Indian veterans told Indian Country Today they are offended by the false Vietnam War service claims of Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D), long seen as a foe to tribes.

“He was lying,” said Jim Overman, 77, a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin who went to Vietnam. Overman said he didn't accept Blumenthal's claim that he "misspoke" about his service.

"I have three combat tours in North Vietnam and when I see somebody imitating what I did, somebody who deliberately had a stay-away package from his society of handshakes, I get very upset,” Overman told ICT.

Donna Loring, a member of the Penobscot Nation of Maine who also served in Vietnam. He said Indian Country should be offended by Blumenthal's false claims.

“We Native people have given our lives disproportionately in the military to protect the rights of people of this country. And here this guy is fighting as hard as he can to take away our land and our rights, and then he lies about serving his country," Loring told ICT. "That is so dishonest and so dishonorable.”

Blumenthal, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, has fought tribes on sovereignty, taxation, land-into-trust, gaming, labor and federal recognition matters for over a decade as state attorney general. He has filed briefs in cases that affect tribes nationwide and recently testified against a bill to fix the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar.

Get the Story:
Native veterans blast Blumenthal’s Vietnam lie (Indian Country Today 5/21)

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