Veteran candidates

Veterans in the 17th Congressional District should be especially attentive to the race featuring incumbent Conor Lamb, a Marine veteran, and Army combat veteran Sean Parnell, an Army Airborne Ranger.

One could debate the “veteran” status of a lawyer ( Mr. Lamb) becoming a JAG officer in the corps compared with the service of Mr. Parnell, a retired captain, leading his platoon in combat for over 500 days in Afghanistan. I would rather debate the characteristic that defines an officer in the military ... integrity.

Every veteran knows the importance of trust in a commanding officer. If you cannot trust your leader to actually lead when faced with the mortal threat of armed conflict, people die. Sean Parnell passed that test. He and a high percentage of his unit were wounded, but they would not be deterred. They trusted him because they knew he trusted them.

Perhaps it’s unfair to compare the military careers of Mr. Lamb and Mr. Parnell. It’s not unfair, however, to compare them based on the performance for which they are best known. So let’s look at Mr. Lamb’s performance as the Democratic incumbent in PA- 17. He said he would not follow Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. He did, though, 93% of the time. He follows Rep. Alexandria OcasioCortez, D- N. Y., 90% of the time. He has turned on his constituency by voting against the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act and voted on both counts to impeach our president.

I am a former Army Ranger infantry officer and have been voting for 66 years. For the first time ever, someone attempted to discount my vote through impeachment. So I suggest all veterans ask themselves, “Whom do I trust? Whom would I follow into a life- threatening situation? Who will have the integrity to serve me the best?” Trust the man who will serve with integrity.

CHARLES SCHRANKEL

Ross