Army COL (Ret) Pat Murray’s VA-8 Rematch Against 65 year old Vietnam Draft Dodger Congressman “Little Jimmy” Moran

During the 2010 elections, a YouTube video rant by Representative "Little Jimmy" Moran attacking Service members with an accusation that: “military service is not public service” went viral on the Internet. Not surprising, the ultra-Liberal Washington Post never covered the story but as a retired 30 year service Army Colonel myself who was a 2LT in Vietnam before I was old enough to legally drink, I was appalled by “Little Jimmy” denigrating the service record of his VA 8th Congressional District opponent, retired U.S. Army Col. Patrick Murray. On 6 Oct 2010, “Little Jimmy” stated:

"What [Republicans] do is that they find candidates - usually stealth candidates - that haven't been in office, haven't served or performed any kind of public service. My opponent is typical."

Obviously, “Little Jimmy” didn’t consider COL Murray’s 24 years in the U.S. Army with four combat zone deployments including Iraq as part of the 2007 troop surge, “any kind of public service.” Unfortunately, my recounting the incident here doesn’t do it justice as one must listen to the utter distain in “Little Jimmy’s” voice to fully comprehend his contempt for the Military so here is the link so hear and see if for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9URG8nlvAw&feature=related

I believe to understand “Little Jimmy’s” anger towards the Military, one need look no further than Shakespeare’s famous St. Crispin's Day Speech delivered by Henry V before the Battle of Agincourt.

From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered,
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition.
And gentlemen in England now abed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's Day.

Could it be “Little Jimmy” holds his “manhood cheap” and suffers from “Post-Traumatic Guilt and Inadequacy Syndrome” as a result of the machinations he went through to avoided Military Service during the Vietnam War. Born 16 May 1945, “Little Jimmy” was of prime draft age for Vietnam and he did everything short of maiming himself (which he didn’t have the guts to do) to dodge the Draft. By comparison, this COWARD makes “George W" look like a war hero! (For the record, Bush flying antique Air National Guard Convair F-102s was probably in more danger than I was during an extended CIB-earning tour in Vietnam!).

Active military service was an absolute certainty for any male born between 1940 and 1949 unless he was morally, mentally or medically unfit, or took some overt action to "dodge" the draft. THAT IS A FACT. Draft dodging does not necessarily mean “illegal” as the Webster’s Dictionary of the time defines it as simply “avoiding military service.” Applying for student or occupational deferments, leaving the country, and feigning illness, were all things people did, legally and illegally, to avoid serving. Some people (like VP Biden) even shopped around to find a “sympatric” doctor to “discover” something disqualifying. One thing was certain, when someone like "Little Jimmy" evaded the Draft, they sent someone else, often less educated or advantaged and always less eligible, to serve in their place.

The real definition of audacity was after “bad mouthing" Military Service, in his 2010 campaign “Little Jimmy” falsely claimed an endorsement from the Disabled American Veterans Association and from the Military Officer's Association; neither of which was true and MOAA even had to order Moran to stop using its name in his campaign. Here’s the YouTube link to see this one for yourself, it’s priceless: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Pjn5bO71FY&feature=related

My point, when a politician who was eligible for Vietnam tells you that he just wasn’t called or wasn’t physically fit to serve, he’s normally being dishonest and not fit to serve now either. I remember how Senator (and Medal of Honor recipient) Bob Kerrey put it in 1992 when he said “as I remember it, at that time if you could walk and chew gum, the military would take you.” If Moran wasn’t fit to serve when his country needed him during Vietnam, what makes him fit to serve now? Better still, what makes him more fit to serve than combat Vet COL (Ret) Pat Murray?

ALL Virginia 8th Congressional District voters who honor Military service, especially Veterans and their family members, need to become a “band of brothers and sisters” who join together to retire “Little Jimmy” so he can have sufficient time to work on his “Post-Traumatic Guilt and Inadequacy Syndrome” and his “cheap manhood” problem.