Taking the Scenic Route

Found this and was sort of surprised.

RECOGNIZING THOSE WHO SERVED

 This could be the last election where military service has any 

 political currency. But just for the record, it's worth noting who 

 really served among the heavyweights in each of the major political 

 parties. There are some surprises here.

Red type shows those who did not serve in the military.

Blue type shows those who did serve in the military

Democrats

• Richard Gephardt: Air National Guard, 1965-71.

• David Bonior: Staff Sgt., Air Force 1968-72.

• Tom Daschle: 1st Lt., Air Force SAC 1969-72.

• Al Gore: enlisted Aug. 1969; sent to Vietnam Jan.1971 as an army journalist in 20th Engineer Brigade.

• Bob Kerrey: Lt. j.g. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam.

• Daniel Inouye: Army 1943-'47; Medal of Honor, WWII.

• John Kerry: Lt., Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V Purple Hearts.

• John Edwards: did not serve.

• Charles Rangel: Staff Sgt., Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea.

• Max Cleland: Captain, Army 1965-68; Silver Star & Bronze Star, Vietnam.

• Ted Kennedy: Army, 1951-1953.

• Tom Harkin: Lt., Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74.

• Jack Reed: Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91.

• Fritz Hollings: Army officer in WWII, receiving the Bronze Star and seven campaign ribbons.
• Leonard Boswell: Lt. Col., Army 1956-76; Vietnam, DFCs, Bronze Stars, and Soldier’s Medal.
• Pete Peterson: Air Force Captain, POW. Purple Heart, Silver Star and Legion of Merit.

• Mike Thompson: Staff sergeant, 173rd Airborne, Purple Heart.

• Bill McBride: Candidate for Fla. Governor. Marine in Vietnam; BronzeStar with Combat V.

• Gray Davis: Army Captain in Vietnam, Bronze Star.

• Pete Stark: Air Force 1955-57

• Chuck Robb: Vietnam

• Howell Heflin: Silver Star

• George McGovern: Silver Star & DFC during WWII.

• Bill Clinton: Did not serve. Student deferments. Entered draft but received a 311.

• Jimmy Carter: Seven years in the Navy.

• Walter Mondale: Army 1951-1953

• John Glenn: Officer, USAF.  WWII and Korea; six DFCs and Air Medal  with 18 Clusters.
• Tom Lantos: Served in Hungarian underground in WWII. Saved by Raoul  Wallenberg.
• Wesley Clark: U.S. Army, 1966-2000, West Point,Vietnam, Purple Heart, Silver Star. Retired 4-star general.

• John Dingell: WWII vet

• John Conyers: Army 1950-57, Korea

Republicans

• Dennis Hastert: did not serve.

• Tom Delay: did not serve.

• House Whiip Roy Blunt: did not serve.

• Bill Frist: did not serve.

• Rudy Giuliani: did not serve.

• George Pataki: did not serve.

• Mitch McConnell: did not serve.

• Rick Santorum: did not serve.

• Trent Lott: did not serve.

• Dick Cheney: did not serve. Several deferments, the last by marriage.

• John Ashcroft: did not serve. Seven deferments to teach business.

• Jeb Bush: did not serve.

• Karl Rove: did not serve.

• Saxby Chambliss: did not serve. "Bad knee." The man who attacked Max Cleland's patriotism.

• Paul Wolfowitz: did not serve.

• Vin Weber: did not serve.

• Richard Perle: did not serve.

• Douglas Feith: did not serve.

• Eliot Abrams: did not serve.

• Richard Shelby: did not serve.

• Jon Kyl: did not serve.

• Tim Hutchison: did not serve.

• Christopher Cox: did not serve. 

• Newt Gingrich: did not serve.

• Don Rumsfeld: served in Navy (1954-57) as aviator and flight instructor.

• George W. Bush: six-year National Guard commitment (incomplete).

• Ronald Reagan: due to poor eyesight, served in a non-combat role making movies.

• Gerald Ford: Navy, WWII

• Phil Gramm: did not serve.

• John McCain: Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross.

• Bob Dole: an honorable veteran. Two purple hearts.

• Chuck Hagel: two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star,Vietnam.

• Jeff Sessions: Army Reserves, 1973-1986

• J.C. Watts: did not serve. 

• Lindsey Graham: National Guard lawyer.

• George H. W. Bush: Pilot in WWII. Shot down by the Japanese. 

• Tom Ridge: Bronze Star for Valor in Vietnam. 

• Antonin Scalia: did not serve 

• Clarence Thomas: did not serve

Pundits and Preachers

• Sean Hannity: did not serve.

• Rush Limbaugh: did not serve (4-F with a 'pilonidal cyst.')

• Bill O'Reilly: did not serve.

• Michael Savage: did not serve. 

• George Will: did not serve. 

• Chris Matthews: did not serve.

• Paul Gigot: did not serve. 

• Bill Bennett: did not serve.

• Pat Buchanan: did not serve.

• Bill Kristol: did not serve.

• Kenneth Starr: did not serve.

• Michael Medved: did not serve.