VFW Leaders Outraged At Blumenthal’s Vietnam Lies, Use of VFW Hall For Presser

Holding the press conference in a VFW hall was his first mistake. Not owning up to his lies was his second. Having another Vietnam imposter standing behind him was the pies de resistance.

The commander of Connecticut’s Veterans of Foreign Wars organization blasted Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal Tuesday, referring to his prior statements of service in Vietnam as “outrageous.”

“Mr. Blumenthal was considered one of the best friends a veteran could have in Connecticut. It is a true shame that he let a false claim of Vietnam service change that,” said Richard DiFederico, in a statement. “Those who served in uniform during the Vietnam era also deserve our gratitude, which makes Mr. Blumenthal’s claim to be something he is not so outrageous.”

DiFederico’s statement came after Blumenthal’s dramatic and defiant press conference Tuesday at a VFW hall in West Hartford, an event which took place in response to a New York Times report that the Connecticut attorney general had on more than one occasion said he had served in Vietnam, although his time in the Marine Corps Reserve was in fact spent in Washington and Connecticut.

Blumenthal is not a member of the VFW, and national leaders noted that he wouldn’t meet the eligibility requirement if he tried to join because he didn’t actually serve in a theatre of combat. The group’s bylaws also do not allow any level of the organization to endorse political candidates.

Jerry Newberry, the director of communications at the VFW’s Kansas City headquarters, said that the national leadership “did not sanction and was not, in fact, aware that the press conference was going to be held at a VFW Post.”

“This decision was made at the Post level,” he told POLITICO in an email.

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that having this guy (second from right) appear behind him can’t be helpful:

The POW HALL OF SHAME winner, William Joseph Trumpower, is second from the right.

POW Network.org reported on Trumpower earlier:

WILLIAM JOSEPH TRUMPOWER
aka Elliott Storm
* CLAIMING BRONZE STAR w/VALOR device.
* Claims 2nd Lt, Claims
* Wears 3 Purple Hearts, 2 Bronze Stars w/V.
The jacket in EARLIER pictures boasted 8 ribbons.
This NEW pic has more and includes V device on Bronze Star and 2nd Lt bars..
* Claims he worked with Ollie North.

What is it with Democrats lying about their service in Vietnam?