Who Served?
One look at the list and it becomes obvious why the decision to go to war was so easy.
REPUBLICAN LEADERS
Dennis Hastert: Did Not Serve
Tom Delay: Did Not Serve
Bill Frist: Did Not Serve
....(more in extended section)
DNS = Did Not Serve
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS
Richard Gephardt: Air National Guard, 1965-71.
David Bonior: Staff Sgt., Air Force 1968-72.
Tom Daschle: 1st Lt., Air Force SAC 1969-72.
Al Gore: Enlisted 8/69; sent to Viet. 1/71 as an army journalist in 20th engineer Brigade.
Bob Kerrey: Lt. j.g. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam.
Daniel Inouye: Army 1943-'47; Medal of Honor, WWII.
John Kerry: Lt., Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V Purple Hearts.
John Edwards: DNS
Charles Rangel: Staff Sgt., Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea.
Max Cleland: Captain, Army 1965-68; Silver Star & Bronze Star, Vietnam.
Ted Kennedy: Army, 1951-1953.
Tom Harkin: Lt., Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74.
Jack Reed: Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91.
Fritz Hollings: Army officer in WWII, receiving the Bronze Star and seven campaign ribbons.
Leonard Boswell: Lt. Col., Army 1956-76; Vietnam, DFCs, Bronze Stars, and Soldier's Medal.
Pete Peterson: Air Force Captain, POW. Purple Heart, Silver Star and Legion of Merit.
Mike Thompson: Staff sergeant, 173rd Airborne, Purple Heart.
Bill McBride: Candidate for Fla. Governor. Marine in Vietnam; Bronze Star with Combat V.
Gray Davis: Army Captain in Vietnam, Bronze Star.
Pete Stark: Air Force 1955-57
Chuck Robb: Vietnam
Howell Heflin: Silver Star
George McGovern: Silver Star &DFC during WWII.
Bill Clinton: DNS Student deferments. Entered draft but received 311.
Jimmy Carter: Seven years in the Navy.
Walter Mondale: Army 1951-1953
John Glenn: WWII and Korea; six DFCs and Air Medal with 18 Clusters.
Tom Lantos: Served in Hungarian underground in WWII. Saved by Raoul Wallenberg.
Wesley Clark: Army, 1966-00, West Point, Viet., Purple Heart, Silver Star. Retired 4-star general.
John Dingell: WWII vet
John Conyers: Army 1950-57, Korea
REPUBLICAN LEADERS
Dennis Hastert: DNS
Tom Delay: DNS
House Whip Roy Blunt: DNS
Bill Frist: DNS
Rudy Giuliani: DNS
George Pataki: DNS
Mitch McConnell: DNS
Rick Santorum: DNS
Trent Lott: DNS
Dick Cheney: DNS Several deferments, the last by marriage.
John Ashcroft: DNS Seven deferments to teach business.
Jeb Bush: DNS
Karl Rove: DNS
Saxby Chambliss: DNS - "Bad knee." The man who attacked Max Cleland's patriotism.
Paul Wolfowitz: DNS
Vin Weber: DNS
Richard Perle: DNS
Douglas Feith: DNS
Eliot Abrams: DNS
Richard Shelby: DNS
Jon Kyl: DNS
Tim Hutchison: DNS
Christopher Cox: DNS
Newt Gingrich: DNS
Don Rumsfeld: served in Navy (1954-57) as aviator and flight instructor.
George W. Bush: six-year Nat'l Guard commitment (incomplete).
Ronald Reagan: due to poor eyesight, served in a non-combat role making movies.
Gerald Ford: Navy, WWII
Phil Gramm: DNS
John McCain: Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross.
Bob Dole: an honorable veteran.
Chuck Hagel: two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, Vietnam.
Jeff Sessions: Army Reserves, 1973-1986
J.C. Watts: DNS
Lindsey Graham: National Guard lawyer.
G.H.W. Bush: Pilot in WWII. Shot down by the Japanese.
Tom Ridge: Bronze Star for Valor in Vietnam.
Antonin Scalia: DNS
Clarence Thomas: DNS
PUNDITS AND PREACHERS
Sean Hannity: DNS
Rush Limbaugh: DNS (4-F with a 'pilonidal cyst.)
Bill O'Reilly: DNS
Michael Savage: DNS
George Will: DNS
Chris Matthews: DNS
Paul Gigot: DNS
Bill Bennett: DNS
Pat Buchanan: DNS
Bill Kristol: DNS
Kenneth Starr: DNS
Michael Medved: DNS