Update: 9:45 May 13: Senator Still was kind enough to reply about 5:15 PM today. That response is pasted on the bottom. He now says he is not a veteran.
I will have more to say about this matter in the coming days. This installment should be regarded as “Part one.”
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The below media request was sent to Senator Still via email to his official Senate address, his Senate assistant’s address and via text message at 11:43AM today.
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Senator Still,
“Right, and they’re gonna know me by the time I get done. They’re gonna know me by the time I get done, and if I lose, that’s fine. Hey, it’s practice. But as an American veteran, I have a right to run for office in my country.”
Shawn Still:
“Tori, don’t, don’t ever say that to me again. I am too. I’ve served proudly, and you don’t need to throw that in my face.”
As you likely know, Branum was an active duty U.S. Marine for eight years who attained the rank of Sergeant with an honorable discharge. According to Branum, she is a disabled veteran (70% disability).
As part of a larger piece on Sen. Larry Walker’s reelection campaign and your involvement with Walker and Branum in that contest, my effort here is to gather information on your military experience. To insure accuracy and fairness in my write up, will you kindly tell me in which branch of the U.S. military you served, your first date of active duty service, last day of active service, pay grade/rank upon separation and MOS (Military Occupational Specialty)?
I am hopeful that I can clear up confusion caused by the statements you apparently made to Branum versus the statements you have posted on the your shawnstill.com website in which you seem to explain that “the end of the Cold War” in 1989 -1990 and Bill Clinton’s election to the presidency in 1992 somehow prevented you from becoming a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.
Excerpt:
“STATE SENATOR SHAWN STILL WAS RAISED IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, BY A SINGLE MOM WORKING FOR THE U. S. NAVY. “He attended the University of Alabama as a swimmer and U. S. Air Force ROTC cadet. Diploma in hand and preparing to attend flight school, the end of the Cold War and the election of President Bill Clinton abruptly cancelled Shawn’s plans along with those of most other would-be second lieutenants in the USAF. As a result, he pursued a variety of civilian careers ranging from whitewater raft guide on the Nantahala River to Vice President of Home Healthcare for a national company. The healthcare industry brought him to Atlanta in 1998.”
My deadline is noon, Wednesday, May 15. In addition to my own widely read blog, I write on the statewide, subscription outlet James’s Magazine Online, in various Georgia newspapers, the Washington Times and The Federalist.
I would be grateful for your input and any further information you want to offer that may be relevant to the above.
Thank you in advance for your attention and reply to this request,
D.A. King
Marietta
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Response from Senator Still:
(in response to a follow up question from here, Still informed me that he graduated from the University of Alabama in May, 1994).
Note: The embedded links are mine.
“DA,
there were things I did out of uniform in which I served our country proudly as a GS employee assigned to NAVSTA Mayport and at sea on several different warships in the 1990s. Not everyone who served our country during the Cold War wore a uniform.
While I didn’t go active duty as an officer after this GS position, I am firm in my belief that I did a great deal of good while there. I will not speak about those details on my website or in an interview.
This is the only statement that I will ever offer about my time in that role.
Considering your background as a Marine, I appreciate that you asked me for clarification and trust that you understand my position on this and cannot speak publicly about anything else I did during that time.”
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