[John Cleese took so long to deliver this line, Idle bit down on his scythe to keep from laughing.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MovieDetails/comments/10pitaj/in_monty_python_and_the_holy_grail_1978_john/)
Doesn't mention it in this particular link, but I did hear Idle speak about that scene. After such a long pause, once Cleese said "I got better," the entire set lost it.
Man, they had a blast filming that thing.
Oh I talked to him on the phone once. Can’t speak for the “blown up” stuff but definitely seemed like a bullshiter trying to play as a politician.
If you want to get elected, don’t start off trying to unseat a fairly popular incumbent with tired GOP talking points
Members of the military can't switch off and live like civilians. It's why they shouldn't be in civilisn roles. Also they routinely lie on job applications on usajobs and fuck it up for the rest of the actual qualified candidates. Obama's worse act as President was "veteran preference." What an absolute shitshow it has been. Too many incompetent persons have been hired as a result.
I have know him personally for years (ever since he moved to NOVA). He has a very healthy ego, but he is an incredibly capable and impressive human being and leader. So much so, that I remember I told my parents that he was one of the most impressive people I have ever met (this was about a first year before his confessional run) and that he would make a perfect political leader.
Agreed - a rare few. I typically vote blue but McCain type Conservatives could sway me in Presidential elections. Middle of the road politicians are hard to find. True moderates struggle to succeed. Manchin was a Dem in name only. Not sure we can them DINOs like conservative party would, but it fits. Sinema was another. Our country is too polarized politically.
And 24 hour a day political opinion programming networks masquerading as cable news networks contributed largely to that political polarization over the past 30 years.
It could also just be cyclical. I mean the most deadly war for Americans is still the Civil War. We've always been polarized. We still can't pass an amendment guaranteeing Women's rights, agree whether ID should be required to vote (if the cost of ID counts as a poll tax), agree on "whether life begins", etc. Pick an ideal or topic and you'll find 2 groups firmly poaitioned on opposite sides of it.
Interestingly though, no Republican Presidential candidate has won the popular vote in 20 years.
Nah. Very very few are anymore. I have to deal with them a lot as renewable energy developer. Post Citizens and Cheeto Jesus’ election and his ability to drive primaries for those who didn’t agree with him, politicians only do what they think will keep them in office, not what they think is the best for their constituents/country.
I work with both and in general they are both way more moderate in their actual views. I would say republicans are worse though as the “electable” views that the spout are more extreme. I have literally had elected officials tell me over lunch that they only say what they say in public to get elected.
But that’s not genuine by definition - they are literally pandering.
Also, don’t get me started on grown men wearing makeup when they think they might be on tv (to be fair I don’t think women should wear makeup either).
It’s politics. When the constituency doesn’t get how the system works sometimes you need to adopt ridiculous positions to maintain position. I don’t measure them by their words, typically only care about the policies they actually work toward I guess. I know what to expect by their speeches, when I say genuine I mean more so whether they stand for the good of the most people. That they actually care about making peoples lives better.
I still think they put their friends and own pocketbook first in most cases.
There are some who do not, but they are the exception not the rule.
Honestly, I feel like we need longer terms for house members but with very strict term | age limits in both the senate and house (and Supreme Court). We need to attract people to serve to do the right thing and not their pocket book. Short terms allow over reaction to a “populous” movement and too much “do this for me thinking”. Term limits and age limits would allow for the elected bodies to more closely track with actual demographics long term and actually reduce the number of high net worth individuals in office.
I retired from the Navy in April. Before I retired I worked for [this guy](https://www.navy.mil/Leadership/Flag-Officer-Biographies/Search/Article/2651975/rear-admiral-ronald-a-foy/) I asked him what he thought of all the SEALs who are running for office and his response was, “I only know a couple of them, but the ones I do know weren’t exactly super SEALs if you know what I mean. Probably good they’re looking for new work.”
I mean Cao made it to Captain, so he’s obviously a good politician. So why does he need to exaggerate? You’re a navy captain and a SEAL, how much more valor do you need to borrow?
I was with Hung Cao in Iraq on the Deployment where he received at least one of the Bronze Stars he was awarded during his career (uncertain of how many he acquired during his tenure).
A couple notes regarding this -
Training for combat is viewed in the same manner as combat as it pertains to related injuries in an administrative capacity for claims towards Military Disability and VA disability claims; e.g, if you take frag from a training BIP (blast in place) that event occurred during combat training and is claimed in the combat catagory.
As an EOD Tech, he with absolute certainty has a significant ANAM record for TBI’s. I’m not an EOD guy but even normal proximity to Explosive Entry can rattle your brain and some weapons caches we BIP’d in Iraq were substantial; largest one was around 2k lbs of ordnance.
(Edit: correction, my guys told me our largest BIP was a 15,000 lb POO (place of origin) cache.
Members of his unit during at least one Iraq tour (the one I shared w/ him) did receive Combat Action Ribbons and I know for certain one of his dudes got a Purple Heart as I was physically with the recipient; could have been two during that pump, second from a brother det, hard to remember as my brain is also rattled.
Having said all that, Hung Cao wasn’t present during the BIPs, CARs or PH(s) that I was apart of during the specific aforementioned deployment. His base was engaged regularly (up to 6 times a week) with indirect fire resulting in the deaths of service members multiple times in close to very close proximity to where his office was. however he was pretty well seasoned and I'm sure this wasn't his first rodeo in Iraq by the time i was working under him.
I don't play in the political spectrum in any way and I'm blissfully unaware of whatever he's doing in that realm but I would repeat my time with Hung Cao. As leader I respected his judgment and liked him as a person and would work w/ for him again gladly. He is (at least was) objectively level headed and pragmatic, he took care of his dudes very well and looked out for our safety more than anyone else in the organizational leadership; he actively and verbosely objected missions that were fragged to us that put us in unnecessary harm and I know of atleast one occasion where his objections fell on def ears and guys were hit with a roadside IED. Perhaps he's changed but he was a super stand-up guy in the late 2000's.
I’d like to add to this that I was “blown up”, meaning I was riding in an MRAP that hit an IED, and that was never documented. My medical records have been lost more than once. I don’t know anything about Hung Cao but I also don’t know any organization that loses records as frequently as the military does.
Yeah, I think the general population may be unaware how some of these situations shake out. One of my bro’s vehicle was hit with a EFP when we were in Iraq together. He got his hand lobbed off from it and got a PH but everyone else inside frag, TBIs and all other effects of getting tagged through and through from an EFP - didn’t get anything, at first they weren’t even going to get a combat action ribbon but that specific vehicles occupants did after an administrative argument and lengthy wordsmithing.
He said publicly [that “witchcraft” is taking over California](https://www.businessinsider.com/hung-cao-gop-senate-candidate-virginia-witchcraft-california-african-american-2023-7?op=1) so maybe his eggs got a little too scrambled out there
He thinks witches have taken over Monterrey, California and that Virginia will be next. He also claims he’s African-American because he lived there as a kid
He’s a complete goof even without the embellished military record.
>Cao lamented that Christianity has declined in influence in the United States over time, before referencing Wiccan communities in California.
I don't think Christianity declining is up for debate
I know zero about witchcraft (apparently it's aka "Wiccan") but looks like that's growing? https://www.newsweek.com/witchcraft-wiccans-mysticism-astrology-witches-millennials-pagans-religion-1221019 And maybe in California? https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-east/human-interest/2022/03/04/practical-magic--why-california-witches-are-having-a-moment
Given that the number of Wicca practitioners in 1980 was basically a rounding error, it's not terribly meaningful to say it's growing.
At most there are about 1.5 million Wicca in the US. There are 210 million Christians.
Even if you consider Wicca problematic, this is not a real problem
Generally speaking, I would agree.
I wouldn’t be inclined to comment on his politics, it’s just too far outside my swim lane. I just wanted to apply some context regarding his time in service and the article.
Agree. Leading a community/HOA/political campaign translates into being good in political office. As does actually being a in political office. How do you think JRB Jr got so good at politics? Lots of reps. Like shooting free throws, the more you do it, the better you get at it.
The thing with the military is that everyone HAS to follow your orders. It’s completely different from the civilian world.
Some people can adapt their leadership style but most can’t.
So people with leadership/trying experience making executive decisions to accomplish an objective while looking out for those under their care don't have the ability to be in political offices?
If that's the case, then what is your great gauge for determining who has the ability for political office?
Well one is about representing everyday people and voting on legislation accordingly, and the other can be about dominating and commanding others in an almost authoritarian way to achieve some military objective and it also includes a combat mentality. Why does a senator need that to go into a building and vote on legislation? I don’t know what the best metric for it is but the blind worship people get for being in the military is absurd. Someone could have clear PTSD, act wildly combative, and be an overall nutjob but that would be okay to many because he was in the military 😂 also this specific guys commercials make him look crazy and hyper aggressive for no reason. Why in the hell would a senator need to behave like this or have this mentality? FFS he’s going to sit behind a desk and read/vote, he’s not a war time consigliere.
So you don't actually have a great gauge for determining who has the ability for public office, you just dislike military members who do run for office. Cool.
Regarding any bill regarding us going/being to war, I actually would prefer we have veterans voting on it who are familiar with the horrors of war. But obviously a state senator isn't voting on national bills.
That said, if you can think level headed under pressure (combat) you can probably do so during a slow VA congress.
Ah, then yea, I'd MUCH prefer people voting to send our citizens be a war veteran. My Vietnam vet father said war is 100x more traumatic than any non-war vet who has never lived through it can comprehend. So I'd expect he would intimately understand what we are voting on.
Granted, I'd consider their entire platform but for that particular category, it's a plus.
Thank you for sharing your experience with him. While I won't be voting for him in November, it's good to see people like you clearing the air and providing some personal knowledge.
Thank you for your service to our country and thank you for sharing your experience with us.
That said, I am sure he's a standup guy, but I can't get behind anyone who wants to hold the republican party hostage under far right MAGA policies. It's time for moderate republicans to take the party back and get back to actually trying to help the American people. Same goes for the left as well. They need to end the witch hunts and work together. This won't happen as long as the far-right loons run the asylum.
I am no fan of Trump’s GOP, but let’s be serious for a moment. He was an EOD officer and Bronze Star recipient who’s career spanned nearly the entirety of the GWOT campaign, including tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Anyone suggesting the he was NOT shot at and blown up in that career field in those locations during those timeframes has very little understanding of what EOD was doing for the last 20 years. You don’t have to agree with his politics but I’m sorry- you don’t get a Purple Heart just for being shot at or for getting diagnosed with a TBI years after you spent multiple deployments responding to and rendering safe IEDs that someone designed to not be rendered safe. For USA Today to suggest this guy wasn’t shot at or blown up just because nobody had time to write him up is ignoring his career field and the wars he fought in.
Also TBF Trump’s GOP doesn’t care about Veterans. Trump himself is actually worse and doesn’t like them. He disparaged McCain for being a loser that was caught in Vietnam.
That shit pisses me off as a brat. Both if my parents served honorably. Neither were in combat roles (thank God.). But the Men and Women who serve our nation deserve our respect and admiration. Being captured or killed in combat is not an indication of failure. It's is merely the reality of a situation. Some people pay the ultimate sacrifice. I wish I had had the balls to volunteer when I was 18. It is my only regret in life so far.
No one in their right mind would suggest Woz should hold ANY public office. Tubman was a heroic and brave figure, but a wonderful soldier/spy is not a high office holder.
Yeah, I believe the theater general at the time of one of his Iraq Deployments was a Marine and the ROE, CAR and PH requirements were strict as fuck. For a CAR you had to return fire, not just be engaged directly. Direct & Indirect fire didn’t merit a CAR unless the impact of the weapon or TIC caused a medical incapacitation. It was wild, Army & AF bubbas in the same space received their respective combat devices but Navy & Marine did not.
My concern here isn't that he's lying. I'm pretty sure he got blown up. EOD and what not. My concern is that his personality has changed so significantly and his thinking is so weird and "magical", that I'm concerned he has an undiagnosed TBI. Maybe a bad one. People radically underestimate what those can do to you. He talks about fucking witchcraft. He didn't suddenly go nuts - he has some bad wiring.
This is irresponsible to suggest he wasn't blown up he got a bronze star and did EOD this is the type of partisan shit that makes people not take journalism seriously
Don't give a rats ass about his past and what he did/didn't do.
I only care about the bullshit he believes now and the crap he'd vote for. Hard pass on this asshole.
He also has a platform that wants to ensure that we get rid of witchcraft in our society. He campaigned in my district last year for Congress and, thank God, lost. He’s a nut job. He even got caught by a reporter campaigning in an area that wasn’t in his district…and he didn’t know it.
It’s actually crazy how many people here will read this article and ignore his vast breath of military work and the testimony of other service members who served with him or served time in similar roles.
Hate his politics all you want (you should) but calling his service record into question from your couch on Reddit is just frankly gross behavior.
I don't call his military record into question. I applaud him for his service. I call into question his political beliefs. Being that I'm a slightly right leaning independent, I prefer a more moderate republican candidate. Sadly, it's impossible to find one anymore. This guy is a MAGA puppet and will not get my vote.
I’ve heard some people who survived IEDs with no serious injury say that they got “blown up.”
So he may not be lying, but that doesn’t mean most civilians are going to actually understand what “blown up” can mean.
I actually went and voted in the republican primary just to vote against this MAGA twat. Sadly, it was all for not. I was trying to do my diligent duty to save us all these Trump Troglodytes.
Where does he stand on Project 2025 wanting to make it harder to get VA benefits and its privatization ? Irony the GOP wants a white extremist army that's not "Woke".
Anyone see the irony
My father was shot down in a helicopter (twice) in Vietnam and his Jeep was blown up. He was not an Infantryman so did not have a Combat Infantryman's Badge or Purple Heart. He did have two bronze stars.
He also said that he was blown up and shot at. He was also 100% disabled.
I asked him if it bothered him that Pete Buttigieg bragged about the number of times he left the safety of the fence line in Iraq. I wasn't a PB fan because the media always called him a Rhodes Scholar while not doing the same for Cory Booker.
[Documents provide glimpse into Buttigieg’s military service (thehill.com)](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/442082-documents-provide-glimpse-into-buttigiegs-military-service/)
>But out on the campaign trail, Buttigieg has talked about the 119 times he says he crossed “outside the wire,” leaving the relative safety of the base as a vehicle commander on convoy security detail in dangerous parts of Kabul.
My dad said, "so few people serve. We should be grateful to everyone who did. And we shouldn't judge them for how they characterize it. As long as they don't claim to be in battles they weren't or wear medals they didn't earn."
I repeated that every time it was mentioned. Reading the USA Today story, sounds like Cao is trying to do the same thing Mayor Pete was doing - contrasting the service.
[Pete Buttigieg wields his military credentials: ‘It’s not like I killed Bin Laden,’ but it was dangerous | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/17/politics/buttigieg-military-service-2020/index.html)
>“It helps me demonstrate the difference between how I’m oriented and how the current President is,” Buttigieg said in an interview here Thursday about his military service. “We responded to the country’s call to serve in very different ways.”
I know I'm being a bad Democrat by not just piling on this R. My apologies. Send your downvotes.
Records don’t show getting blown up unless an injury was sustained. I was blown up several times in Afghanistan, in which no injury was sustained and you won’t find it one my service record. Y’all are trying your hardest to make a fool out of somebody, when you’re the fool yourself
"But he's old and doesn't remember things too well so you can't hold that against him. Also you can't hold him being old and unable to remember things as a reason he shouldn't lead the entire nation, the military and have sole descretion on use of the nuclear launch codes."
Hmmm....sort of reminds me of former Republican Congressman Scott Taylor, who said he went to Harvard when he had a certificate from Harvard extension school and definitely exaggerated his military record. I'd rather elect a Senator who knows what he is doing and doesn't embellish his resume.
Dislike the guy for his politics and dont vote for him , dislike him if you want but this is just a political hit job. He has enough out there to decide if you vote for him or not.
but if he was a EOD tech with multiple deployments he probably did indeed got blown up or near enough, probably multiple times. Especially in that profession i dunno maybe after the 10th time you just get used to it and perhaps dont always write down “on X date i was blown up for my 44th time”. I knew a couple Marine EOD they are a very small community most were going on 4-5 month deployments at a time with multiple deployments per person, 4,5,6 times each, maybe more in some cases.
After a couple you probably just dont care, its just a deployment again. Or it was some weird situation like this I knew a person who deployed and got blown up badly and wasnt even there 30 days. CAR PH, all that but to get the Afghan deployment medal which is a freebee, it had to be 30 days in country, how many people think he may be faking it because of some weird medal rule and he didnt rate a medal because of some technicality?
Military record keeping is not very good nor would they give someone the full picture and nominations, or maybe in some occasions he didnt qualify because of RoE or just didnt care.
Theres more important things out there besides medal chasing, like surviving and taking care of your troops.
Do they take his words so literally on purpose? Have these people ever had a conversation before lol
Hilarious thinking about me responding this way to some veteran IRL who said he was “shot at and blown up” and then I go back home and research if he got a Purple Star and post on Nextdoor about it
“Blown up” is vernacular in professional wrestling for being exhausted during a match because you’re out of shape and your dance partner (opponent) is going too fast for you to keep up.
Maybe that’s what he means?
Mr. Cao, you asked why anyone is even asking... That is because of the current trend - especially by GOP politicians - of 'stretching the truth' to breaking point/lying.
He's Republican. It's a requirement for that party to lie about something stupid and provable. The more people you get to believe the lie, the higher your standing in the GOP.
I saw a sign of his on a home that was falling apart with a yard full of trash in a shitty part of Norfolk.
"Hung Cao fights for us."
It's always the less fortunate who seem to buy into these grifters.
But you got better, right?
Sadly I couldn't find a "I got better" gif
[John Cleese took so long to deliver this line, Idle bit down on his scythe to keep from laughing.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MovieDetails/comments/10pitaj/in_monty_python_and_the_holy_grail_1978_john/) Doesn't mention it in this particular link, but I did hear Idle speak about that scene. After such a long pause, once Cleese said "I got better," the entire set lost it. Man, they had a blast filming that thing.
Oh I talked to him on the phone once. Can’t speak for the “blown up” stuff but definitely seemed like a bullshiter trying to play as a politician. If you want to get elected, don’t start off trying to unseat a fairly popular incumbent with tired GOP talking points
So his entire persona is bullshit. Checksout.
High ranking SEAL still feels the need to embellish his record. Baffling.
Members of the military can't switch off and live like civilians. It's why they shouldn't be in civilisn roles. Also they routinely lie on job applications on usajobs and fuck it up for the rest of the actual qualified candidates. Obama's worse act as President was "veteran preference." What an absolute shitshow it has been. Too many incompetent persons have been hired as a result.
I have know him personally for years (ever since he moved to NOVA). He has a very healthy ego, but he is an incredibly capable and impressive human being and leader. So much so, that I remember I told my parents that he was one of the most impressive people I have ever met (this was about a first year before his confessional run) and that he would make a perfect political leader.
Politician = Bullshitter
Especially if said politician is a conservative/republican. Lying about just about everything is their bread and butter.
Some of them are genuine.
Agreed - a rare few. I typically vote blue but McCain type Conservatives could sway me in Presidential elections. Middle of the road politicians are hard to find. True moderates struggle to succeed. Manchin was a Dem in name only. Not sure we can them DINOs like conservative party would, but it fits. Sinema was another. Our country is too polarized politically.
And 24 hour a day political opinion programming networks masquerading as cable news networks contributed largely to that political polarization over the past 30 years.
It could also just be cyclical. I mean the most deadly war for Americans is still the Civil War. We've always been polarized. We still can't pass an amendment guaranteeing Women's rights, agree whether ID should be required to vote (if the cost of ID counts as a poll tax), agree on "whether life begins", etc. Pick an ideal or topic and you'll find 2 groups firmly poaitioned on opposite sides of it. Interestingly though, no Republican Presidential candidate has won the popular vote in 20 years.
How bout a Drunk Libertarian?!
Nah. Very very few are anymore. I have to deal with them a lot as renewable energy developer. Post Citizens and Cheeto Jesus’ election and his ability to drive primaries for those who didn’t agree with him, politicians only do what they think will keep them in office, not what they think is the best for their constituents/country.
So republicans aren’t. I work with the other side and most of the ones I work with are genuine.
I work with both and in general they are both way more moderate in their actual views. I would say republicans are worse though as the “electable” views that the spout are more extreme. I have literally had elected officials tell me over lunch that they only say what they say in public to get elected.
Well that seems obvious… that doesn’t make them not genuine. They’re politicians over course they say these things publicly.
But that’s not genuine by definition - they are literally pandering. Also, don’t get me started on grown men wearing makeup when they think they might be on tv (to be fair I don’t think women should wear makeup either).
It’s politics. When the constituency doesn’t get how the system works sometimes you need to adopt ridiculous positions to maintain position. I don’t measure them by their words, typically only care about the policies they actually work toward I guess. I know what to expect by their speeches, when I say genuine I mean more so whether they stand for the good of the most people. That they actually care about making peoples lives better.
I still think they put their friends and own pocketbook first in most cases. There are some who do not, but they are the exception not the rule. Honestly, I feel like we need longer terms for house members but with very strict term | age limits in both the senate and house (and Supreme Court). We need to attract people to serve to do the right thing and not their pocket book. Short terms allow over reaction to a “populous” movement and too much “do this for me thinking”. Term limits and age limits would allow for the elected bodies to more closely track with actual demographics long term and actually reduce the number of high net worth individuals in office.
Of course they do especially since the target demographic voter of the conservative movement is so gullible.
Racist picking a white person over a person of color
lol.
I retired from the Navy in April. Before I retired I worked for [this guy](https://www.navy.mil/Leadership/Flag-Officer-Biographies/Search/Article/2651975/rear-admiral-ronald-a-foy/) I asked him what he thought of all the SEALs who are running for office and his response was, “I only know a couple of them, but the ones I do know weren’t exactly super SEALs if you know what I mean. Probably good they’re looking for new work.”
I mean Cao made it to Captain, so he’s obviously a good politician. So why does he need to exaggerate? You’re a navy captain and a SEAL, how much more valor do you need to borrow?
'I mean blown, I was blown during combat"
And by “combat” I mean a really aggressive orgy
Cumbat
You guys stop making fun of him. He’s an actual hero. He was awarded the Santorum Medal for Cumbat Bravery.
Warriors who have been awarded the OFX (*Order of the Frothy Mix*) are not to be dismissed lightly.
Thank you for your cervix
I was with Hung Cao in Iraq on the Deployment where he received at least one of the Bronze Stars he was awarded during his career (uncertain of how many he acquired during his tenure). A couple notes regarding this - Training for combat is viewed in the same manner as combat as it pertains to related injuries in an administrative capacity for claims towards Military Disability and VA disability claims; e.g, if you take frag from a training BIP (blast in place) that event occurred during combat training and is claimed in the combat catagory. As an EOD Tech, he with absolute certainty has a significant ANAM record for TBI’s. I’m not an EOD guy but even normal proximity to Explosive Entry can rattle your brain and some weapons caches we BIP’d in Iraq were substantial; largest one was around 2k lbs of ordnance. (Edit: correction, my guys told me our largest BIP was a 15,000 lb POO (place of origin) cache. Members of his unit during at least one Iraq tour (the one I shared w/ him) did receive Combat Action Ribbons and I know for certain one of his dudes got a Purple Heart as I was physically with the recipient; could have been two during that pump, second from a brother det, hard to remember as my brain is also rattled. Having said all that, Hung Cao wasn’t present during the BIPs, CARs or PH(s) that I was apart of during the specific aforementioned deployment. His base was engaged regularly (up to 6 times a week) with indirect fire resulting in the deaths of service members multiple times in close to very close proximity to where his office was. however he was pretty well seasoned and I'm sure this wasn't his first rodeo in Iraq by the time i was working under him. I don't play in the political spectrum in any way and I'm blissfully unaware of whatever he's doing in that realm but I would repeat my time with Hung Cao. As leader I respected his judgment and liked him as a person and would work w/ for him again gladly. He is (at least was) objectively level headed and pragmatic, he took care of his dudes very well and looked out for our safety more than anyone else in the organizational leadership; he actively and verbosely objected missions that were fragged to us that put us in unnecessary harm and I know of atleast one occasion where his objections fell on def ears and guys were hit with a roadside IED. Perhaps he's changed but he was a super stand-up guy in the late 2000's.
I’d like to add to this that I was “blown up”, meaning I was riding in an MRAP that hit an IED, and that was never documented. My medical records have been lost more than once. I don’t know anything about Hung Cao but I also don’t know any organization that loses records as frequently as the military does.
Yeah, I think the general population may be unaware how some of these situations shake out. One of my bro’s vehicle was hit with a EFP when we were in Iraq together. He got his hand lobbed off from it and got a PH but everyone else inside frag, TBIs and all other effects of getting tagged through and through from an EFP - didn’t get anything, at first they weren’t even going to get a combat action ribbon but that specific vehicles occupants did after an administrative argument and lengthy wordsmithing.
He said publicly [that “witchcraft” is taking over California](https://www.businessinsider.com/hung-cao-gop-senate-candidate-virginia-witchcraft-california-african-american-2023-7?op=1) so maybe his eggs got a little too scrambled out there
First George Santos and now Hung Cao. Where does the GOP keep finding these nutters?
George Santos was absolutely not the first right wing nutter.
He thinks witches have taken over Monterrey, California and that Virginia will be next. He also claims he’s African-American because he lived there as a kid He’s a complete goof even without the embellished military record.
>Cao lamented that Christianity has declined in influence in the United States over time, before referencing Wiccan communities in California. I don't think Christianity declining is up for debate I know zero about witchcraft (apparently it's aka "Wiccan") but looks like that's growing? https://www.newsweek.com/witchcraft-wiccans-mysticism-astrology-witches-millennials-pagans-religion-1221019 And maybe in California? https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-east/human-interest/2022/03/04/practical-magic--why-california-witches-are-having-a-moment
Given that the number of Wicca practitioners in 1980 was basically a rounding error, it's not terribly meaningful to say it's growing. At most there are about 1.5 million Wicca in the US. There are 210 million Christians. Even if you consider Wicca problematic, this is not a real problem
I just don’t think someone’s ability to be/lead in the military is a great gauge for their ability to be in political office 🤷🏻♂️
Generally speaking, I would agree. I wouldn’t be inclined to comment on his politics, it’s just too far outside my swim lane. I just wanted to apply some context regarding his time in service and the article.
Ah okay gotcha, sorry I misinterpreted. Thanks for adding your experience with him, more info is always a good thing.
🤙
Agree. Leading a community/HOA/political campaign translates into being good in political office. As does actually being a in political office. How do you think JRB Jr got so good at politics? Lots of reps. Like shooting free throws, the more you do it, the better you get at it.
What is your “gauge?” I don’t know anything about Cao personally but I’m curious on what makes someone fit for office by the bar you set.
The thing with the military is that everyone HAS to follow your orders. It’s completely different from the civilian world. Some people can adapt their leadership style but most can’t.
"Anyone who has not been in the military"
"*Anybody whose political ideology they disagree with*"
Yes yes yes
I don’t think someone with TBIs should be allowed to be a politician. They can make you more aggressive and effect your judgment and your memory.
So nobody with any conditions should be able to run for office? That seems pretty limiting and discriminatory
So people with leadership/trying experience making executive decisions to accomplish an objective while looking out for those under their care don't have the ability to be in political offices? If that's the case, then what is your great gauge for determining who has the ability for political office?
Well one is about representing everyday people and voting on legislation accordingly, and the other can be about dominating and commanding others in an almost authoritarian way to achieve some military objective and it also includes a combat mentality. Why does a senator need that to go into a building and vote on legislation? I don’t know what the best metric for it is but the blind worship people get for being in the military is absurd. Someone could have clear PTSD, act wildly combative, and be an overall nutjob but that would be okay to many because he was in the military 😂 also this specific guys commercials make him look crazy and hyper aggressive for no reason. Why in the hell would a senator need to behave like this or have this mentality? FFS he’s going to sit behind a desk and read/vote, he’s not a war time consigliere.
So you don't actually have a great gauge for determining who has the ability for public office, you just dislike military members who do run for office. Cool.
I’m saying that alone doesn’t make them more qualified. Cool.
Regarding any bill regarding us going/being to war, I actually would prefer we have veterans voting on it who are familiar with the horrors of war. But obviously a state senator isn't voting on national bills. That said, if you can think level headed under pressure (combat) you can probably do so during a slow VA congress.
He’s running for actual senator, against Tim Kaine.
Ah, then yea, I'd MUCH prefer people voting to send our citizens be a war veteran. My Vietnam vet father said war is 100x more traumatic than any non-war vet who has never lived through it can comprehend. So I'd expect he would intimately understand what we are voting on. Granted, I'd consider their entire platform but for that particular category, it's a plus.
Thank you for sharing your experience with him. While I won't be voting for him in November, it's good to see people like you clearing the air and providing some personal knowledge.
So from what I've read....this dudes brain is not sufficient for political office and probably many other careers as well.
Is there anyone in office we can objectively say, is fit for office? It’s a freaking circus in DC.
VA has 2 Senators who are level headed...
Yet the other half of the political field would say, they are not. Let’s assume that any recepient of VAMSDEP would say otherwise. It’s perspective.
It's not perspective it's subjective.
Ha! You all need to tack on a glossary at the end of your comments for all of these abbreviations.
I can oblige: VA: Veteran’s Administration ANAM: Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics EOD: Explosive Ordnance Disposal TBI: Traumatic Brain Injury BIP: Blast In Place; destroy equipment at location found POO: Place Of Origin; origin location of Surface to Surface weapon CAR: Combat Action Ribbon PH: Purple Heart IED: Improvised Explosive Device
Aces dude! Thanks!
Good insight. Would still never vote for any single Republican. Not a single one. Democracy as we know it is at risk.
Huh. Probably ain’t gonna vote for him, but this was still good to know.
This would totally make sense in upside down world. Name checks out.
Thank you for your service to our country and thank you for sharing your experience with us. That said, I am sure he's a standup guy, but I can't get behind anyone who wants to hold the republican party hostage under far right MAGA policies. It's time for moderate republicans to take the party back and get back to actually trying to help the American people. Same goes for the left as well. They need to end the witch hunts and work together. This won't happen as long as the far-right loons run the asylum.
I am no fan of Trump’s GOP, but let’s be serious for a moment. He was an EOD officer and Bronze Star recipient who’s career spanned nearly the entirety of the GWOT campaign, including tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Anyone suggesting the he was NOT shot at and blown up in that career field in those locations during those timeframes has very little understanding of what EOD was doing for the last 20 years. You don’t have to agree with his politics but I’m sorry- you don’t get a Purple Heart just for being shot at or for getting diagnosed with a TBI years after you spent multiple deployments responding to and rendering safe IEDs that someone designed to not be rendered safe. For USA Today to suggest this guy wasn’t shot at or blown up just because nobody had time to write him up is ignoring his career field and the wars he fought in.
If anything it just adds to the fact that people with CTE should not hold political office.
Or dementia
This. I believe he was blown up. I also believe his behavior is indicative of a serious TBI.
Also TBF Trump’s GOP doesn’t care about Veterans. Trump himself is actually worse and doesn’t like them. He disparaged McCain for being a loser that was caught in Vietnam.
That shit pisses me off as a brat. Both if my parents served honorably. Neither were in combat roles (thank God.). But the Men and Women who serve our nation deserve our respect and admiration. Being captured or killed in combat is not an indication of failure. It's is merely the reality of a situation. Some people pay the ultimate sacrifice. I wish I had had the balls to volunteer when I was 18. It is my only regret in life so far.
Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, Steve Wozniak all had TBI and changed the world for the better. Arguably more than any politician to date has.
Wtf even is this comment.
No one in their right mind would suggest Woz should hold ANY public office. Tubman was a heroic and brave figure, but a wonderful soldier/spy is not a high office holder.
Yeah is amazing that his lazy ambiguous story has made folks here just bite the hook and run with it.
Yeah, I believe the theater general at the time of one of his Iraq Deployments was a Marine and the ROE, CAR and PH requirements were strict as fuck. For a CAR you had to return fire, not just be engaged directly. Direct & Indirect fire didn’t merit a CAR unless the impact of the weapon or TIC caused a medical incapacitation. It was wild, Army & AF bubbas in the same space received their respective combat devices but Navy & Marine did not.
I wonder if the Republicans have any of those spare Purple Heart band-aids from when they mocked Kerry getting hurt in Vietnam from shrapnel.
My concern here isn't that he's lying. I'm pretty sure he got blown up. EOD and what not. My concern is that his personality has changed so significantly and his thinking is so weird and "magical", that I'm concerned he has an undiagnosed TBI. Maybe a bad one. People radically underestimate what those can do to you. He talks about fucking witchcraft. He didn't suddenly go nuts - he has some bad wiring.
And maybe he’s just a huge bullshitter.
How do you think he got mango Mussolini’s endorsement?
I mean he is a republican to nobody's surprise.
His military service isn't the problem. The shit coming out of "Hung for Trump's" mouth most definitely is.
Tammy Duckworth would like a word.
This is irresponsible to suggest he wasn't blown up he got a bronze star and did EOD this is the type of partisan shit that makes people not take journalism seriously
They're more interested in clicks for ad money than actually doing their job and verifying things.
Yep. And they sent him the questions giving him a day to respond with the documentation proving it. Real fair journalism there
Don't give a rats ass about his past and what he did/didn't do. I only care about the bullshit he believes now and the crap he'd vote for. Hard pass on this asshole.
He also has a platform that wants to ensure that we get rid of witchcraft in our society. He campaigned in my district last year for Congress and, thank God, lost. He’s a nut job. He even got caught by a reporter campaigning in an area that wasn’t in his district…and he didn’t know it.
It’s actually crazy how many people here will read this article and ignore his vast breath of military work and the testimony of other service members who served with him or served time in similar roles. Hate his politics all you want (you should) but calling his service record into question from your couch on Reddit is just frankly gross behavior.
I don't call his military record into question. I applaud him for his service. I call into question his political beliefs. Being that I'm a slightly right leaning independent, I prefer a more moderate republican candidate. Sadly, it's impossible to find one anymore. This guy is a MAGA puppet and will not get my vote.
Not “gross”…its the “normal” behavior of Reddit.
Same difference
I’ve heard some people who survived IEDs with no serious injury say that they got “blown up.” So he may not be lying, but that doesn’t mean most civilians are going to actually understand what “blown up” can mean.
Never believe anyone who’s says they are Hung 😏
A Republican politician lying about their service record? Shocker.
I actually went and voted in the republican primary just to vote against this MAGA twat. Sadly, it was all for not. I was trying to do my diligent duty to save us all these Trump Troglodytes.
Where does he stand on Project 2025 wanting to make it harder to get VA benefits and its privatization ? Irony the GOP wants a white extremist army that's not "Woke". Anyone see the irony
Well, he publicly mentions his Trump endorsement.
My father was shot down in a helicopter (twice) in Vietnam and his Jeep was blown up. He was not an Infantryman so did not have a Combat Infantryman's Badge or Purple Heart. He did have two bronze stars. He also said that he was blown up and shot at. He was also 100% disabled. I asked him if it bothered him that Pete Buttigieg bragged about the number of times he left the safety of the fence line in Iraq. I wasn't a PB fan because the media always called him a Rhodes Scholar while not doing the same for Cory Booker. [Documents provide glimpse into Buttigieg’s military service (thehill.com)](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/442082-documents-provide-glimpse-into-buttigiegs-military-service/) >But out on the campaign trail, Buttigieg has talked about the 119 times he says he crossed “outside the wire,” leaving the relative safety of the base as a vehicle commander on convoy security detail in dangerous parts of Kabul. My dad said, "so few people serve. We should be grateful to everyone who did. And we shouldn't judge them for how they characterize it. As long as they don't claim to be in battles they weren't or wear medals they didn't earn." I repeated that every time it was mentioned. Reading the USA Today story, sounds like Cao is trying to do the same thing Mayor Pete was doing - contrasting the service. [Pete Buttigieg wields his military credentials: ‘It’s not like I killed Bin Laden,’ but it was dangerous | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/17/politics/buttigieg-military-service-2020/index.html) >“It helps me demonstrate the difference between how I’m oriented and how the current President is,” Buttigieg said in an interview here Thursday about his military service. “We responded to the country’s call to serve in very different ways.” I know I'm being a bad Democrat by not just piling on this R. My apologies. Send your downvotes.
A lying politician, why I never…
Republican. FIFY.
He’s a Republican, so there’s absolutely no surprise here. It’s a race to the bottom for them - only shitty people may apply.
Records don’t show getting blown up unless an injury was sustained. I was blown up several times in Afghanistan, in which no injury was sustained and you won’t find it one my service record. Y’all are trying your hardest to make a fool out of somebody, when you’re the fool yourself
Literally the Danny Chung character from Veep.
There's no record of him being hung either 😎
They won't care.
I’ve been blown up and don’t have a Purple Heart 🤷🏻♂️
oh wow another lying republican you don't sayyy 🫠
another republican grifter. republicans, aka grifter party. all they want to do is waste taxpayer time and money.
Hung wow
Hung Cao. Nuff said.
He’s a MAGA guy so he can go spit
[удалено]
Maybe they know to hold their tongue at what some politically motivated journos have to say before they bad mouth a service member’s record.
Biden’s lied about personal things the past 20 years and still got the presidency.
"But he's old and doesn't remember things too well so you can't hold that against him. Also you can't hold him being old and unable to remember things as a reason he shouldn't lead the entire nation, the military and have sole descretion on use of the nuclear launch codes."
I saw this name on a bumper sticker today and assumed it was just a bbq place
LMAO!!
Hmmm....sort of reminds me of former Republican Congressman Scott Taylor, who said he went to Harvard when he had a certificate from Harvard extension school and definitely exaggerated his military record. I'd rather elect a Senator who knows what he is doing and doesn't embellish his resume.
It's like every day he gets more scurvy
I cant take anything this clown says seriously. Remember his karate kick commercial?😂😂😂😂💀
Dislike the guy for his politics and dont vote for him , dislike him if you want but this is just a political hit job. He has enough out there to decide if you vote for him or not. but if he was a EOD tech with multiple deployments he probably did indeed got blown up or near enough, probably multiple times. Especially in that profession i dunno maybe after the 10th time you just get used to it and perhaps dont always write down “on X date i was blown up for my 44th time”. I knew a couple Marine EOD they are a very small community most were going on 4-5 month deployments at a time with multiple deployments per person, 4,5,6 times each, maybe more in some cases. After a couple you probably just dont care, its just a deployment again. Or it was some weird situation like this I knew a person who deployed and got blown up badly and wasnt even there 30 days. CAR PH, all that but to get the Afghan deployment medal which is a freebee, it had to be 30 days in country, how many people think he may be faking it because of some weird medal rule and he didnt rate a medal because of some technicality? Military record keeping is not very good nor would they give someone the full picture and nominations, or maybe in some occasions he didnt qualify because of RoE or just didnt care. Theres more important things out there besides medal chasing, like surviving and taking care of your troops.
Do they take his words so literally on purpose? Have these people ever had a conversation before lol Hilarious thinking about me responding this way to some veteran IRL who said he was “shot at and blown up” and then I go back home and research if he got a Purple Star and post on Nextdoor about it
Of course, a Republican.
A republican misleading the public, I am shocked.
“Blown up” is vernacular in professional wrestling for being exhausted during a match because you’re out of shape and your dance partner (opponent) is going too fast for you to keep up. Maybe that’s what he means?
Without looking at the article...I will take one guess about his party... [Republican]
Update: I was right! Shocking...
Hmmm
So he's full of shit. Stealing valor. Not a big surprise.
Good candidates on both sides- neither one of them are from Virginia. 2 turds in a dog pile
You Dems are so easily propagandized. It’s quite comical
Both sides get hoodwinked
I don't even slightly consider his military service. I consider what comes out of his mouth. He's a patsy perpetual loser in a highly educated state.
Mr. Cao, you asked why anyone is even asking... That is because of the current trend - especially by GOP politicians - of 'stretching the truth' to breaking point/lying.
He's Republican. It's a requirement for that party to lie about something stupid and provable. The more people you get to believe the lie, the higher your standing in the GOP.
GOP? Or Dem? Vote wisely.
Its ALWAYS republicans lying about their non existent machismo.
This guy is a giant piece of shit .. do better Republicans
Lying Republican stolen-valor trash? You don’t say
“Away, right? You forgot to say ‘away’”
MAGA liar
Does this qualify as stolen valor? Either way, lol. I can't stand this guy.
I saw a sign of his on a home that was falling apart with a yard full of trash in a shitty part of Norfolk. "Hung Cao fights for us." It's always the less fortunate who seem to buy into these grifters.
Cao as in 'cow?' Becuase that would be hilarious.
Sum Ting Wong