As the corporate media continues to brush aside the stolen valor scandal of Democrat vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, new allegations are emerging against another Democrat politician.
California Democrat Derek Tran is running for Congress as a “decorated veteran.”
Tran proudly says that he enlisted at age 18 “to fight in Iraq, serving the country that had given him and his family so much.”
The son of Vietnamese refugees, Tran enlisted in the Army Reserve.
He says that “in 2003 [he] was called to active duty for the Iraqi conflict.”
According to Tran, he “served during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2003.”
The tagline for his campaign literally states: “Veteran for Congress.”
In interviews and promotional materials, Tran references his military service as the crux of his campaign.
The Democrat says his time in the Army taught him to be “mission-focused.”
He claims that being part of the “Iraqi conflict” taught him that people need to work together to get a job done, regardless of political affiliation.
Whether in his own campaign materials or those put out by PACs or groups who’ve endorsed Tran, his status as an Iraq veteran is front and center.
The House Majority PAC is running ads on YouTube showing paratroopers jumping out of an airplane.
The narrator repeats Tran’s talking points about bipartisanship and his Army service.
“That’s the kind of leader Derek Tran is,” the ad says.
WATCH:
The video gives a strong implication that Tran was in some kind of leadership position in the Army reserves.
In a press release on Tran’s campaign site announcing an endorsement, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) is quoted as saying:
“The son of Vietnamese refugees, Derek Tran bravely served our country during Operation Enduring Freedom.”
And Justice HQ, a group endorsing Tran, wrote:
“Derek is a decorated Veteran and served during the 2003 Iraqi Conflict.”
Tran is not correcting the record, however, in fact, these claims are coming from him.
From the moment he announced his candidacy on October 2, 2023, Tran has framed himself as a “decorated Veteran.”
Here’s the headline from the Daily Pilot/LA Times:
As of September 28, 2023, just a few days before his candidacy was announced, his law firm bio said:
“After his military service during the Iraq War in 2003, Derek Tran began his expansive career with serving the people.”
A short time later Tran sold his firm to Feher Law, and his current biography there says:
“Derek is a decorated Veteran and served during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2003.”
In December 2023, Tran’s campaign released an introductory video that leads off with his alleged military credentials.
WATCH:
After questions emerged about his military background, Tran cleaned up the English and Spanish versions of the “about” section on his campaign site.
However, the Vietnamese-language version currently says:
“At 18, Derek enlisted in the Army to fight in Iraq, serving the country that had given him and his family so much.”
In a February 2024 interview, Tran pointed to his “military background” and mission focus as qualifications for office:
“I think that this country is so divided, right now.
“Nothing’s really getting done.
“And given my military background, being a soldier, I know what it’s like to be mission focused and in accomplishing a task.”
On the Ed Branding Podcast in March 2024, Tran claimed that he “was called to active duty for the Iraqi conflict.”
He later added that he was “fortunate…
“I was stationed stateside,” he added.
He briefly mentioned his “almost half a year” at Fort Stewart.
Many of his Instagram posts contain the phrase, “As an Army veteran…” which he is.
However, he’s using the phrase as a way to claim authority on certain topics, like guns.
According to Army records obtained by RedState as the result of a Freedom of Information Act request, Tran’s service was entirely stateside.
He was not part of Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Instead, he was part of Operation Noble Eagle as a “Culinary Specialist.”
He was essentially a cook who was never deployed to Iraq.
As shown above, Tran’s unit, the 401st Chemical Company, was “mobiliz[ed] for NOBLE EAGLE.”
It lists his PMOS (Primary Military Occupational Specialty) as 92G, or a Culinary Specialist:
“As a Culinary Specialist, you’ll cook meals and work alongside chefs to prepare meals comparable to any major restaurant, so that Soldiers can sit down and enjoy a hot meal in between training or mission deployments.
“You’ll be responsible for preparing and servicing meals both in the field and at home stations, as well as ordering, inspecting food supplies, and keeping the kitchen safe and sanitary.”
Tran’s unit was to be at Fort Stewart, Georgia starting on 25 March 2003 for up to 365 days.
The unit was “released from active military service 12 July 2003 and reverted to reserve status,” according to an official Army site detailing the history of the unit.
According to the military records, the two medals Tran received are the Army Achievement Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.
The Army Achievement Medal was issued in June, 2001 for Tran’s “Outstanding professional ability and energetic approach while participating in the Memorial Day Parade held in Dorchester, MA.
“His outstanding qualities of leadership and devotion to duty reflect great credit upon himself, the unit, and the United States Army Reserve.”
According to the document, Tran was given a medal for marching in a parade in Dorchester, MA.
The Army Commendation Medal was given in January 2004 for “Meritorious service from 17 November 1999 to 7 July 2003.
“Specialist Tran distinguished himself on numerous occasions in support of 401st Chemical Company as First Cook.
“His dedication to duty and commitment to mission accomplishment reflects great credit upon himself, his unit and the USAR.”
For Tran to claim that his service was part of the Iraq war or Operation Enduring Freedom and to portray himself as a “decorated Veteran” is false.
Many of his claims are carefully phrased to be technically correct, but when he says he was “called to active duty for the Iraqi conflict” when he wasn’t even mobilized in a support role for Operation Iraqi Freedom it seems that he’s engaging in stolen valor.
Tran has embellished more than just his military record.
As the New York Post recently revealed, Tran claims to be fluent in Vietnamese.
Yet, he repeatedly needed the assistance of a translator when giving an interview to a Vietnamese-language outlet.
