During his VP Nomination acceptance speech, Senator Biden made a major gaff in the eyes of most of us that have even a rudimentary knowledge of the Military.... he demonstrated he didn't know the difference between a battalion and a brigade. I don't really blame Senator Biden for his Military ignorance because, although a year younger and more draft eligible than Cheney, he managed to dodge the draft and avoid Vietnam so shouldn't be expected to know anything about the subject. Who I do blame is the legion of handler around him that vetted his speech and should have caught the gaff! This is so basic to anyone with even a passing knowledge of the Military that this would indicate none of Biden's advisors are veterans. I realize being in the company of brave vets is difficult for those who avoided service but if you hope to be the Vice President of the United States, you should put aside your pride and surround yourself with at least some Vets to avoid gaffs like this one.

Senator Biden abandoned Scranton when he was only 10 years old but in an attempt to court Pennsylvania voters he continually touts his northeast Pennsylvania background. I actually filled a “Draft Quota” from Scranton and have often wondered how Biden avoided Military Service despite being of ideal age during the Vietnam era? Biden graduated from the University of Delaware in 1965, just as the war began to escalate intensively and would have been exposed to the draft. Instead, he attended law school (at Syracuse University) graduating in 1968-- the very height of the war and the Vietnam draft but somehow continued to avoid service. The only explanation I found anywhere was contained in a 1987 Washington Post Profile where it said “during the Vietnam War, Biden got a draft notice but flunked the physical due to asthma.” Having been Drafted and Inducted into the Army in June 1967 in Wilkes-Barre, the Armed Forces Entrance and Examination Station for Northeast Pennsylvania including Scranton, I have a little first hand knowledge on how physicals were conducted there. I had three disqualifying features detected during my Draft Physical including a “loose knee” from a wrestling injury that should have been surgically corrected. Instead of being disqualified, the doctor stamped my Physical “Waiver” but did warn me to “be careful with the knee in Vietnam so it didn’t dislocate again!” I was inducted later that afternoon and ended up serving an extended tour in Vietnam. I guess I might have “Taken Biden’s Place” in the War but never got so much as a thank-you from him! Then again, my circumstance might have been a little different than Biden's. When I was drafted my father was an active duty Navy Captain, my brother was a Naval Academy Grad in jet pilot training, my mother and my 4 uncles were WWII combat vets so being found "unfit for service" would have been too embarrassing for words. Then again, some people have no shame so can’t be embarrassed.

I remember how Senator (and Medal of Honor recipient) Bob Kerrey put it in 1992 when he said “as I remember it, at that time if you could walk and chew gum, the military would take you.” Wonder how much Joe whined during his physical?

Former Virginia Governor, current Senate candidate and Democrat Convention Keynote speaker Mark Warner was quoted in the 26 August Washington Post as saying: “(Biden) has real-world grass-roots, blue-collar appeal. He can go into a VFW hall or Kiwanis Club meeting and ….” He might be able to go into a Kiwanis Club but he definitely has NOT earned the right to enter a VFW Hall!

On second thought, Biden might just be a Military expert given how deftly he avoided any brush with Military Service.