Hillbilly reminds us that long-standing questions about Mitch McConnell's military "service" remain unanswered. A re-post from 2008: December, 2007 we submitted a request for the Selective Service Classification Records for Senator Saxby Chambliss, Rep Tom Tancredo and Senator Mitch McConnell. When we received the Selective Service Classification Records from the Selective Service System all of the records were included with the exception of Senator Mitch McConnell's and his was an extract put together by Richard Flahavan, Associate Director for Intergovernmental Affairs. When Richard Flahavan was questioned about sending us an extract of Senator Mitch McConnell's Selective Service Classification Record, he responded in writing that "Selective Service no longer has access to Selective Service records for men born prior to 1960." Knowing that we had already received the full Selective Service Classification Records for Senator Saxby Chambliss, Rep Tom Tancredo born in 1943 and 1945 respectively we felt that Richard Flahavan was possibly covering for Senator Mitch McConnell. In Richard Flahavan's extract he writes "the U.S. Army ordered him to undergo an Armed Forces Physical Examination which he did July 9, 1967. Apparently, he did not pass because he was released from the U.S. Army Reserve August 15, 1967." I just love that word apparently! Several correspondences later we decided to request the information we needed from the National Archives Southeast Region in Atlanta and they sent us Mitch McConnell's complete Selective Service Classification Records and when we looked under column 7 Armed Forces Physical Examination it was blank, indicating that Mitch McConnell did not receive a Armed Forces Physical Examination as stated by Richard Flahavan, in his extract. If the Selective Service Classification Record is correct and Mitch McConnell didn't receive Armed Forces Physical Examination, then how could he flunk the Armed Forces Physical Examination he didn't take and what is the real reason Mitch McConnell didn't serve his country during the Vietnam war? Senator Mitch McConnell has an obligation to clear this up and I'm suggesting he publish his military discharge papers for all of us to see and until that time we have good reason to believe he has something to hide.

To his credit, McConnell does not claim service he does not have - probably because he knows he couldn't get away with it. He sidesteps the question of whether he is a veteran, though - probably because he doesn't want anyone looking to closely into exactly what happened when little Mitchie reported for his physical. My guess is that he either faked a disqualifying condition or got someone with juice to pull some strings to get him disqualified. If so, he wouldn't have been the first or last. Most Vietnam-era draftees who wanted out tried those stunts at the draft physical, but maybe Mitchie didn't choke until he got to basic. I don't blame him for wanting out. I know Vietnam combat vets and Vietnam-era draft dodgers both of whom regret what they did. Far be it from any of us to judge anyone's choice among bad and worse options. But hiding the truth is inexcusable. 'Fess up, Mitch - the longer you keep it secret, the worse we imagine the truth to be.