For years, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has attended events for veterans and has often talked about his service in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.
Those ceremonies have occurred at the state Capitol, where Blumenthal is a constant attendee, and at events around the state. Blumenthal pointedly mentions that he served in the military and often praises the older veterans in the audience by noting that they had attained a higher rank than he had in his service.
But a story in The New York Times is now raising questions about Blumenthal's military record and his service during the Vietnam War.
In a detailed story, reporter Raymond Hernandez mentions that Blumenthal spoke to a group in Norwalk in March 2008 at a ceremony that praised both veterans and senior citizens.
"We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam," Blumenthal was quoted as saying. "And you exemplify it. Whatever we think about the war, whatever we call it -- Afghanistan or Iraq -- we owe our military men and women unconditional support."
The Times story then stated, "There was one problem: Mr. Blumenthal, a Democrat now running for the United States Senate, never served in Vietnam. He obtained at least five military deferments from 1965 to 1970 and took repeated steps that enabled him to avoid going to war, according to records."
Read the NYTimes.com story here.