Cape & Islands News

Delahunt's status as veteran on ballot is questioned

 Jeff Beatty served in the Army, with nearly ten years of active duty including time as a  Delta Force Officer.   He's shown above returning from a flight aboard an aircraft carrier.Baetty  was in the first Blackhawk shot down and the bandage is from injuries from that engagement.

Delahunt's Veteran Status Questioned
Claim of Veteran status on ballot is fraudulent says state official

South Shore radio station WATD (95.9 on the dial) has apparently nailed our incumbent US Congressman William Delahunt in a fraudulent claim as a veteran.

This is important because in Massachusetts the election laws allow the designation as "veteran" to appear after a name on the ballot.

Delahunt's apparent fraudulent claim has already been used in the primary elections and the November 7th ballots are already printed. 

 Christine James, News Editor of WATD News said, "if this was a southern state this would be the end of Delahunt's career."

Two candidates running for office in the tenth congressional district claim to be veterans; but according to the paperwork, it looks like only one, can in fact, claim to be a veteran. And it's not the incumbent, Congressman Bill Delahunt, but his Republican challenger Jeff Beatty.

Scituate resident Rich Hagert is the State Representative of the Veteran's Party of America. He says from reviewing both candidates dd-214's (military discharge papers) Delahunt's claim that he's a veteran 'appears to be fraudulent' because most of his 180 days in the service were for training which does not count under Massachusetts General Law. Massachusetts General Law says a veteran had to have served 180 days of active duty to be called a veteran - it does not include time training as a reservist in the armed forces of the United States.

Jeff Beatty served in the Army, with nearly ten years of active duty-- including time as a Delta Force Officer.

Congressman Bill Delahunt says he is proud of his Coast Guard Reserve service.

Click here to hear the clip (mp3 format 800K) 

Read the Mass. Laws on using the term "veteran" on ballots below and here.

<sup>PART I. ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT

TITLE IV. CIVIL SERVICE, RETIREMENTS AND PENSIONS

CHAPTER 31. CIVIL SERVICE

Chapter 31: Section 1. Massachusetts General Laws
 “Veteran”, any person who:
(1) comes within the definition of a veteran appearing in the forty-third clause of section seven of chapter four; or,
(2) comes within such definition except that instead of having performed “wartime service” as defined therein, he has been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor or one of the following campaign badges: Second Nicaraguan Campaign, Yangtze Service, Navy Occupation Service, Army of Occupation or Medal for Humane Action; or,
(3) is a person eligible to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor or one of the campaign badges enumerated in clause (2) of this paragraph and who presents proof of such eligibility which is satisfactory to the administrator.
A veteran shall not include active duty for training in the army national guard or air national guard or active duty for training as a reservist in the armed forces of the United States.
“Wartime service”, the same meaning as specified in the forty-third clause of section seven of chapter four, or active service in the armed forces of the United States in any campaign for which an award was made of any of the campaign badges enumerated in the definition of “veteran” in this section.

43rd clause, Section 7 Chapter 4:
Forty-third, "Veteran'' shall mean (1) any person, (a) whose last discharge or release from his wartime service as defined herein, was under honorable conditions and who (b) served in the army, navy, marine corps, coast guard, or air force of the United States, or on full time national guard duty under Titles 10 or 32 of the United States Code or under sections 38, 40 and 41 of chapter 33 for not less than 90 days active service, at least 1 day of which was for wartime service; provided, however, than any person who so served in wartime and was awarded a service-connected disability or a Purple Heart, or who died in such service under conditions other than dishonorable, shall be deemed to be a veteran notwithstanding his failure to complete 90 days of active service; (2) a member of the American Merchant Marine who served in armed conflict between December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1946, and who has received honorable discharges from the United States Coast Guard, Army, or Navy; (3) any person (a) whose last discharge from active service was under honorable conditions, and who (b) served in the army, navy, marine corps, coast guard, or air force of the United States for not less than 180 days active service; provided, however, that any person who so served and was awarded a service-connected disability or who died in such service under conditions other than dishonorable, shall be deemed to be a veteran notwithstanding his failure to complete 180 days of active service.
  "Wartime service'' shall mean service performed by a "Spanish War veteran'', a "World War I veteran'', a "World War II veteran'', a "Korean veteran'', a "Vietnam veteran'', a "Lebanese peace keeping force veteran'', a "Grenada rescue mission veteran'', a "Panamanian intervention force veteran'', a "Persian Gulf veteran'', or a member of the "WAAC'' as defined in this clause during any of the periods of time described herein or for which such medals described below are awarded.
  "Spanish War veteran'' shall mean any veteran who performed such wartime service between February fifteenth, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight and July fourth, nineteen hundred and two.
  "World War I veteran'' shall mean any veteran who (a) performed such wartime service between April sixth, nineteen hundred and seventeen and November eleventh, nineteen hundred and eighteen, or (b) has been awarded the World War I Victory Medal, or (c) performed such service between March twenty-fifth, nineteen hundred and seventeen and August fifth, nineteen hundred and seventeen, as a Massachusetts National Guardsman.
[ Definition of "World War II veteran'' in clause Forty-third effective until November 11, 2005. For text effective November 11, 2005, see below.]
  "World War II veteran'' shall mean any veteran who performed such wartime service between September sixteenth, nineteen hundred and forty and December thirty-first, nineteen hundred and forty-six--, except that for the purposes of chapter thirty-one it shall mean all active service between the dates of September sixteenth, nineteen hundred and forty and June twenty-fifth, nineteen hundred and fifty.
[ Definition of "World War II veteran'' in clause Forty-third as amended by 2005, 130, Sec. 1 effective November 11, 2005. For text effective until November 11, 2005, see above.]
  "World War II veteran'' shall mean any veteran who performed such wartime service between September 16, 1940 and July 25, 1947, and was awarded a World War II Victory Medal, except that for the purposes of chapter 31 it shall mean all active service between the dates of September 16, 1940 and June 25, 1950.
  "Korean veteran'' shall mean any veteran who performed such wartime service between June twenty-fifth, nineteen hundred and fifty and January thirty-first, nineteen hundred and fifty-five, both dates inclusive, and any person who has received the Korea Defense Service Medal as established in the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2003.
  "Korean emergency'' shall mean the period between June twenty-fifth, nineteen hundred and fifty and January thirty-first, nineteen hundred and fifty-five, both dates inclusive.
  "Vietnam veteran'' shall mean (1) any person who performed such wartime service during the period commencing August fifth, nineteen hundred and sixty-four and ending on May seventh, nineteen hundred and seventy-five, both dates inclusive, or (2) any person who served at least one hundred and eighty days of active service in the armed forces of the United States during the period between February first, nineteen hundred and fifty-five and August fourth, nineteen hundred and sixty-four; provided, however, that for the purposes of the application of the provisions of chapter thirty-one, it shall also include all active service between the dates May seventh, nineteen hundred and seventy-five and June fourth, nineteen hundred and seventy-six; and provided, further, that any such person who served in said armed forces during said period and was awarded a service-connected disability or a Purple Heart, or who died in said service under conditions other than dishonorable, shall be deemed to be a veteran notwithstanding his failure to complete one hundred and eighty days of active service.
  "Lebanese peace keeping force veteran'' shall mean any person who performed such wartime service and received a campaign medal for such service during the period commencing August twenty-fifth, nineteen hundred and eighty-two and ending when the President of the United States shall have withdrawn armed forces from the country of Lebanon.
  "Grenada rescue mission veteran'' shall mean any person who performed such wartime service and received a campaign medal for such service during the period commencing October twenty-fifth, nineteen hundred and eighty-three to December fifteenth, nineteen hundred and eighty-three, inclusive.
  "Panamanian intervention force veteran'' shall mean any person who performed such wartime service and received a campaign medal for such service during the period commencing December twentieth, nineteen hundred and eighty-nine and ending January thirty-first, nineteen hundred and ninety.
  "Persian Gulf veteran'' shall mean any person who performed such wartime service during the period commencing August second, nineteen hundred and ninety and ending on a date to be determined by presidential proclamation or executive order and concurrent resolution of the Congress of the United States.
  "WAAC'' shall mean any woman who was discharged and so served in any corps or unit of the United States established for the purpose of enabling women to serve with, or as auxiliary to, the armed forces of the United States and such woman shall be deemed to be a veteran.
  None of the following shall be deemed to be a "veteran'':
  (a) Any person who at the time of entering into the armed forces of the United States had declared his intention to become a subject or citizen of the United States and withdrew his intention under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July ninth, nineteen hundred and eighteen.
  (b) Any person who was discharged from the said armed forces on his own application or solicitation by reason of his being an enemy alien.
  (c) Any person who has been proved guilty of wilful desertion.
  (d) Any person whose only service in the armed forces of the United States consists of his service as a member of the coast guard auxiliary or as a temporary member of the coast guard reserve, or both.
  (e) Any person whose last discharge or release from the armed forces is dishonorable.
  "Armed forces'' shall include army, navy, marine corps, air force and coast guard.
  "Active service in the armed forces'', as used in this clause shall not include active duty for training in the army national guard or air national guard or active duty for training as a reservist in the armed forces of the United States. 
http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/gl-pt1-toc.htm</sup>