A bombshell revelation has surfaced this week that could mark the end of Tim Walz’s political career. A photo, recently unearthed, shows Walz holding a protest sign reading “Enduring Freedom Veterans for Kerry” during a 2004 anti-George Bush rally in Mankato, Minnesota.
The problem? Walz never served in Operation Enduring Freedom, and his claims of doing so have been exposed as a lie that has persisted for nearly 20 years.
The photograph, taken by Michael B. Brodkorb, was captured on August 4, 2004, as Walz protested outside a campaign rally for President Bush in Mankato, Minnesota.
Tim Walz has consistently portrayed himself as “a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom,” the U.S. military operation in Afghanistan initiated after the September 11 attacks.
However, it has come to light that Walz never deployed to Afghanistan, nor did he engage in any combat operations during his military career. His service was primarily in Italy, where he supported NATO forces but did not see action in the Middle East, Free Beacon reported.
The Gateway Pundit previously reported on a 2007 video of Tim Walz falsely claiming he deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
“I spent 24 years in the National Guard, some of that full-time. I was an artilleryman. I deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. My battalion provided base security throughout the European theater from Turkey to England in the early stages of the war in Afghanistan. And that same battalion is now in Iraq at this time,” Walz said in 2007 on CSPAN.
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Then, another video from 2009 also resurfaces, showing Iraq War veteran David Thul confronting Walz’s aides at his Mankato office regarding these claims. Thul, armed with knowledge and evidence, filmed the encounter and pointed out that Walz’s assertions could be interpreted as violations of the Stolen Valor Act.
During this confrontation, Thul informed Walz’s aides that such misrepresentations could lead to jail time.
Thul presented evidence indicating that while Walz served in a supportive role, he did not serve in Afghanistan or engage in any combat actions. One aide admitted she was “not aware” of Walz serving in Afghanistan.
Thul went on to present the 2004 photo of Walz, holding a sign that says “Enduring Freedom Veterans for Care,” to another aide, who acknowledged that constituents could get the false impression that Walz served in Afghanistan.
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David Thul shared this photo in a blog post in 2009 detailing his concerns about Walz’s military record.
“My congressman, who publically attacked an Iraq War veteran for questioning his service, held a sign in 2004 claiming to be an Afghanistan War veteran. Even having an already low opinion of Tim Walz, I still couldn’t believe my eyes. Tim Walz held a sign at a protest outside a President Bush campaign rally (the very same rally he claims to have had his conversion at) claiming to be an “Enduring Freedom Veterans for Kerry.”
There are two medals that have been awarded to soldiers who served in Operation Enduring Freedom-the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (authorized by Executive Order on March 13, 2003) and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal (authorized by Congress on May 28, 2004). Congressman Walz does not qualify to wear either one.
Yet in this photo taken by Michael Brodkorb on his way to the Mankato Bush rally and posted last year on Minnesota Democrats Exposed, then National Guardsman Command Sergeant Major Tim Walz claimed to be a veteran of a war he didn’t fight in.
Remember, Tim Walz’s statement is that he re-enlisted after Sep 11, 2001 for 4 more years and did not retire until he decided to run for Congress (some time after this picture was taken). So he was almost certainly still a member of the MN National Guard when he held this fraudulent sign.
So the question becomes, how wrong is this? How bad is it to claim to be an Operation Enduring Freedom veteran when you are not? Reference the Stolen Valor Act of 2005:
False Claims About Receipt of Military Medals- Whoever falsely represents himself or herself, verbally or in writing, to have been awarded any decoration or medal authorized by Congress for the armed forces of the United States, or any of the service medals or badges awarded to the members of such forces, or the ribbon, button, or rosette of any such badge, decoration or medal, or any colorable imitation thereof shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.’ (Emphasis mine)
As my kids would say, “Ruh Roh Raggy“.
Fortunately for Congressman Walz, the Stolen Valor Act wasn’t passed until January of 2006. But there is no way for Congressman Walz to spin this photo or explain his way out of it. He claimed in writing to be an Enduring Freedom vet and he is not.
The post THIS SHOULD FINISH THE TIM WALZ POLITICAL CAREER: Picture Unearthed of Walz Holding “Enduring Freedom Veteran” Protest Sign – He Never Served in Operation Enduring Freedom – IT WAS ALL A LIE appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.