Tim Walz was accused of stolen valuables in 2006, but continued to deceive about serving in combat

Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz is saying he was wrong to say he carried weapons of war in a war zone. He said it was a simple slip, but a letter to the editor written in 2006 for the Winona Daily News shows that Walz claims to have served in combat for nearly twenty years.

The letter also appears to be the first public record of Walz being criticized not only for his story, but for abandoning his unit when they deployed to Iraq.

The “stolen valor” accusations against Tim Walz, pushed primarily by Republican figures such as J.D. Vance, center on allegations that Walz exaggerated his military service, particularly with regard to his involvement in combat. Walz served 24 years in the Minnesota National Guard and achieved the rank of Command Sergeant Major.

However, he did not serve in a combat zone, although he was deployed to Italy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The controversy stems from a comment he made about carrying “weapons of war,” which some critics interpreted as implying combat experience.

Walz clarified that he was referring to his deployment in a support role, although he routinely avoided having served in combat and never corrected the media or others who credited him with serving in combat during several recorded interviews.

The most controversial part of the accusations concerns Walz’s decision to retire in 2005, shortly before his unit deployed to Iraq. Some of his former National Guard colleagues claimed he retired to avoid deployment, while others, including those who served with him, defended him, saying his decision to run for Congress was unrelated to any potential deployment. There is no evidence to suggest that Walz misrepresented his service or acted dishonorably in retiring.

STAFFORD, VA – A Stafford man was taken into custody following a hit-and-run incident where he left the scene of the accident and later fell asleep in his car nearby. This arrest occurred on Tuesday when Deputy SA Edwards was dispatched at 3:15 a.m. to handle reports of the incident at Whitson’s Run. The initial call alerted authorities to a white sedan striking an unoccupied truck before fleeing the scene. After investigation, Deputy Edwards discovered clues indicating that the vehicle involved was a Toyota Camry.

A neighborhood investigation conducted by Deputy Edwards and Deputy TG Croson led them to discover a white Toyota Camry parked on Tanglewood Drive. The vehicle was occupied by a man sleeping in the driver’s seat, with damage clearly corresponding to that of the collision.

Upon waking the driver, the police noticed the individual’s red eyes and detected a strong smell of alcohol. The 31-year-old Stafford resident was then arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated and refusing, as well as hit and run. He was later booked into the Rappahannock Regional Jail with bond set at $2,500.

Stafford, VA – A Fredericksburg man, Michael Hughes, was arrested Tuesday following a DUI incident with a child in the vehicle.

Deputy KF Bierfeldt responded to a complaint of a drunk driver at 6pm on Chatham Heights Road. The driver was found in the parking lot of Sparks Early Learning Academy.

The officer identified the driver as 34-year-old Hughes, who had slurred speech and smelled of alcohol. A child was also present in the vehicle.

Hughes was subjected to field sobriety tests and later arrested. He faces charges of DUI with high blood alcohol content and child endangerment and is being held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail on $3,000 bond.