Lee McGroarty defends Rep. Gary Miller; says Phil Liberatore "grandstanding"

Yesterday we posted a story about an article on the web site of Harper's magazine that looked at the military service record of Rep. Gary Miller. Shortly after the article came out 42nd Congressional candidate Phil Liberatore commented on it.

42nd Congressional candidate, and Veteran, Lee McGroarty has now commented on the matter. A press release issued by the McGroarty campaign says,

"The Vietnam War era was a difficult time in our country. Many future politicians avoided military service during the late 1960's and early 70's but Congressman Miller did not. Miller voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Army to serve our country. As an enlisted veteran who served his country honorably, Lee McGroarty commends Mr. Miller and his call to duty."

McGroarty went on to say,

"As a veteran, I am very protective of questioning any American who voluntarily serves our country. I am willing to defend Congressman Miller and his record if he was discharged due to a medical reason. The greatest honor bestowed upon an American is to serve his or her country honorably. However, it is the deepest betrayal to misrepresent his or her service. I have the utmost confidence that Congressman Miller will come clean on his record."

The release goes on to say,

"One of my opponents, who never served our country, is calling out Miller for his military service and is “grandstanding” on an issue he knows nothing about. I want to make one point very clear, this is a very uncomfortable issue for me and my campaign. I want to win on the real issues -- jobs and spending where I believe Miller is vulnerable. I am asking Miller to come clean on his military record. It is not a question of “if he served” but whether he served honorably. Congressman Miller, show us your DD 214 so this whole matter can be put to bed quickly and we can get back to the business of explaining our positions on the economy, etc. If you don’t, then I will defend the men and women who have served honorably and will call for your resignation. The ball is in your court. There are no excuses. You either served honorably or you did not.”

The San Gabriel Tribune is reporting that the reason for Miller's discharge was ulcers. Miller told the Tribune that the Army discharged him after discovering he had ulcers. He said, "They were never supposed to accept anyone with asthma or ulcers."

The entire McGroarty press release is below.

To continue reading click Read More below.



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Congressional Candidate & Veteran Lee McGroarty Defends Rival GOP Incumbent Rep. Gary Miller and his Military Record

Congressional Candidate Lee McGroarty is defending rival GOP incumbent Congressman Gary Miller over concerns about his military record. Speculation surrounding Miller’s military record has exploded on the national scene with Ken Silverstein’s article in Harper Magazine titled “It has been a tremendous honor to have served”: Congressman Gary Miller’s Vietnam Odyssey.

Chino, CA (PRWEB) June 2, 2010 -- Congressional Candidate Lee McGroarty is defending rival GOP incumbent Congressman Gary Miller over concerns about his military record. Speculation surrounding Miller’s military record has exploded on the national scene with Ken Silverstein’s article in Harper Magazine titled “It has been a tremendous honor to have served”: Congressman Gary Miller’s Vietnam Odyssey. (http://harpers.org/archive/2010/06/hbc-90007144)

The Vietnam War era was a difficult time in our country. Many future politicians avoided military service during the late 1960's and early 70's but Congressman Miller did not. Miller voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Army to serve our country. As an enlisted veteran who served his country honorably, Lee McGroarty commends Mr. Miller and his call to duty.
For the record, the McGroarty For Congress campaign received numerous inquiries since last September from various “interested parties” about the inconsistencies in Miller’s military service – particularly his posting of duty from 1967 to 1968. However, McGroarty, who served in the United States Air Force from 1984 to 1986 and the Connecticut Air National Guard from 1986 to 1990 and was Honorably Discharged, expressed concerns about raising the issue of Miller’s military record without definitive proof.

According to McGroarty, “As a veteran, I am very protective of questioning any American who voluntarily serves our country. I am willing to defend Congressman Miller and his record if he was discharged due to a medical reason. The greatest honor bestowed upon an American is to serve his or her country honorably. However, it is the deepest betrayal to misrepresent his or her service. I have the utmost confidence that Congressman Miller will come clean on his record."

Real concerns surround Congressman Miller's service timeframe. According to the Harper’s Magazine article, Congressman Miller’s biography page at Congress.org shows that he served in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1968. However, his office issued a statement reflecting that “Congressman Miller volunteered to the U.S. Army and was Honorably Discharged due to medical reasons within a matter of months,” Jessica L. Baker, a spokeswoman, said in an email reply to questions about the matter.

The website Wapedia reflects the following reasons for receiving an honorable discharge during basic training: “A recruit can be discharged from the Army before the conclusion of Basic Training. Discharges that occur before the completion of 180 days (approximately 6 months) of training are considered uncharacterized, which are neither honorable nor less than honorable.” Miller served less than 60 days according to the Harper’s article. (http://wapedia.mobi/en/United_States_Army_Basic_Training?t=5)

McGroarty is positioned as the only true veteran in the race for the Republican Nomination in the CA 42nd Congressional District. “One of my opponents, who never served our country, is calling out Miller for his military service and is “grandstanding” on an issue he knows nothing about. I want to make one point very clear, this is a very uncomfortable issue for me and my campaign. I want to win on the real issues -- jobs and spending where I believe Miller is vulnerable. I am asking Miller to come clean on his military record. It is not a question of “if he served” but whether he served honorably. Congressman Miller, show us your DD 214 so this whole matter can be put to bed quickly and we can get back to the business of explaining our positions on the economy, etc. If you don’t, then I will defend the men and women who have served honorably and will call for your resignation. The ball is in your court. There are no excuses. You either served honorably or you did not.”

McGroarty’s biography is clear about his military service. Lee’s brother Pat also served honorably in the United States Navy and his family has a long tradition of serving in Vietnam, Korea and World War II. For more information on the McGroarty For Congress campaign, please go to www.mcgroartyforcongress.com.

Contact Information: McGroarty For Congress
Attn: Chris McDonough, Campaign Manager
voteforlee(at)mcgroartyforcongress(dot)com
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