Google the names in your High School yearbook and sadly you will find those who died in America's wars. We call them veterans, along with any of the rest of us, draftees or volunteers, who actually served in harms way or in the rear.
Then there is the Arizona publisher and the Arizona politician. Locals may have thought that the disgrace of a newspaper publisher three decades ago immunized the state against blowhards waving the battle flag. After all, Arizona is a prime retirement market for real veterans whose service drives their memories of sacrifice and pride and snafus. They can spot a crooked gig line at 100 feet, as in this letter to the editor of the Arizona Republic:
As a 15-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, I say state Sen. Jeff Dial owes us all an apology for grossly and irresponsibly exaggerating his military "service."
Dial audaciously campaigned on his alleged veteran status, selfishly and disingenuously leading voters to believe he did something admirable for his country. But he is not a true veteran; he did nothing to deserve the honor of that title, and his attempt to portray himself as one for the sake of getting elected is devious and deceitful.
Dial is the same Republican who intimated in 2004 that he was a graduate of ASU, when he was not! Despite that black-eye, he still garnered the support of former Gov. Jan Brewer in 2014 when he was running for his current Senate seat.
According to Brewer's endorsement, "Jeff Dial has the conservative values that our state needs." If deceit and opportunism are conservative values, then it's no wonder our state's harebrained politics wind up on The Daily Show.
Come on Arizona GOP, clean up your ranks and Dial this in! We deserve better.
— John Barwell, Scottsdale
Ironically, this letter appears in the newspaper once run by "Duke" Tully, who resigned after his bogus Top Gun claims from Vietnam and Korea crashed into reality. (He was subsequently hired as an executive of another newspaper group.) The Philadelphia Inquirer captured the moment:
PHOENIX, Ariz. — Big, brash Darrow "Duke" Tully, publisher of the Arizona Republic and Phoenix Gazette newspapers, was widely considered to be the most powerful man in this booming, politically conservative Sunbelt state.
Respected as a political kingmaker, revered as a daring and decorated war hero, Tully liked to boast, "I tell Arizona what to think."
Today, Tully, 53, is in disgrace, his job and his power lost to the scandal caused by his imaginary military career. His claims of flying 100 combat missions in Korea and Vietnam and winning a chestful of medals have been revealed as nothing more than an elaborate fantasy.
Then there is the Arizona publisher and the Arizona politician. Locals may have thought that the disgrace of a newspaper publisher three decades ago immunized the state against blowhards waving the battle flag. After all, Arizona is a prime retirement market for real veterans whose service drives their memories of sacrifice and pride and snafus. They can spot a crooked gig line at 100 feet, as in this letter to the editor of the Arizona Republic:
 |
| JEFF DIAL four years into his eight-year Reserve term was transferred to the inactive list for “unsatisfactory participation.” -Arizona Republic |
As a 15-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, I say state Sen. Jeff Dial owes us all an apology for grossly and irresponsibly exaggerating his military "service."
Dial audaciously campaigned on his alleged veteran status, selfishly and disingenuously leading voters to believe he did something admirable for his country. But he is not a true veteran; he did nothing to deserve the honor of that title, and his attempt to portray himself as one for the sake of getting elected is devious and deceitful.
Dial is the same Republican who intimated in 2004 that he was a graduate of ASU, when he was not! Despite that black-eye, he still garnered the support of former Gov. Jan Brewer in 2014 when he was running for his current Senate seat.
According to Brewer's endorsement, "Jeff Dial has the conservative values that our state needs." If deceit and opportunism are conservative values, then it's no wonder our state's harebrained politics wind up on The Daily Show.
Come on Arizona GOP, clean up your ranks and Dial this in! We deserve better.
— John Barwell, Scottsdale
PHOENIX, Ariz. — Big, brash Darrow "Duke" Tully, publisher of the Arizona Republic and Phoenix Gazette newspapers, was widely considered to be the most powerful man in this booming, politically conservative Sunbelt state.
Respected as a political kingmaker, revered as a daring and decorated war hero, Tully liked to boast, "I tell Arizona what to think."
Today, Tully, 53, is in disgrace, his job and his power lost to the scandal caused by his imaginary military career. His claims of flying 100 combat missions in Korea and Vietnam and winning a chestful of medals have been revealed as nothing more than an elaborate fantasy.
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