Commander Shears

from Cape Code Times:

Delahunt's Veteran Status Questioned
Claim of Veteran status on ballot is fraudulent says state official


South Shore radio station WATD (95.9 on the dial) has apparently nailed our incumbent US Congressman William Delahunt in a fraudulent claim as a veteran.

This is important because in Massachusetts the election laws allow the designation as "veteran" to appear after a name on the ballot.

Delahunt's apparent fraudulent claim has already been used in the primary elections and the November 7th ballots are already printed.

Christine James, News Editor of WATD News said, "if this was a southern state this would be the end of Delahunt's career."


Two candidates running for office in the tenth congressional district claim to be veterans; but according to the paperwork, it looks like only one, can in fact, claim to be a veteran. And it's not the incumbent, Congressman Bill Delahunt, but his Republican challenger Jeff Beatty.

Scituate resident Rich Hagert is the State Representative of the Veteran's Party of America. He says from reviewing both candidates dd-214's (military discharge papers) Delahunt's claim that he's a veteran 'appears to be fraudulent' because most of his 180 days in the service were for training which does not count under Massachusetts General Law. Massachusetts General Law says a veteran had to have served 180 days of active duty to be called a veteran - it does not include time training as a reservist in the armed forces of the United States.


Jeff Beatty served in the Army, with nearly ten years of active duty-- including time as a Delta Force Officer.

Congressman Bill Delahunt says he is proud of his Coast Guard Reserve service.

italia44

Yea,but he's a vet of the Venezuelan Navy!

Served under Chavez,kept Bush from invading.

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Patters

Oh pleez, are you serious? He served in the Coast Guard Reserve. His error, if any, is very technical. This comment from the link where the article was posted says it best:

"ChathamBaseball (registered user) writes: So basically because Bill Delahunt joined the Coast guard is not enough to be called a veteran? That's garbage. At least he joined and served. He took the road less travelled. I was a Marine Reservist, I am a vateran. I served in Iraq, got the purple heart, silver star and distinguished service medal. I am a life member of the VFW. I was called upon and did my duty just like Bill Delahunt would have done if he had been called. Don't hold it against him that his unit was never activated, that was beyond his control. At least he put himself in a position to serve when called unlike most people. Very few people can say who is a veteran is or who isn't. Some stupid law stating 180 days doesn't mean a thing. he joined up when he could have chosen not to. he put himself in a position to serve. That's more then a majority of people on the cape can say. "

QuiGon

Isn't Delahunt the scumbag who campaigned heavily in favor of term limits when he first ran for office, then conveniently decided "gee maybe term limits aren't such a great idea" when his time came up..? I may be misremembering since I didn't live in Massachusetts back then....

italia44

No.....that was smilin' Marty Meehan

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QuiGon

I stand corrected It's tough to keep these Massachusetts liberals straight (especially since so many of them aren't). All I know it Kennedy is the one that killed an innocent young girl because he was drunk driving - and then tried to cover it up.

Real World

I applaud the dudes service in the Coast Guard, but I really don't know if I'd equate the CG to being a real veteran like a Marine. Walking the streets of Falujah is far different than checking a troller for undersized flounders. Anyhow, I couldn't care less about it since I know nothing about the guy himself.

Anyways, me thinks Patters would think otherwise were Delahunt a Republican.

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

Commander Shears

So being a Coast Guard Reserve from 1963 to 1971 makes you a 'veteran'? Funny, I seem to recall another way of earning that distinction during those very same years. You say 'tomato', I say 'draft dodger'.

Commander Shears

Lest we forget Tillie Fowler R-FA, Scott McInnis R-CO, & George Nethercutt R-WA.

DarrylS

He was not a draft dodger, he seems to be more of a "favorite son", if you were a draft dodger you either went underground or went to Canada. By enlisting you were considered to have done service for your country, positions in the Coast Guard were few and far between and were considered "cherry" although some were sent to Viet Nam. There is also a time line issue here as in 1963 folks joined the reserves, not to avoid the draft(as I do not think there was not one at that time) but for other reasons... service to country, perks etc. The Viet Nam war did not heat up until 1964, so unless he has some mind freak powers to say he is a draft dodger seriously begs the issue.

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