US Democratic VP candidate defends military record

'I am damn proud of my service to this country,' Tim Walz says after being accused of 'stolen valor'

WASHINGTON:

US Democratic vice president candidate Tim Walz defended his military record Tuesday after criticism from his Republican rival, JD Vance.

Speaking at a convention of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) in Los Angeles in his first solo campaign speech, Walz said: "I am damn proud of my service to this country."

"To anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, including my opponent, I just have a few simple words: Thank you for your service and sacrifice," he added.

Vance, a Marine veteran and Donald Trump's running mate, had previously questioned Walz's military service, accusing Walz, who served in the Army National Guard for over two decades, of "stolen valor."

"He has never spent a day in a combat zone," Vance said at a campaign event in Michigan. "I’d be ashamed if I were him and had lied about my military service like he did."

Walz countered this narrative, saying that his decision to leave was not influenced by the possibility of deployment and highlighted his advocacy for veterans as a congressman.

"With my dad’s encouragement, a guy who served in the army during the Korean War, I signed up for the Army National Guard two days after my 17th birthday," he said.

"I served for the next 24 years for the same reason that all my brothers and sisters in uniform do. We love this country. Then in 2005, I felt the call of duty again, this time to be in service to my country in the halls of Congress," he added.

Vance responded to Walz’s comments Tuesday on X, writing that Walz "shouldn’t have lied" over his service.

"You shouldn't have said you went to war when you didn't. Nor should you have said that you didn't know your unit was going to Iraq. Happy to discuss more in a debate," Vance added.