The Ron Paul 2008 Minnesota presidential campaign is pleased to announce that Peter Zidek of Apple Valley and Adam Timperley of Rogers are serving as chairs of the Minnesota Veterans for Paul Coalition.
Peter Zidek was awarded a Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam from 1966-68. His unit was awarded the Distinguished Service Citation for outstanding service during the 1968 Tet Offensive. He is also the recipient of the Army Commendation medal , for extremely hazardous duty in enemy territory while under enemy fire, and the Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, and Good Conduct Medal.
Adam Timperley is a Purple Heart recipient and combat wounded veteran of the Iraq War. He served in Baghdad from April-July, 2004 with the U.S. Army, First Cavalry Division. Mr. Timperley says, "I support Dr. Paul because he is the only candidate who believes in the ideals this country was founded on, and most importantly the Constitution. A vote for Dr. Paul [is] a vote to restore our republic.
Christopher Merrit (Maple Grove), Kristofer Schoen (St. Paul), Dale Moselle (Montrose), Dr. Ronald and Cathleen Brace (Elk River), and Arlan J. Buchman (Plymouth) are all serving as co-chairs of the Minnesota Veterans for Paul.
Sgt. Christopher Merrit spent 12 months serving in Iraq with the 2-127th Infantry Battallion, conducting convoy security through the country, and will be voting for Dr. Paul in his first election. His firsthand experience in Iraq drew him to Dr. Paul, and while he believes the war needs Dr. Paul's direction, he also states, "From his realistic policies concerning the U.S. economy, spending overseas and the value of our currency, to the securement of our personal liberties and his convictions regarding foreign relations, Ron Paul is not only someone who espouses practical solutions to many of our problems, but has the voting record as a congressman to prove he really believes it.
Kristofer Schoen served as an Air Force officer from 1987-2007, in over 100 combat missions over northern Iraq. He piloted an F-16 from 1992-94. He states, "I have followed Ron Paul for many years while he has served as a congressman from Texas. In the military, many times I swore to uphold and defend the U.S.Constitution, and Ron Paul is the only candidate that I have seen who also takes this oath seriously. Mr. Schoen also volunteers in the Ron Paul 2008 state headquarters in Minneapolis.
Dale Moselle is a Navy Vietnam combat veteran. He served from 1969-1973, and states that his "proudest moment of the war was as an air-controller, I controlled one of the first POW flights from Hanoi, North Vietnam. Married for 37 years, Dale and his wife are the proud parents of three sons and a daughter-in-law, all serving in the US Navy. This self-professed "patriotic family says, "We pledge our support to Dr. Ron Paul for President of the United States because he is a candidate we believe in, and we believe he is headed in the right direction for all of us!
Dr. Ronald Brace enlisted as a combat medic in the US Army in 1979 after graduating from high school. He first worked in the ICU and as an EMT at the 130th General Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany, which encouraged him to enter the medical field. He spent two more years as a field medic eventually earning the Rank of Sargent, and after six more years, he decided to accept an Army-sponsored scholarship to attend medical school. At Ft Hood Dr. Brace met his wife, Cathleen, an Army telecommunications specialist. After they married, she remained a member of the Minnesota National Guard, and attended the Minnesota Military Academy. Mrs. Brace was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1987 and she later attended Basic Officer Training at Ft. Benjamin Harris in the Adjutant General Corps. After being deployed to Bosnia for 9 months in 1997, Dr. and Mrs. Brace moved to Colorado, but then decided to return to Minnesota to be closer to family. Dr. Brace currently works as an Emergency Medicine physician, and Mrs. Brace volunteers at the local high school. They support Dr. Paul's "commitment to the Constitution, its meaning and intent, as well as his goal to get our country back to the principles that made our land so strong and unique.
Arlan J. Buchman enrolled in the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps from 1948-1952, and graduated with distinction from the University of Minnesota with a degree in business, and was commissioned to a 2nd. Lieutenant in the US Marine Corps. He served in Korea from 1952-1954 and was honorably discharged as a 1st Lt. He states, "Congressman Ron Paul has demonstrated that he believes in and would make every effort to return the power to the people, not special interests, with limited, constitutional government that respects the rights of the people. I support Ron Paul for President so we can, again, have a citizen-statesman president as exemplified and envisioned by the founding fathers.
Over 150 Minnesota veterans have joined the Minnesota Veterans for Paul Coalition to date, publicly endorsing Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. Congressman Ron Paul served his country in the Air Force and Air National Guard. He is also a founding member of the Vietnam Veterans of America chapter in Hallettsville, Texas. Regarding his military service, President Ronald Reagan said, "Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for this country.