Democrat candidate for Vice President Tim Walz is saying he misspoke when he said he carried weapons of war in a warzone. He said it was a simple slip, but a letter to the editor written in 2006 to the Winona Daily News shows that Walz has been claiming he served in combat for nearly twenty years.
The letter also appears to be the first public record of Walz being called out not only for his tall tale, but for abandoning his unit when they were deployed to Iraq.
The “stolen valor” accusations against Tim Walz, primarily pushed by Republican figures like J.D. Vance, center around claims that Walz exaggerated his military service, particularly regarding his involvement in combat. Walz served 24 years in the Minnesota National Guard and reached the rank of Command Sergeant Major.
However, he did not serve in a combat zone, though he was deployed to Italy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The controversy stems from a comment he made about carrying “weapons of war,” which some critics interpreted as implying combat experience.
Walz clarified that he was referring to his deployment in a supporting role although he routinely eluded that he did serve in combat and never corrected the media or others who credited him for serving in combat during multiple recorded interviews.
The more contentious part of the accusations relates to Walz’s decision to retire in 2005, just before his unit was mobilized to Iraq. Some of his former National Guard colleagues claimed he retired to avoid deployment, while others, including those who served with him, have defended him, saying his decision to run for Congress was unrelated to any potential deployment. There is no evidence to suggest Walz misrepresented his service or acted dishonorably in his retirement.
