by Alan Simpson

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Military Service

Oct. 15th, 2004 ---On my office wall I have a photograph of me in the Jungles of Malaya, and being operational aircrew at the time reminding me why I liked life better at 40,000 feet. Others are in the Arctic, deserts, jungles and hell holes around the world There are a few flying missions far too near the Soviets for comfort. Most places I worked cameras were expressly forbidden.

But for nearly two decades I avoided missiles, bullets, the KGB, and numerous unsavory people from far off lands. I did work with virtually every kind of military on land, at sea and in the air.

I would have expected that those criticizing or encouraging the sending of young men and women to their deaths had some experience of what was involved. I was amazed when I saw this list on azcentral.com and similar ones on other web sites. Those with no military service at all are shown in red.

Journalists & Pundits

  • Wolf Bilzter, CNN News anchor .
  • Tom Brokaw, NBC News anchor
  • Alan Colmes, Hannity & Colmes host
  • Al Franken, Political satirist
  • Thomas Friedman, NY Times columnist
  • Bill Maher, HBO, political satirist
  • Chris Matthews, Hardball host
  • Michael Moore, Political satirist, filmmaker
  • David Brooks, NY Times columnist
  • Tim Russert, Meet the Press host
  • Jon Stewart, Daily Show host
  • George Stephanopoulos, ABC This Week
  • Joshua Marshall, Talking Points Memo
  • Pat Buchanan, MSNBC commentator
  • Ann Coulter, writer & commentator
  • Lou Dobbs, CNN News anchor
  • Paul Gigot, Wall Street Journal editor
  • Sean Hannity, Hannity & Colmes host
  • Brit Hume, Fox News anchor
  • Rush Limbaugh, Radio talk show host
  • Bill O'Reilly, O'Reilly Factor host
  • Michael Savage, Radio talk show host
  • George Will, Washington Post columnist
  • Bill Kristol, of the ultra right
  • Bill Bennett,
  • Glen Reynolds, Instapundit
  • Andrew Sullivan, Daily Dish
  • Ana Marie Cox, Wonkette

Jim Lehrer, PBS News Hour anchor
U.S. Marine Corps, Infantry officer.

Dan Rather, CBS News Anchor
U.S. Army Reserve. (He later tried the USMC but did not complete boot camp.)

William F. Buckley, National Review
U.S. Army, WWII (and CIA in 1946).

William Safire, NY Times columnist
U.S. Army journalist.

Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, Daily Kos
U.S. Army, 1989-92, Artillery.

The right wing media, especially the talk show hosts, urging the kicking of butts around the world, invading everyone and their neighbor and pontificating about every aspect of conducting operations, from intelligence gathering, to how many deaths are tolerable, have never been nearer to the military than hiking along a nature trail at a Summer Camp.

2004 Republican Ticket

Considering the present Republican Administration has more Hawks than you can count, a casual observer would be led to believe that they were seasoned veterans who knew what was involved before they ordered the invasion of sovereign Iraq. It is interesting that the DoD secret cell Wolfowitz/Perle/Feith, considered by many the architects of the disinformation that led to the invasion of Iraq never had any military training or service

The thoughts of many are that the Republicans are pro-military, and John McCain, and Colin Powell are quoted as examples.

President George W. Bush
Pilot (??), Texas Air National Guard, 1968-1973.

Vice President Richard Cheney
No military service.

Bush's Foreign Policy team

Colin Powell, Secretary of State
US Army, 35-year career, Vietnam, rose to the rank of 4-star general.

Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State
U.S. Navy, Naval Academy, 3 combat tours in Vietnam.

Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense
U.S. Navy, 1954-57, pilot, flight instructor.

  • Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense
  • George Tenet, CIA Director
  • Condoleezza Rice, National Security Advisor
  • Richard Perle, DoD
  • Douglas Feith, DoD
  • Karl Rove, the architect of dirty tricks

Prominent Republicans

  • John Ashcroft, U.S. Attorney General.
  • Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House
  • Tom Delay, House Majority Leader
  • Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader
  • Roy Blunt, House Whip
  • Saxby Chambliss, (attacked Max Cleland)
  • Jon Kyl, Senator (R-AZ)
  • Phil Gramm
  • Rick Santorum, Senator (R-PA)
  • Trent Lott, US Senator
  • Newt Gingrich, Former Speaker
  • Rudy Giuliani, Former NYC Mayor
  • Michael Bloomberg, Mayor New York City
  • George Pataki, NY Governer
  • Jeb Bush, Florida Governor

Former President Gerald Ford
U.S. Navy, WWII, Lieutenant Commander.

Former President George H. W. Bush
U.S. Navy, pilot, WWII. Shot down by the Japanese.

Former Vice President Dan Quayle
U.S. Army, Indiana National Guard.

Tom Ridge, Director Homeland Security
U.S. Army, Vietnam, Bronze Star for Valor.

John McCain, Senator (R-AZ)
U.S. Navy, Naval Academy, Pilot, Vietnam POW, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross.

Chuck Hagel, Senator (R-NE)
U.S. Army, two Purple Hearts, Bronze Star, Vietnam.

Lindsey Graham, Senator (R-SC)
U.S. Army lawyer, National Guard.

Bob Dole, Former Senator
U.S. Army, WWII, Italy campaigns, two Purple Hearts, Bronze Star Medal and Viagra for life.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor Calif.
1-year service with the Austrian Army, focusing on body building.

2004 Democratic Ticket

The rabid right wing would have you believe that Democrats are all like Bill Clinton, and ran when the call to arms was made. Except for the Clinton team far more went and did their service for their country, and didn't find excuses not to turn up for duty.

The comparison is made using Clinton's Foreign Policy Team. John Kerry, when he finds his foreign policy, will name his own team, should he be elected.

Senator John F. Kerry
Lt., U.S. Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, 3 Purple Hearts.

Senator John Edwards
No military service.

Clinton's Foreign Policy team

  • Former President Bill Clinton
  • Madeleine Albright, Secretary of State
  • Strobe Talbott, Deputy Secretary of State
  • William Cohen, Secretary of Defense
  • John Hamre, Deputy Secretary of Defense
  • George Tenet, CIA Director
  • Sandy Berger, National Security Advisor

Prominent Democrats

Former President Jimmy Carter
U.S. Navy, Naval Academy graduate, submarine officer, 7 years active duty. (Never Sub Captain)

Former Vice President Al Gore
U.S. Army journalist, Vietnam.1969-71

Former Vice President Walter Mondale
U.S. Army, 1951-1953.

Wesley Clark, presidential candidate
U.S. Army, 1966-2000, West Point, Vietnam, Purple Heart, Silver Star. Retired 4-star general.

Hilary Rodham Clinton, Senator (D-NY)
No military service.

Richard Gephardt, Congressman (D-MO)
Missouri Air National Guard, 1965-71.

Tom Daschle, Senate Minority Leader
1st Lt., U.S. Air Force, Strategic Air Command, 1969-72.

Ted Kennedy, Senator D-MA)
U.S. Army, 1951-1953.

John Glenn,
WWII and Korea. six DFC's & Air Medal 18 clusters

Tom Harkin, Senator (D-IA)
Lt., U.S. Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74.

Fritz Hollings, Senator (D-SC)
U.S. Army officer, World War II, Bronze Star, 7 campaign ribbons.

Charles Rangel, Congressman
Staff Sgt., U.S. Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea.

Max Cleland, Former senator
U.S. Army 1965-68; Silver Star & Bronze Star, Vietnam.

Gray Davis, Former Calif. governor
U.S. Army, Captain, Vietnam; Bronze Star.

Chuck Robb, Senator (D-VA)
U.S. Marine Corps, 1961-70, Vietnam.

Bob Kerrey, Former senator
LTJG, U.S. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam.

George McGovern
U.S. Army Air Corps, WWII, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross.