Majewski dishonored fellow veterans

Serving your country with honor is one of the most important things any one person can do. Lying about that service is one of the most despicable. J.R. Majewski has lied about his military service, dishonoring the generations of Ohioans who have put on the uniform in service to their nation. And it's yet another reminder to the voters of Ohio why Majewski belongs nowhere near the halls of Congress. It was bad enough that J.R. Majewski was at the U.S. Capitol during the attack on January 6, paid for others to join him and then blamed law enforcement for what happened. It was bad enough that J.R. Majewski advocated for states like Ohio to secede from the union and break America apart. But now, the Associated Press has reported that J.R. misrepresented his service in Afghanistan, calling himself a combat veteran who deployed to Afghanistan but providing no evidence to back up his claims. Then, it was uncovered that J.R. lied about why he wasn't eligible to reenlist in the U.S. Air Force, claiming it was because of a 'brawl,' when in reality he was caught driving drunk and demoted. J.R. Majewski is bad for Ohio. He's bad for our country. And northwest Ohio voters deserve better. And it so odd: J.R. served his country. That's all he ever needed to say. Instead, he chose to dishonor his fellow veterans by exaggerating his service and lying — all so he could get himself elected to political office. I'm a veteran myself, and the Ohio veterans I know are rightfully proud of their service. No veteran I know would exaggerate that service or lie to serve their own political interests. But J.R. Majewski chose to put politics over principles, and Ohio veterans are mad as hell. He's been given every opportunity to answer questions from the public and the press. Every time, he's dodged and deflected. If he can't muster the courage to tell the truth, he should drop out of the race. His actions don't reflect the values of northwest Ohio, and they certainly don't reflect the values of the U.S. military or our veteran community. For most Ohio veterans, nothing's more important than serving their country. For J.R., it seems, nothing's more important than serving himself. Connie Pillich is the Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party Veterans Caucus and is a former member of the Ohio House of Representatives. She also served as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force in support of Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield.