Chicago – In a speech at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore praised Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s military record and completion of “the mission,” despite ongoing criticism for leaving the Army National Guard before his troops deployed to Iraq.
“My fellow veterans, my brother, the next vice president of the United States, Tim Walz,” the Maryland Democrat said onstage at Chicago’s United Center on Wednesday night.
“Tim knows that in the military, we count the days until the job is done,” Moore, an Army veteran, continued. “So, guess what? We have 75 days and one day until Election Day. 75 days and one day to prove what the American people can do when the pressure is on.”
Veterans call Waltz’s military record ‘disgraceful’
Maryland Governor Wes Moore speaks onstage during the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on August 21, 2024. Delegates, politicians and Democratic supporters gathered in Chicago for the convention, which concluded with current Vice President Kamala Harris accepting the party’s presidential nomination. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
“Patriots don’t whine or complain. We put our heads down and get to work.”
Walz served in the Army National Guard for 24 years before retiring in 2005, then ran a successful congressional campaign and served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019. Walz was elected Governor of Minnesota in 2018, retiring from the House of Representatives.
Walz’s ‘defamation’ accusation sparks a fight among House members
Democratic vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz greets running mate Doug Emhoff during day one of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 19, 2024 in Chicago. (Reuters/Brendan McDiarmid)
As war raged in the Middle East after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, criticism grew over Waltz’s decision to retire just months before his battalion was scheduled to deploy to Iraq. According to the Minnesota National Guard, Waltz submitted his retirement papers at least five months before the battalion received orders to deploy.
Former Waltz Battalion leader releases scathing message about Governor’s military record: Report
Campaign buses for Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz wait to depart at Pittsburgh International Airport in Pittsburgh, USA on August 19, 2024. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
“He subverted the chain of command, he bypassed the chain of command. The brigade [sergeant] The major had no idea. These are all important facts and he did it to keep his bunk comfortable… that was the shameful part,” said Major Paul Hare, a retired Army sergeant major. He told Fox News Earlier this month.
After Harris nominated Waltz as her running mate, Waltz said: The number of veterans He lied about his military history and identified himself to the public as a retired “master sergeant.”
Waltz was promoted to master sergeant after deploying to Italy in 2004, but did not complete the U.S. Army Sergeant Major Academy coursework in order to retain his rank after retirement. Waltz instead retired as a sergeant major, one rank below master sergeant.
Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz’s military record has come under scrutiny since he was announced as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate. (Glenn Stubb/Star Tribune via Getty Images)
“For 20 years this guy has lied about being deployed to Iraq, which he didn’t, and he’s lied about being discharged as a master sergeant, which he didn’t. That’s a complete lie,” Hun Kao, a former Navy captain and Republican Senate candidate from Virginia, told the New York Post this month about Walz.
Walz also took the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night, telling the crowd about his upbringing in a small Midwestern town and his career as a teacher before entering politics in the early 2000s.
“I grew up in Butte, Nebraska, a town of 400 people. I had 24 kids in my high school class, and not one of us went to Yale. But when you grow up in a small town like that, you learn to look out for each other. Your neighbors may not think the same way you do. They may not pray the same way you do. They may not love the same way you do, but they’re your neighbors. You look out for them and they look out for you. Everybody’s in it and everybody has a responsibility to contribute,” he said.
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Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to deliver her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night, after three nights in which other prominent Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, President Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, celebrated her candidacy.
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