Jake Auchincloss

The political defeat of Seth Mouton leaves U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss of Newton as the only member of the Massachusetts delegation to Congress with military service.

Not that it matters much—except to veterans. As it should.

Voters, though, have been electing draft dodgers to public office for years, including presidents.

But in this era of forever wars—Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran—and with more young men and women serving voluntarily since the end of the draft– it would seem than veterans would have more representation, not less.

Not so.

For instance, the last Massachusetts governor to serve in the military was Mike Dukakis, and that was seven governors, or thirty-two years ago. Dukakis was with the U.S. Army in Korea from 1955 to 1957.

Moulton, the congressman from Salem, who was defeated by Sen. Eddie Markey in the Democrat primary, was a decorated combat Marine Corps captain with four deployments in Iraq.

Markey, along with some other Massachusetts political figures, was able to avoid the Vietnam-era draft by joining the home bound U.S. Army Reserve and maintain his civilian status.

Among Moulton’s post war achievements was his founding of Serve America, an organization that recruited and helped veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan run for Congress. He also championed veterans issues in the House.

His defeat leaves only Auchincloss with any military or combat experience among the state’s nine members of the House and its two senators.

Auchincloss served as a Marine Corps lieutenant and led combat patrols against the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2012. He later served in Panama.

With Markey leaving Congress after his defeat, Auchincloss has a clear field to take up Moulton’s military veteran issues if he decides to do so.

If not, there are other military veterans around willing to fill Moulton’s role of standing up for military veterans, especially for veterans from Massachusetts.

But they—all Republicans and all military veterans–must get elected first by beating Democrat politicians who are running and who have no military experience.

Why is military experience important?

Because it instills in men and women structure, responsibility and discipline. It teaches resilience under pressure and high stress situations. It teaches leadership, accountability, duty and teamwork. It gives people a mission and a sense of purpose. It teaches about life. It teaches lessons that last a lifetime.

This time around there are four military veterans, all Republicans, running for office against four Democrats who have no military background.

They are Mike Minogue, John Deaton, Micah Jones and Gary Grossi.

Minogue is a West Pont graduate and Desert Storm (the 1991 invasion of Iraq) combat veteran who later became a successful businessman who headed Abiomed, the highly successful medical device maker.

He is running against running against incumbent Democrat Gov. Maura Healey whose total professional life experience has been in state government, first as an assistant t attorney general, attorney general, and now governor.

John Deaton, the Republican running against Democrat Markey, served for seven years in the Marine Corps’ Judge Advocate Division before being discharged in 2002 due to a non-combat injury.

Republican Micah Jones, a decorated U.S. Army veteran of Afghanistan, where he was awarded the Bronze Star for leading patrols against the Taliban, is running against Democrat Dan Koh in the North Shore’s 6th congressional district.

Like Healey, Koh’s background has been in government, first at Boston City Hall and then in the Biden administration.

Republican Gary Grossi of Acton, who is challenging nonveteran Democrat Lori Trahan in the Lowell centered 3rd Congressional district, is a retired U.S Army colonel who served in combat medical support facilities in Iraq as well as Bosnia and Somalia.

Being a veteran should account for something.

HOORAH!

Peter Lucas can be reached at: [email protected].