Calif. congressman corrects info on Army stint - Military News | News From Afghanistan, Iraq And Around The World - Military Times

Calif. congressman corrects info on Army stint

WASHINGTON — The staff of Republican Rep. Gary Miller of California has taken steps to correct biographical information that misstated his military service.

Miller went through Army boot camp in 1967 and then was honorably discharged for health reasons in his seventh week of service because he had ulcers as a child, according to an Army document provided by Miller’s office.

However, several publications over the years have reported that Miller served in the Army in 1967-68, the peak of the Vietnam War. The official House website contains the correct information, and Miller’s own congressional website doesn’t mention his Army stint.

The error in Miller’s biography was first reported this week by Harper’s Magazine.

Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut came under criticism recently for saying in 2008 that he served in Vietnam. He had said he meant to say during the Vietnam period and that the error was unintentional.

The error about Miller’s Army stint has appeared in such publications as the California Legislature handbook for 1997, the website Project Vote Smart, and various materials from Congressional Quarterly, including its Politics in America guide.

Miller’s spokeswoman, Jessica Baker, said Wednesday that she had no idea how the incorrect time frame started getting into some articles about the congressman. She also said that staff cannot be expected to peruse thousands of potential outlets that could have the wrong information.

“It’s not something he’s ever campaigned on or inflated,” Baker said.

Harper’s reported that Miller stated for a book about the Army service of lawmakers, “It has been a tremendous honor to have served in the U.S. Army.” The entry in “Once a Soldier ... Always a Soldier: Soldiers in the 111th Congress,” published in 2009 by the Association of the U.S. Army, doesn’t mention his seven-week stint but lists the period of service as 1967.

For the book Miller added: “The leadership skills which I experienced in the U.S. Army allow me to take the lead on issues which promote a stronger defense, provide for better pay and quality of life care for the uniformed services and their dependents, and full benefits for our nation’s veterans.”

Congress.org, a Congressional Quarterly product, said it updated Miller’s biographical page after being contacted by the congressman’s staff on Tuesday.

David Meyers, Congressional Quarterly’s managing editor of member information and research, said the incorrect date for Miller’s time in the Army has been used since Miller joined Congress in 1998. While Miller’s staff would have been contacted at that time, follow-up checks concerning military service “wouldn’t have been something for us to keep following up on,” Meyers said.

Miller is competing in a primary election June 8 against three GOP challengers. Baker said that the questions raised about his biographical information should be viewed in that context.

“He’s been put on the record as saying 1967, but we can’t control what other websites are going to say,” Baker said.

Related reading

• Blumenthal apologies for Vietnam misstatements

• Senate candidate changed OIF reference on website

• Kirk says he will fix false military claims