Tommy Tuberville busted for false claims about father's WWII service: report

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) got busted for apparently lying about his father's service during World War II.

The Alabama Republican, who is infamously blocking the promotions of more than 265 military officers over an abortion directive issued by the secretary of defense, has consistently said for years that his father Charles Tuberville Jr. earned five Bronze Stars and took part in the D-Day landing after lying about his age to join the Army.

But a Washington Post fact checker found some false elements in the senator's account.

"An examination of army histories, newspaper reports and other materials calls into question many of the claims put forth by Tuberville, who sits on both the Senate Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs committees and is now in a high-profile battle with the Biden administration over a Defense Department policy offering time off and travel reimbursement to service members who need to go out of state for abortions," wrote Post columnist Glenn Kessler.

The Pentagon warns that Tuberville's holds are endangering military readiness because 650 general and flag officers will require Senate confirmation at the end of this year, but ironically, his inaccurate claims about his father promoted him to tank commander.

"Charles Tuberville’s tombstone lists his highest rank as 'TEC 5' or technician fifth grade, an Army rank at the time that indicated technical skills but not combat leadership," Kessler wrote. "According to a 1944 Army memo, TEC 5 jobs were limited to armorer, cook, tank driver, light truck driver or tank mechanic. Tuberville would have needed to be a sergeant to be a tank commander [but his report of separation listed his rank as TEC 5]."

"That said, it’s possible that at some point in the war as a TEC 5 he commanded a tank if the unit was strapped for leaders," Kessler added, "and he was deemed capable enough by his superiors."

The elder Tuberville's draft registration card shows he entered the service on his 18th birthday, and although he earned a Purple Heart after he was lightly wounded in Germany, he did not earn any Bronze Stars, let alone a remarkable five of them, but it's possible that he indeed took part in the D-Day invasion.

"Family histories often include myths or stories that become exaggerated as they are handed down from generation to generation," Kessler wrote. "Most of the Army personnel records from World War II were destroyed in a 1973 fire, making confirmation difficult. There is no doubt that Tuberville’s father faced difficult and dangerous combat under trying conditions, including during the Battle of the Bulge, the German counteroffensive in the Ardennes. We are not questioning his heroism or service."

"So we will not be issuing a Pinocchio rating but instead will highlight what elements of the senator’s story raise questions or are inaccurate — and which ones appear to be correct," he added.