Smith: Take the High Road, Ranger

By Jim Smith

In one of the most watched races in the country, Virginia’s 7th Congressional District race heats up with negative campaigning.

There are six candidates vying for the seat: Derrick Anderson, Bryce Reeves, Gina Ciarcia, David Ross, Crystal Vanuch, and Yesli Vega. The women are wives of veterans, David Ross was a Marine, and Senator Reeves and Derrick Anderson were Army Rangers — or were they?

The designation is challenged by a most disturbing spate of mailings and videos from Political Action Committees (PACs) favoring Anderson and Vega and opposing Senator Reeves.

As one who served as a Navy Hospital Corpsman with a Marine Corps rifle company in the Northern I Corps of Vietnam, I have engaged in good natured raillery toward each other’s branch of service with Senator Reeves and Derrick Anderson as we hosted them at the Madison County Republican Committee and have been together at various candidate events discussing who could best beat the Democrat this November.

I was appalled when we returned from a candidates’ forum last Saturday morning in Culpeper at the vitriol in the pro-Derrick Anderson
campaign ad aired by the American Liberty Fund (ALF) out of Sherman, Texas. It first accused Senator Reeves of Stolen Valor and then dicing words that he was not a Ranger. I certainly hope that Mr. Anderson and his supporters recognize that being a “Ranger” is not pari passu with possessing “Valor.”

How could such a brazen attack be made — even in a PAC ad? A most informative article shed some light documenting that as of January 29, 2021, the U.S. Army itself could not decide on “what is a Ranger” but not for want of a prolific vocabulary describing them (see The Army can’t officially say who is an ‘Army Ranger’).

Ranger school, Ranger qualified, Ranger ready, Ranger selected, Ranger tab, Ranger Regiment, Ranger beret—give me a break. The Army cannot decide but some social media ranger has defined a “real” ranger — and is positing the truth in pro-Anderson ads. The principals (ad producers and beneficiaries) might want to have Centcom correct the resume of General Petraeus and remove the Ranger references as he did not serve in the Ranger Regiment (see David Howell Petraeus > U.S. Central Command > Bio Article View).

During the Vietnam era, many but not all Navy Corpsman completed Field Medical Service School, earning Military Occupational Specialty Code (MOS) 8404, which “entitled” us to be assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps and deploy with them. I could have served the remainder of my time with the U.S. Navy or served in a state-side billet with the Marine Corps at home or abroad or with the Fleet Marines Force with a Marine Corps Rifle Company in combat in the Republic of Vietnam (which I did in 1968-70).

Several grads found themselves in the various options mentioned but ALL were MOS 8404 and ALL were mere pen strokes away from being in the Northern I Corps of Vietnam with me. I hold each in equal esteem.

Then came the desert wars manned by the soccer trophy generation and designations needed differentiation because EVERYONE got a trophy. MOS 8404 is now Fleet Marine Force (FMF) Corpsman but for those vaulted few, training and designation means nothing until you have served in combat.

Unless things have changed since Vietnam, only 10 percent of the troops in country saw combat (until they got home and started telling stories). Maybe you weren’t really in combat unless you were distinguished with at least a Purple Heart (for wounds sustained in combat) and/or a Bronze Star with V (the Army diminished the Medal by considering it to be an adjunct to the Combat Infantry Badge). This is, of course, nonsense and as a combat wounded and decorated veteran, I find the whole affair to be tawdry.

Researching the American Liberty Fund, I found no Army Rangers but there is a northern Virginia connection on the Board of Directors (https://americanlibertyfund.com/our-team) and I would certainly like to know if Mr. Anderson has even the slightest relationship with their Board members, viz:

-Chairman Bob Barr who represented the 7th District of Georgia in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. He served as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, as Vice-Chairman of the Government Reform Committee, and as an eight-year veteran of the Committee on Financial Services. In 2008 he ran as the Libertarian Party candidate for President.

-Shane Cory, Board Member, who is the president of an interactive marketing and strategy firm that exclusively serves organizations that advance liberty. He previously served as the Executive Director of the Libertarian National Committee and as a director for a national government watchdog group. Cory is a Marine Corps veteran and lives in historic Spotsylvania, Virginia with his children.

-Russell Verney, Board Member, who claims to be an independent political strategist having served in prominent roles in third party and independent political campaigns. Mr. Verney organized the last presidential debate to include a candidate outside of the two major political parties. Additionally, Mr. Verney served as the Executive Director of Ross Perot’s United We Stand America and later went on to create the Reform Party of the United States.

-Steven Thomas, Board Member, described as a veteran nonprofit executive and political consultant who has guided six organizations as CEO and an additional three as Chairman. He has raised over $8 million for a variety of liberty-minded candidates and causes, and is a former candidate for House of Delegates in Virginia. He has a Master of Arts degree and Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University. Checking the social media accounts of the Virginians, Steven Thomas seems to be all in for David Ross. He does not claim to be on the Board of the American Liberty Fund but does claim to be President of Bob Barr’s Liberty Guard. Shane Cory’s account is not very active.

There have also been three mailers. We received the first on Saturday after the Culpeper breakfast. They are from the Virginia Conservative [sic] Fund of 2003 Plank Road, Fredericksburg, VA. Either they are rank amateurs or accomplished deceivers as the organization on Plank Road is Virginia Conservatives Fund, not Virginia Conservative Fund.

John Castorani seems to be credited with the charge that Senator Reeves “misrepresented his military service” by claiming he served in Combat. He certainly does not make that claim in the cited presentation at Liberty on 29 March 2017 and any fool with a 5th grade education can do a little research and find that HB 257 is not to blame for the widely reported criminal events at Virginia schools.

I watched as the candidates (Vega did not attend) were schooled on the subject at a 19 March 2022 Culpeper event but a pro-Vega hit piece by Keeping America Great PAC parrots the untruths (see Bryce Reeves is TOO WOKE and TOO WEAK to fight Biden in Congress – YouTube).

Finding a social presence for Mr. Castorani proved unfruitful but he was initially a fellow candidate in the 7th (see JOHN CASTORANI FOR VIRGINIA – committee overview) before dropping out. VIRGINIA CONSERVATIVES FUND – committee overview: The PAC initially filed on 10 May 2022. As their mailings were received on 11, 13, 15 June 2022, the receipts and disbursements will show on next quarters’ report—AFTER the primary. I would certainly like to know the degree to which Mr. Anderson has a relationship with Mr. Castorani or the PAC’s treasurer, Sara Diehr.

We all know that Federal law prohibits coordination and even conversation between candidate committees and PACs. However … I have been around a few federal campaigns and am constantly amazed at the timing and accuracy of information floating around from “third parties” regarding upcoming initiatives. Mr. Anderson has constantly reminded those attending his functions that he refuses to speak ill of fellow candidates.

To my knowledge, he has technically kept that promise but has NOT denounced any of the ads stating that they are not his; they are from “the PAC.” When asked if he will denounce them, my understanding is that his “attorneys are looking into it.” If you are going to wear a white hat, it is your responsibility to keep it clean.

There is nothing in this op-ed that constitutes or should be construed as being an endorsement. It does challenge ALL candidates to both do the right thing and to take the high road and publicly distance themselves from “supporters” who cross the line with spurious claims. If such action requires an opinion of counsel, we Republicans are in a fine kettle of fish.

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Jim Smith has been active in Virginia politics for decades. He recently “retired” from his chairmanship of the Madison County Republican
Committee and now serves on the Madison County Electoral Board to focus on his passion for election integrity. He has served on both the 5th and 7th Congressional District Republican Committees, and has run for local office (lost but earned the moral authority to speak up and speak out), and worked for numerous Republican candidates. He is retired from financial consulting in two of the Big 6 international accounting firms and a merchant bank. He served in the U.S. Navy as a Hospital Corpsman and spent “the best years of his life” (prior to meeting his bride) with a rifle company in the 3d Marine Division. Serving in the “I” Corps of the RVN, he was shot in the head, survived, and returned to spend much of his life working in politics.