Veterans Sign Letter Condemning Tim Walz—’Turned Your Back on Your Troops’

Some 50 veterans from the House and Senate have signed an open letter to Tim Walz about his military service, telling him that he “turned his back on (his) troops.”
The Democratic Vice Presidential nominee’s military record has been under scrutiny since his Republican counterpart JD Vance accused him of lying about going to war and “abandoning” his unit.
Walz, 60, who served with the Minnesota National Guard from 1981 to 2005, has acknowledged that he never saw combat – he left the National Guard at the age of 41 before his unit was mobilized to Iraq, which he did to get into politics. Newsweek has done a fact-check on Walz’s experience in the military here.
Now, a group of former soldiers from the Veterans and Military Families for Trump have written to Walz, asking him to “come clean to the American people.”
The letter says: “As veterans who have served our nation, we feel compelled to address your egregious misrepresentations and urge you to come clean to the American people.
“You have stated that you are ‘damn proud’ of your service, and like any American veteran, you should be. But there is no honor in lying about the nature of your service. Repeatedly claiming to be a ‘Retired Command Sergeant Major’ when you did not complete the requirements was not honorable. Nor was it honorable to claim to carry weapons ‘in war’ when you had not served in war, and abandoning the men and women under your leadership just as they were getting ready to deploy was certainly not honorable either.
“To be blunt, when you falsely claim military service that did not happen and abandon your post, you diminish the real sacrifices made by veterans who did serve in combat. Military service is not merely a job or a uniform. Those who serve in the Armed Forces endure rigorous training, face perilous situations, and make sacrifices that most civilians can’t comprehend.”
It ends with: “When America asked you to lead your troops into War, you turned your back on your troops. You have violated the trust of our brothers and sisters in arms. Their blood, sweat, and sacrifice are the only reason our nation is able to exist. Until you admit you lied to them, there is no way you can be trusted to serve as Vice President.”
The letter was signed by Chair of Veterans and Military Families for Trump Brian Mast and 49 other representatives, including Senators Joni Ernst, of Iowa, who served in the Army National Guard, Roger Wayne, of Kansas, who served in the U.S. Army Reserve, Rick Scott, of Florida, who served in the U.S. Navy and Roger Wicker, of Mississippi, who served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
Vance’s spokesperson William Martin told Newsweek: “Veterans all over the country are furious with Tim Walz’s lies about his military record, as are many of the guardsmen who served with him.”
Newsweek has contacted Walz’s team for a response to this letter via email.
Martin continued: “Even Walz’s superior officer and the chaplain of his regiment have explicitly condemned his decision to abandon his unit when they were deployed to Iraq. Tim Walz has an opportunity tonight to apologize for his years of stolen valor. Is he going to own up to what he’s done or double-down on his lies to the American people?”
Vance’s team is referring to retired Capt. Corey Bjertness, now a pastor in Horace, North Dakota, who was Walz’s chaplain in the National Guard, who said Walz’s actions were “cowardly.”
He told the New York Post: “In our world, to drop out after a WARNORD (warning order) is issued is cowardly, especially for a senior enlisted guy.”
Walz had initiated retirement, submitted papers to run for Congress and left the National Guard before his unit began deploying to Iraq in the fall of 2005, according to CNN. He had said publicly that he would deploy if called upon, according to Politico.
“Running for Congress is not an excuse,” Bjertness continued, “I stopped everything and went to war. I left my wife with three teenagers and a 6-year-old and I was gone for 19 months.”
Walz has addressed the chatter about his military record generally, including in his first solo speech since he was picked as Harris’ running mate, in an address to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union in Los Angeles.
He said: “I am damn proud of my service to this country. And I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s service record.
“To anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, including my opponent, I just have a few simple words: Thank you for your service and sacrifice.”
He went on to say: “These guys are even attacking me for my record of service. And I just want to say, I’m proud to have served my country and I always will be. With my dad’s encouragement — a guy who served in the Army during the Korean War — I signed by for the Army National Guard two days after my 17th birthday,” Walz said Tuesday.
“Then in 2005, I felt the call of duty again, this time of being a service to my country in the halls of Congress. My students inspired me to run for that office.”
Some have come to Walz’s defense, including National Guard veteran Sergeant Major Joseph Eustice, who previously told NewsNation that Walz had “fulfilled his duty,” had “every right to leave.”
He also said that he had no reason to believe Walz knew the Batallion was going to be deployed when he left.
“At that time, there were all kinds of rumors about us deploying. In May, when he decided to retire…we had no ‘Notice of Deployment’,” he said, “that didn’t come until July.”