Kander Calls Out Blunt Over Vietnam Student Deferments

The Viet Nam war has turned into a campaign issue in the 2016 Missouri senate race.
Democrat Jason Kander is calling on Republican incumbent Senator Roy Blunt to explain his actions surrounding his draft status in the late 1960’s.
‘I don’t sit in judgment of anyone who chose not serve in Vietnam,” Kander said, “ but hiding three deferments and saying you couldn’t remember them is completely inexcusable.”
Wednesday, the Kansas City Star reported Blunt’s office told the Star that Blunt was never called up to military service. His office says Blunt’s lottery number in 1969, the first year of the draft lottery was in the high 300’s, so he was never called.
His office also told the Star Blunt’s status was 1A, making him eligible to be drafted.
The Star’s report says Blunt has never mentioned that he was classified as 2S. That means Blunt had a student deferment since his was in college at the time. Many draft age students had a similar status while in school at that time.
Blunt office says “poor memories and difficult to obtain records may have led to the misstatement to the Star”, according to the report.