November 5, 2022
“Kistner claimed to have served in combat, but that’s a lie. He never saw combat. That’s dishonest and dishonorable to veterans – and really all Minnesotans.” – J. Michael Orange, Vietnam combat veteran
Burnsville, MN – U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam combat veteran (1969-70) J. Michael Orange criticizes Tyler Kistner for repeatedly making false claims about his military record on the campaign trail in a new ad, “Stand.”
Last month, the Minnesota Reformer reported that Kistner repeatedly suggested that he had been in combat as a U.S. Marine during his 2020 campaign. Later that year, when a fellow veteran in the GOP primary raised questions about discrepancies in Kistner’s record, he was forced to disclose his military record and admit that he was not a combat veteran.
Multiple Republican groups have been forced to take down ads containing false information about Tyler Kistner’s military service – touting his “four combat tours” and “Iraq War combat veteran” status.
“When I joined the Marines in 1968, I took an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Honoring that oath led me to Vietnam, and it led me into combat. I fought beside many Marines who did not come home from Vietnam. My two best friends over there came home so traumatized they committed suicide,” said J. Michael Orange, Vietnam combat veteran. “When Tyler Kistner lied about his military service to score political points for his own personal gain, he dishonored his own service and the service of every single veteran who has ever sacrificed in combat to uphold the Constitution of the United States. Tyler Kistner’s lies about his own military record amount to what we combat veterans call stolen valor. These lies disqualify him from serving in public office; especially the U.S. Congress.”
Watch “Stand” here.