AZ House candidate says he served in Vietnam War. Military records indicate otherwise
Legislative candidate Steve Slaton insists he saw combat during the Vietnam War, even though his official discharge records contradict his claim.
The furor over his military service has drawn attention beyond the borders of the sprawling rural district that stretches from the White Mountains to Pinal County, where he is seeking a seat in the Arizona House of Representatives.
As the race heats up, Slaton's military service has been scrutinized. Locals gather regularly across the street from the Trumped Store in Show Low, which he owns, to protest his candidacy. Various military-affiliated organizations have examined public records and concluded Slaton never saw combat and never served during the Vietnam War, as he claims in his campaign materials.
Slaton dismisses the evidence as fabricated, saying he's the victim of identity theft. His Social Security number has been stolen, his military discharge papers altered and his record distorted, he said in an interview on Monday with The Arizona Republic.
Slaton said he has "instigated investigations" into various state and government agencies to prove his claims of falsified documents. He has no trust in institutions such as the National Archives and Records Administration and the state Department of Public Safety, he said.
“Heck no," he said, adding part of his allegedly falsified discharge papers show he left the Army in 1879. “I guess I served in the Indian Wars."
National Archives: 'Nothing to designate Slaton' as Vietnam, combat vet
Records published on the websites MilitaryPhonies.com and ValorGuardians.com don't contain any references to 1879, although they do show Slaton left reserve duty in 1979. He served active duty as a helicopter repairman from 1973-76.
The two websites obtained Slaton's official discharge paperwork and contrasted it with a version of the form, called a DD-214, with one that Slaton provided to a Payson radio station KMOG.
The document Slaton gave to the radio host claimed he served in the "Nixon Vietnamese Program 1974," which is not on the official DD-214. It also lists several medals that are not on the official paperwork.
A review of the dueling records by the National Personnel Records Center concludes Slaton's version does not match the official record and, further, shows "nothing to designate Slaton as being in Vietnam or in combat."
The Mountain Daily Star, a news site that serves the White Mountain area and Navajo and Apache counties, also did an exhaustive examination of publicly available military records, going so far as to bring in various military organizations to review the documents. Its conclusion: The records don't back up Slaton's claims.
Reporter Molly Ottman said Slaton responded by going on a "crusade" against anyone who questioned his story, including a manifesto he sent to Ottman.
Slaton charges allegations come from 'cronies' of political rival
Slaton blames most of the allegations on one of his rivals in the Legislative District 7 race. Former state Rep. Walt Blackman, R-Snowflake, is attempting a comeback bid. Slaton claims Blackman is using "cronies" to attack his military record, which he insists includes combat service as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam.
Blackman is an Army veteran. He did not return requests Monday for an interview.
Slaton said the attacks have "backfired" and he's feeling confident as the July 30 GOP primary election approaches. In addition to his candidacy and Blackman's, the crowded field for two House seats includes Rep. David Marshall of Snowflake, former state Rep. John Fillmore of Apache Junction, Andrew Costanzo of Payson, and Barby Ingle of Apache Junction.
Slaton and state Sen. Wendy Rogers, a Flagstaff Republican and Air Force veteran, have campaigned together. But Slaton said they are not running as a team.
He said he is not alone in being attacked for his military record. A congressional candidate in Ohio dropped his bid earlier this year because of such attacks, he said.
But the only Ohio congressional hopeful who gave up was J.R. Majewski, who left the race after calling Special Olympics participants "retarded."
In 2022, Majewski lost a swing congressional seat when reports surfaced that he lied about his military service in Afghanistan.
Reach the reporter at [email protected] or at 602-228-7566 and follow her on Threads as well as on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @maryjpitzl.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Candidate Steve Slaton claims ID theft after stolen valor allegations