Clinton's Phony WWII 'Hero' --Dem. Campaign Donor, Ambassador, Phony Soldier

Newsbusters.org ^ | 10/06/07 | Warner Todd Huston

[Mobile Vulgus]

It's an avalanche of Democrats and their supporters who are turning out to be liars about their military service, lately. This time it's the late M. Larry Lawrence, a long time Bill Clinton donor who was such a heavy contributor that Clinton paid him off with the ambassadorship to Switzerland (1993 to 1996). Even The New York Times can't hide this one because now that his false service has been confirmed, his body has been removed from Arlington Cemetery, an honor that Clinton had strings pulled to bestow upon him after his passing from cancer in 1996 -- an Arlington burial being just another payoff for his huge donations to Clinton's campaign fund.

"Confronted with mounting evidence that M. Larry Lawrence, the late Ambassador to Switzerland, had fabricated a heroic World War II record, his widow decided today to have his remains exhumed from Arlington National Cemetery, where he was granted burial under an unusual waiver."

So what was the story? How was his military service a sham?

"Mr. Lawrence said he had been serving in the United States merchant marine. He said he was thrown overboard into the icy Arctic Ocean after a German torpedo hit his ship as it headed for the Russian port of Murmansk."

Well... not so much.

Turns out Mr. Lawrence was attending Wilbur Wright College in Chicago during March of 1945, the same time period he claimed he was under fire as a Merchant Marine.

"But Congressional investigators with the House Veterans Affairs subcommittee on oversight and investigations found that Mr. Lawrence's name did not appear in the Coast Guard's records of merchant seamen. His name also did not appear in any official documents related to the 1945 voyage of the Horace Bushnell, including the ship's list of passengers."

Ooops.

But it's even worse than a mere little white lie. Lawrence was given all sorts of honors during his lifetime for his supposed bravery in WWII. The Russian Federation even gave him the Medal of Valor in 1994. Then Clinton bent the rules to allow him to be buried in Arlington upon Lawrence's death in 1996.

Why did Clinton do this?

The money.

"The story of Mr. Lawrence and his spectacular, self-made war record began as yet another campaign finance allegation, in this case, that wealthy Democratic donors traded campaign contributions for Arlington burial plots."

Yes it was all "Because Mr. Lawrence was a generous contributor to Mr. Clinton's 1992 Presidential campaign."

Say it isn't so! Bill Clinton selling influence and giving gifts for campaign cash? Next thing you'll tell me is he sold the Lincoln Bedroom!

See more at Newsbusters

[Farmer Dean]

Just when I really thought that my opinion of Bill Clinton had bottomed out,this nasty revelation appears.What a POS!

[freedom4me]

BTTT

[SandRat]

Hillary is even bigger.

[navyblue]

Even if his story were true, he would not be eligible to be buried in Arlington Cemetery. Members of the Merchant Marine are not members of the Armed Forces. Although they provide critical support functions in combat areas, merchant seamen are civilians. The Merchant Marine suffered many casualties during WW II. The Murmansk run that that phony claims to have been on lost 7 ships for every 10 that got through.

[Bringbackthedraft]

The really sad part is that when Clinton croaks, they probably bury him at Arlington.

[Mobile Vulgus]

#1- it IS true
#2- did you not read where Clinton pulled strings to get him buried there!?

[traderrob6]

Related...

http://www.exposingtheleft.blogspot.com/

[Mogger]

Have to admit, I did like one thing Jocylyn Elders said, something to the effect of: “Everybody’s going to die of something sometime anyhow”.

[Wolverine]

We who sailed in the ships were paid civilian-scale wages, which inspired understandable envy among soldiers and sailors. In return, merchant seamen forwent all veterans' benefits for 50 postwar years, until recently when they were officially recognized as veterans, just in time for an American flag at burial, even if not in Arlington.

[freedom4me]

Regarding Joycelyn Elders...Here’s an excerpt from her Wikipedia entry:

“In 1994, she was invited to speak at a United Nations conference on AIDS. She was asked whether it would be appropriate to promote masturbation as a means of preventing young people from engaging in riskier forms of sexual activity, and she replied, “I think that it is part of human sexuality, and perhaps it should be taught.” This remark caused great controversy, especially among conservative Christian groups and right wing interests in the United States. President Clinton, who had been recently traumatized by the Republican takeover of Congress, asked for her resignation.[1]”

I love the line about Clinton being “traumatized” by the Republican takeover of Congress. Too funny. Excuse me, it wasn’t a takeover. It’s called an election. Duh.

[freedom4me]

BTTT

[art_rocks]

My military claim to fame is I am a REMF and a 5 jump chump.

[piytar]

What kind of sociopath? They’re called Democrats and liberals, and the facts, truth, intellectual honesty, et al. don’t mean squat to them in their quest for power.

[Mobile Vulgus]

...as close to the military I get is that everyone in my family was in it but me!!

(grandfather, father, uncles, son... I got left in the dust on that one!)

[Williams]

Remember when the Republican congressman reminded people that Ted Kennedy was a damn murderer, and Teddy turned tail and got the Heck out of his district and shut up?

IF IF IF top republicans, even the president (Yes, God Forbid!) brought up this, the AC mayor story, and maybe John Kerry's lies, the Rush story would be done and buried pronto.

The republicans are only doing this nation a disservice by not calling out the corrupt democrats.

[Oatka]

We who sailed in the ships were paid civilian-scale wages, which inspired understandable envy among soldiers and sailors.

Back in the 50s I worked with a vet who served as an Armed Guard (manned the deck guns on these merchants) on the runs to Russia.

He said that right in the middle of attacks by U-boats and Condors (bombers), the shop steward would be running about, counting how many bombs were dropped near the ship: "A near miss, that's another $50, there's a wake (torpedo), that's $100" and so on. Apparently their contract included bonuses for being shot at.

When the crew got paid, they'd pass the hat and give the AGs a share of the bonuses. He said that most guys were pretty generous but some "had fish hooks in their pockets and wouldn't contribute a dime."

I had never heard of either practice, so this might be an Urban Legend, but the vet had no reason to lie.

[kenth]

Well, she certainly wasn’t a surgeon.

[Wolverine]

Thanks. Never knew about the bonuses.

[SoCalPol]

When Clintoon was Pres., he, Hillary and the kid spent a week at Lawrence’s mansion here in San Diego on Coronado, a few blocks from the Hotel del Coronado which he owned.

[steamroller]

one has to be a low form of scumbag-but that wouldn’t have been a bar to being an intimate of the clintons as long as money was forthcoming-i truly started to hate bill clinton one memorial day when he attended a ceremony at the vietnam memorial after much handwringing over whether he or gore should attend-at least gore did serve 5 months there and never claimed to be a hero-i watched the ceremony and the camera panned on the name of barry murtaugh, a buddy of mine killed on his last day in country in a crash that killed seven men in my unit-it was an accident but they they died in the line of duty all the same-i almost lost it and forever after i hated the clintons-and tom harkin,who attacked rush limbaugh, faked a combat record -how nice that he dares to judge another-i served a year in vietnam and did nothing brave-just what i was supposed to do as a mechanic