never missed a mess.

[Myrina]

4. I work with someone like this ...

I even call him Ted because he reminds me of Carnival Cruz.

Why do they have to lie? Its not like we're impressed about whether they were in the military or not ... or any of the hundred other 'fabulous adventures' his life has contained ... and the truth ALWAYS comes out, making them look like the psycho's they are.

Why do people (especially ones on the Right) insist on trying to pull one over on everyone, whether they need to or not?

[Vincardog]

5. Because All they have to sell is lies. No one would vote for them if they said what they really want

[karynnj]

8. This is not Cruz lying, but his WA chair

[Myrina]

44. You didn't read my post very closely, did you?

[ProfessorGAC]

42. You May Be More Unique That You Suspect

Geez, there is even an insurance company that advertises that those who serve deserve better treatment than the rest of us.

So, i think MANY people are impressed by military service. Hence, the fakery.

[TrollBuster9090]

6. When asked why he claimed he was awarded medals that he was never awarded, he answered...

“I’ve tried to make this about the genitalia. If you don’t have the parts … if you don’t have the plumbing, then you don’t go in.”

That may end up being his most famous quote.

[3catwoman3]

32. Does. Not. Compute.

Does he speak Palin?

[NCjack]

34. I think he means that he has to lie bigger than his competition to be hired for

jobs that want people with big genitalia. And, everyone loves a war hero.

[rladdi]

11. OMG, even G. Bush lied about his military career. But a few millionaires lied for him along with

Karl Rowe, They even campaigned against others, Dan Rather is was very accurate in his reporting but the Republicans have many ATTACK radicals with money. That is how Bush won. He is the most incompetent President ever, History will prove that. And now we see that Rumsfield LIED for him too on the wars

[marble falls]

15. So where are the freaking swift-boaters now????????

[packman]

16. The one I liked was Mitt Rommey's sons

when Mitt said his sons were "serving" the U.S. by helping him get elected. What a disconnect from reality.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/romney-sons-serve-country-by-campaigning/

[marble falls]

18. Well at least Mitt knows where who's to blame lies. One of his sons is ...

not worthy!!!!!

[Tanuki]

41. ..or Donald Trump's clim that marching around in uniform at his high school gave him

"more training militarily than a lot of the guys that go into the military." ..... "students wore uniforms, participated in march drills and adhered to a strict hierarchy. The culture, he told the biographer, meant he "always felt that I was in the military."
...Trump did not serve in Vietnam because of medical deferments for bone spurs in his heels (which he showed D'Antonio during their interviews) and later, a high draft number: 356 out of 366.

"My number was so incredible and it was a very high draft number. Anyway so I never had to do that, but I felt that I was in the military in the true sense because I dealt with those people," he told Mr. D'Antonio.

"He's not a war hero," Trump said at the Iowa Family Leadership Summit when moderator Frank Luntz brought up McCain, who spent more than five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Immediately modifying his original remarks, Trump added, "He's a war hero 'cause he was captured. I like people that weren't captured, OK?"

[kairos12]

19. Stolen Valor. Scumbag.

[MariaThinks]

20. lying cowards republicans

[Javaman]

21. the psychopath has sociopaths working for him. nt

[Babel_17]

22. Not your run of the mill resume padding

No doubt in my mind it's a big deal to most all who earned their medals. And of course it's a big deal to many other people.

[MariaThinks]

23. cruz did not know he's canadian, or that he had a 1 million loan

maybe he just doesn't know how stupid, disgusting and cowardly he is?

seriously, anyone want to trust this imbecile with nuclear launch codes?

[snort]

24. I understand this guy.

Back during the Viet Nam war, I made the choice to send a dozen of my best soldiers to take an unprotected ridge, or so I thought. Suddenly, a piece of heavy equipment that the enemy had somehow commandeered came crashing over the top of the ridge and crushed those men. The enemy leaped out of the back of the dump truck and sprayed those men with lighter fluid and burned them before my horrified eyes. I lost 7 GI Joes that morning. Milk and cookies made me feel better about it, so no PTSD.

[DRoseDARs]

25. Infected butt boils. nt

[PatrynXX]

26. oh but Stolen Valor is supposed to be free speech now

why delete it

[Frustratedlady]

28. I recently ran into an obituary which listed the deceased being a Purple Heart recipient.

Having known this individual for many years (and, knowing he often stretched the truth to impress) Google and I spent some time together to see if that could possibly be true. After checking multiple sources, I was unable to find any mention of any medal, although I'm sure he received the more common medals of achievement. NONE.

Now, I could see them forgetting to record some battle medals, but the Purple Heart?

Hmmmm! I'd lay money down that he was also a Republican.

[Kennah]

30. He served with Trump, right? n/t

[keithbvadu2]

35. “wounded in combat” - - - His brothers-in-arms would be able to verify it

or verify that he is lying.

He would remember most of those he served with.

edit:::: Maybe he served in combat with Track Palin or Billo?

[pinboy3niner]

37. "...but he cannot recall any details or supply the names of anyone he served with there."

From the story linked in the OP.

[keithbvadu2]

43. Funny about that, ain't it?

[pinboy3niner]

36. He has a statement about it on the Washington State House Republicans website:

Posted on January 23, 2016

Statement from Rep. Graham Hunt regarding article in The Seattle Times

Rep. Graham Hunt, R-Orting, released the following statement in response to the January 23 article in The Seattle Times entitled, ‘Combat veteran’? Records fail to back state lawmaker’s claims.

“I have been completely transparent with Mr. Brunner about my military service. I am a combat veteran, and served my country overseas in multiple deployments to the Middle East, including to Iraq and Afghanistan. Records with the Air Reserve Personnel Center were not automated in 2001 and 2003 as they are now, so I do not have a complete copy of all my records. I do, however, have records of the following medals I received:

•Air Force Achievement Medal
•Air Force Expeditionary Service Medal
•Combat Readiness Medal
•National Defense Service Medal
•Air Reserve Force Meritorious Service Medal, 2 Devices
•Armed Forces Reserve Medal

“I am proud to have served this country honorably in the armed forces, and will continue to do so in my service as a state representative.”

http://houserepublicans.wa.gov/uncategorized/statement-on-seattle-times-article/

[jmowreader]

38. No wonder he fleshed it out!

The highest thing on here is an Air Force Achievement Medal, which is a noncombat award. The government buys these things by the skid, they issue so many of them. I have four of the Army's equivalent...and I have NO idea what the hell I did to get the fourth one.

An Expeditionary Service Medal is issued for going to an area where combat is.

The Combat Readiness Medal is given for maintaining top proficiency on a "large weapon system" (not a machinegun, but being part of a ground crew on an airplane would work) for two years straight.

The National Defense Service Medal is awarded to everyone who serves during time of conflict. You don't have to get within a thousand miles of the war, just being in the service is enough.

The Air Reserve Force Meritorious Service Medal is a "good conduct" award. In the Army this is called a Good Conduct Medal. Be a good boy for three years, and you get one. Two devices - three awards - means he was good for nine years.

The Armed Forces Reserve Medal is issued for being in the reserves. It's a "service award."

So...we're looking at a totally ordinary airman.

[pinboy3niner]

39. And he saved records of the NDSM and the Reserve Medal--but not the Purple Heart?

I don't think any of his statements will persuade reporters to stop pursuing the truth about this.

[jmowreader]

40. I don't know if those even HAVE records attached

I have an Army of Occupation Medal, an Army Service Ribbon, an NDSM and an Overseas Service Medal, and none of them came with paperwork attached. These "I was there!" awards are authorized if your record shows you were in a certain place at a certain time.

I also have an Army Commendation Medal, four Army Achievement Medals, a Humanitarian Service Medal and an NCO Professional Development Ribbon with "2" device (to show I went to two different schools) and those all came with either General Orders or some other documentation, like a Service School Evaluation Report for the NCOPD ribbon. Most things that are called "medal" also are issued with a certificate that says what you did.

This eight-ball's problem isn't that HE doesn't have records of those awards, but that St. Louis doesn't. If that shit ain't in the National Personnel Records Center, you don't have it...which is why the last thing you do before you get out is to go to Personnel with all the orders for your promotions and awards, and make sure everything you were awarded appears on your discharge certificate.