Senator Mark Kelly is an actual veteran. In fact he’s a combat veteran having flown 39 missions during Desert Storm. He served our country with distinction, no question about it. He continues to do so as a Senator and he finally had his fill of his colleague Tommy Tuberville and the latter’s claims of knowing all there is to know about the military. Oh, and who trades on what is to a significant degree Stolen Valor of his father who served in WWII.
(In case you didn’t know Tuberville claimed starting during his campaign that his dad lied about his age and joined the Army when he was sixteen. His dad was drafted in 1943 after turning 18. Tuberville claims his dad landed at Normandy. This part is unclear. There are no existing records that his dad was part of his division that took part in the actual landings & fighting that day. Tuberville claims his dad commanded a tank during his service in France, yet was a corporal on D-Day so that wouldn’t have been the case. Someone had to have attained the rank of Sgt. to become a tank commander. It’s possible that at some point later on the man was given temporary command of a tank as people did get killed but records and his tombstone indicate from corporal he moved to a TEC rating. As in technical skills which in a tank would mean driver, loader/gun operator or repair guy. NOT a “commander.” Tuberville claims his dad commanded his tank driving through Paris on Liberation day, which is strange since the unit was positioned 90 miles away! And Tuberville says his dad was awarded five Bronze Stars. The implication is the combat award for valor in combat, rather than the five small “v”s place on a ribbon for service in various battles campaigns. To be fair his dad did receive a minor wound for which he was awarded a Purple Heart. The point is that Tuberville created Stolen Valor for his father and then tries to cloak himself in it!)
More than once during this whole holding up promotions stunt Tuberville has claimed no one was more pro military than he was. Or literally said “No one’s more military than me.” As this article by Meidas Touch Network indicates he tried it again during a confirmation hearing for Derek Chollet for the position of Undersecretary of Defense for policy. Tuberville stated “there’s nobody more military up here than me.” Kelly, probably having assumed Sen. Tub-A-Lard would spout this line of crap again was ready:
Kelly responded:Â “As far as I can tell, there’s at least four of us, maybe more, that served in the United States military. In some cases, for decades, and at least three combat veterans.”
Kelly, a Naval Aviator who as I said actually flew combat missions continued:
So, I take great exception to what Sen. Tuberville had to say, and I’ve heard him say it before, and it just doesn’t make any sense. So, I wish you would please reevaluate what you think your experience and, you know, just be a little bit more careful about what you say about the United States military.
Incredibly, Tuberville challenged Kelly saying his father’s death while on active duty (not even Tuberville has claimed his dad died in combat or due to wounds suffered in combat) gave him the right to say anything he wants. Kelly however wasn’t having any of it:
“No, I don’t think that’s the case,” Kelly hit back, “You have folks here that have served in the United States military, and I think in multiple branches.”
I’m glad Kelly called Tuberville out so directly and in public. In a hearing that will be part of the Congressional Record. Perhaps some of Coach Tommy’s fellow GOPers, especially veterans and combat vets in particular will be shamed enough to remember the very first line of the Oath of Office they took FIRST when they became part of our armed forces:
I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same” – it’s the same Oath they took when sworn in for the current Congress. They served and currently served, or at least swore to do so (with their right hand raised and their left hand oh so piously on their freaking Bible!) to the Constitution! Not Trump. Not some RWNJ religious leader’s agenda.
Good on you Senator Kelly. You and other Democrats (I’m thinking Tammy Duckworth in particular) need to start hammering Tuberville over and over again. Call out his b.s. for exactly what it is!
Keep calling all these clowns on their BS, directly and publicly! Tammy Duckworth came to my mind, as well.
Kelly was WAY too easy on Tuberville. Don’t ask him to “please re-evaluate” and “be a litle bit more careful.” Tell the ignorant fool to stop lying and stop buggering up the US military in hopes that Trump gets re-elected and will load the command structure with sycophants. Shit, give the SOB a good ol’ army kick in the ass.
There ARE a number of wanta-be’s out there that have no business even appearing in Congress, even less making laws or delegating funds …
Those, like Tuberville, should be put to the test of our knowledgeable, been there done it, Denis Elliott, I’m sure, Denis, you would destroy them in 5 minutes flat, a briefcase of facts, timelines and such a good handle on War skirmishes, trying to keep from slapping these creeps around a little, might prove a real effort …