LaRocco Challenges Risch Claims About Military Service
Political Desk
October 29, 2008
BOISE, IDAHO – U.S. Senate candidate Larry LaRocco says he doesn´t buy opponent Jim´s Risch claim that he wanted to serve his country and tried to enlist in the military in 1968. He said Risch´s story is an affront to veterans, who deserve complete transparency about his record.
LaRocco referred to Risch´s comments to the Meridian Chamber of Commerce yesterday, and to his statements to a Post Register reporter earlier this month. Follow these links to the Meridian story: http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2008/10/29/ap-state-id/d943rse80.txt http://www.spokesmanreview.com/blogs/Boise/archive.asp?postID=8701
"His story doesn´t pass the smell test. It´s a story concocted by someone who knows nothing about the military and did what he could to avoid service," LaRocco said. "There are a lot of questions Risch needs to answer."
The first question, LaRocco said, is how the military found out about his ulcer. "He made it sound like the ulcer was discovered during a military physical, but anyone who was around in those days knows that the physical was very perfunctory. Unless he was spitting up blood, the physical would not have detected an ulcer."
More likely, LaRocco said, Risch gave the military a letter from a doctor saying he had an ulcer, in a successful attempt to avoid service.
"If that´s the case, it directly contradicts his statement that he wanted to serve his country," LaRocco said. "You don´t say you want to serve on the one hand, and hand in a doctor´s letter that says you aren´t fit on the other. The two just don´t mesh."
Moreover, LaRocco said, many people went into the military with ulcers, or had them treated and then enlisted. "Risch had the choice to serve, and chose not to."
LaRocco noted that Risch told the Meridian Chamber that he had tried to enlist in the Infantry, but two weeks ago he told Post Register reporter Phil Davidson that he couldn´t remember which branch of service he had tried to enlist in.
"That´s not something you forget," LaRocco said, "especially at the height of the Vietnam War. That statement set off alarms bells for me."
LaRocco also challenged Risch´s statement that he had "enlisted." "He clearly doesn´t understand the military process," LaRocco said. "You don´t enlist at the time you take your physical. It isn´t enlistment until you´ve been accepted and raise your hand to take the oath."
Finally, LaRocco said Risch doesn´t understand what the Direct Commission program was. Risch said he had been offered a Direct Commission, but LaRocco said Direct Commissions were rare and required a long application process. LaRocco himself had a Direct Commission.
LaRocco said Risch could answer these questions by providing his complete military records. "We know he got five student deferments, then was classified IA, then failed his physical," said LaRocco, "but there are some missing pieces to the story."
Risch received student deferments on 1/21/64; 12/2/64; 12/14/65; 11/29/66; and 1/28/67. On 05/28/68, he was Classified 1A "Available for Military Service." On 06/3/68, he was reclassified NAXXX "Not Acceptable" after his Armed Forces Physical Exam. On 6/25/68 he was reclassified 1Ym, "registrant qualified for service only in time of war or national emergency."
"Since we were at war and he was qualified for service in time of war, I question why he didn´t serve," LaRocco said.
"I call on him to provide the documentation to back up his story," LaRocco said, "including his medical records."
"Jim Risch has a problem with the truth," LaRocco said, noting that most of the state´s major newspaper took him to task for distorting his record on taxes. "First it was taxes, now it´s his military record. He needs to come clean."
LaRocco referred to Risch´s comments to the Meridian Chamber of Commerce yesterday, and to his statements to a Post Register reporter earlier this month. Follow these links to the Meridian story: http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2008/10/29/ap-state-id/d943rse80.txt http://www.spokesmanreview.com/blogs/Boise/archive.asp?postID=8701
"His story doesn´t pass the smell test. It´s a story concocted by someone who knows nothing about the military and did what he could to avoid service," LaRocco said. "There are a lot of questions Risch needs to answer."
The first question, LaRocco said, is how the military found out about his ulcer. "He made it sound like the ulcer was discovered during a military physical, but anyone who was around in those days knows that the physical was very perfunctory. Unless he was spitting up blood, the physical would not have detected an ulcer."
More likely, LaRocco said, Risch gave the military a letter from a doctor saying he had an ulcer, in a successful attempt to avoid service.
"If that´s the case, it directly contradicts his statement that he wanted to serve his country," LaRocco said. "You don´t say you want to serve on the one hand, and hand in a doctor´s letter that says you aren´t fit on the other. The two just don´t mesh."
Moreover, LaRocco said, many people went into the military with ulcers, or had them treated and then enlisted. "Risch had the choice to serve, and chose not to."
LaRocco noted that Risch told the Meridian Chamber that he had tried to enlist in the Infantry, but two weeks ago he told Post Register reporter Phil Davidson that he couldn´t remember which branch of service he had tried to enlist in.
"That´s not something you forget," LaRocco said, "especially at the height of the Vietnam War. That statement set off alarms bells for me."
LaRocco also challenged Risch´s statement that he had "enlisted." "He clearly doesn´t understand the military process," LaRocco said. "You don´t enlist at the time you take your physical. It isn´t enlistment until you´ve been accepted and raise your hand to take the oath."
Finally, LaRocco said Risch doesn´t understand what the Direct Commission program was. Risch said he had been offered a Direct Commission, but LaRocco said Direct Commissions were rare and required a long application process. LaRocco himself had a Direct Commission.
LaRocco said Risch could answer these questions by providing his complete military records. "We know he got five student deferments, then was classified IA, then failed his physical," said LaRocco, "but there are some missing pieces to the story."
Risch received student deferments on 1/21/64; 12/2/64; 12/14/65; 11/29/66; and 1/28/67. On 05/28/68, he was Classified 1A "Available for Military Service." On 06/3/68, he was reclassified NAXXX "Not Acceptable" after his Armed Forces Physical Exam. On 6/25/68 he was reclassified 1Ym, "registrant qualified for service only in time of war or national emergency."
"Since we were at war and he was qualified for service in time of war, I question why he didn´t serve," LaRocco said.
"I call on him to provide the documentation to back up his story," LaRocco said, "including his medical records."
"Jim Risch has a problem with the truth," LaRocco said, noting that most of the state´s major newspaper took him to task for distorting his record on taxes. "First it was taxes, now it´s his military record. He needs to come clean."
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