Clark's Stepbrother Surprised by Tie

[Khephra]

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Kennard Clark learned to his surprise that he has a stepbrother, and the guy's running for president.

The 71-year-old surgeon in Arlington, Texas, said his father disappeared shortly after Kennard graduated high school in 1950. Unbeknownst to Kennard, Victor Clark was married again by 1954 and living with his wife and her son, Wesley, in Little Rock, where Kennard went to school until 10th grade.

Wesley Clark, former NATO supreme commander and current Democratic candidate for president, said he knew that his stepfather, whose name he took and who adopted him, had had a previous family that had included a son. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported Sunday that Kennard didn't know about his stepbrother until the paper told him.

Wesley Clark, 58, recalled being told by his stepfather of Kennard and that his mother lamenting that Victor had let the child get out of his life.

more.................

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-clarks-brother,0,5695220.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

I have a step-brother out there that I met later on in my life. Lets just say this: I wish the Clark Brothers good luck. We didn't have such good luck in getting along with each other.

[shrike]

1. My husband met a few half-siblings from his father's earlier marriage and

a relationship not long ago. (My late father-in-law got around, what can I say?) I found it amusing that he got on better with them than with him full siblings. He freely admits it's because he didn't grow up with them -- and all the crap and baggage that entails.

[leetrisck]

2. Someone digging into Clark's personal life

Better not be a middle class person from nowhere or be raised by a single mother - not only no but hell no - you deserve nothing if you manage to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. That applied to Clinton & Clark (maybe others, I don't know) Remember when they dug up that Clinton had brothers & sisters he knew nothing about, said his father wasn't his father, called his Mom every name in the book. Oh no, but if your born with a silver spoon up your nose, you are "titled" and "entitled"

[OKNancy]

3. I notice they say step brother, but it's not

they are half-brothers. It's those little things that count.

[FrenchieCat]

5. No, stepbrother is correct...

This is not Wes' 1/2 brother....this is Wes' STEPBROTHER

Clark had his own father and mother.
His mother remarried after Wes' father died, last name Kanne.
THe man Wes'mom married (2nd marriage)....that man's last name was Clark.
That's the man adopted Wes, Hence Wesley Kanne Clark.....

The Clark (2nd marriage for his mother) had a son previous to meeting the Wes' mom.....

The son is this 71 year old stepbrother....no blood relations,
Got it?

[marshall]

9. legal vs. blood relationship

Legally the newfound sibling would be considered a half-brother, since the elder Clark adopted the younger of the two. Then again, maybe he didn't really adopt him legally and therefore the step moniker is correct. But in a legal sense, if one adopts a child that child has the same rights and responsibilities as a blood related child, and that includes kinship to other children.

[newyawker99]

12. Hi marshall!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[hlthe2b]

6. the way I read it, they are referring to Wesley Clark's STEPFATHER

as being the father to this man. So they would be step brothers, if that is true.

[LizW]

4. "his father disappeared"?

That's a rather unflattering way to put it.

I wouldn't be surprised if Kennard Clark has little interest in knowing his recently discovered stepbrother. There's no blood relation, after all. My husband has half-siblings from his father's subsequent marriage after he left my mother-in-law, and frankly, there's a little resentment that his dad raised other children after walking out on the first set (7 of them).

[Donna Zen]

7. What will the children say?

So have the freeps started in on this yet? The next thing will be pictures of Kennard meeting with General Shelton.

Anyway, that means Clark's mother was doing the job alone for six years. Whew! The difference between junior and the General could hardly be more stark. And the possibility of Clark understanding the difficulties facing ordinary Americans couldn't be greater.

[bleedingheart]

8. I had a half brother I never met

My dad and his mother divorced. My dad paid support but he never saw the kid much...the divorce was due to the cheating of my dad's ex-wife...and there was a lot of anger over it...in fact she had claimed that the boy wasn't my dad's...so you can imagine how the situation was a bit out of control.

My half-brother went on to fight in Vietnam, got a college degree, married, had two kids....and had moved out of state

He died this summer and I only found out because my mother found his obituary in our local paper, apparently his mom had it printed in our local paper.

His obit had a picture of him during his service in Vietnam...if you laid that picture and the picture of my dad in WWII side by side you would have thought they were twins.

I really felt bad about having never met him....

He was about 23 years older than me....

[Melsky]

10. I hope it's a good thing for both of them

I have a minimum of three half siblings that I have never met. I'm always interested in long lost sibling or family meeting stories.

[sweetladybug]

11. Melsky, I have a great story to tell you about finding lost family

My husband was married at a young age and had 2 sons from that marriage. His ex STOLE his sons from him and we could not find them. She even had them adopted by her new husband. We went 25 yrs before THEY FOUND US. Actually one of his son's wife found us. She said she knew that my husband's ex was lying about my husband so she set out to find him. The boys's mother told them alot of lies about my husband and they said they really didn't even want to ever see him but they did meet him and we all get along great. It doesn't seem like they were ever out of our lives. My husband and I have 3 children (so our children are their 1/2 brothers and 1/2 sister)and all of them get along great. We all have completely bonded with each other. They have been back in our lives for 2 yrs (this month) and we will never let them back out of our lives. What is really strange about finally having the boys back into our lives is that on March 19th 2001 my husband nearly died (burnt over 50% of his body)he had a cutting torch exploded. He was in a coma for 6 weeks and the Drs didn't know if he would survive or not, but with God's will he survived and God allowed him to have his son's be a part of our lives. My husband needed his son's and his son's needed them. Actually we all need each other. I think finally our family and our lives are complete. We both tell the boys we love them every time we talk to them and they tell us they loves us every time they talk to us. God answered our prayers in more ways then one.