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Newt’s right on this one. That Romney is a lifetime businessman suddenly smitten with the call to public office is simply not true.

Another exaggerated myth that needs to be revisited is Ron Paul’s military service, which he loves to trumpet while disparaging others.

Ron Paul took a student deferment from the draft for his undergraduate studies and then a further deferment to continue in his studies. He was not drafted in wartime, he was drafted in peacetime in 1963 and served 2 years, leaving active duty service in 1965, just as the US began sending the first combat troops to Vietnam (Marines, August of 1965). Contrary to popular belief, he did not serve in Vietnam. Paul entered the National Guard in 1965

It should be noted that Paul took a student deferment, and later was drafted in 1963, two years before the US began a combat role in Vietnam. Paul then went into the National Guard, which, at the time, was widely regarded as a way to avoid deployment to Vietnam.*

Gingrich, 8 years Paul’s junior, took a student deferment in 1963. Upon graduation in 1968, he would have become eligible for the draft, except that the Selective Service had changed its policy in regard to married men with children, and he thus would not have received a draft notice.

Yes, Gingrich could have volunteered for active service in Vietnam, just as Ron Paul could have. Neither did.

*During Vietnam there were virtually no National Guard units that took part in combat in Vietnam. One exception was the 147th Fighter Interceptor Group of the Texas Air National Guard which had F-102 combat aircraft deployed to Vietnam in May of 1968. That was the month that George W Bush enlisted in the 147th to be trained as an F-102 pilot.