Side-By-Side Pics Show How Much JD Vance Has Changed Since His Military Days
JD Vance must be part chameleon, because he always looks a lot different when he changes his appearance. From Vance's totally unrecognizable high school yearbook photo that featured a messy crop of uneven bangs — the complete opposite of his polished look today as vice president — to his beardless face that made waves on X, formerly known as Twitter, he can drastically alter his look with just a few cosmetic tweaks.
This was demonstrated yet again when side-by-side photos comparing today's politician to Vance's former military persona went viral on X. The poster praised Vance for serving in the Marines following the events of 9/11. The Ohio native's military service lasted four years, which included one tour in Iraq.
JD Vance enlisted in the Marine Corps after 9/11. I respect him immensely for this. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/lCsEw9fGeU
— 🇺🇸ProudArmyBrat (@leslibless) July 15, 2024
Interestingly, Vance made history as the first veteran, post-9/11, to be on the ballot of a major political party. After graduating high school, he enlisted in 2003 as a combat correspondent. He discussed his time in the service in his bestselling memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," and said the experience "taught [him] how to live like an adult." Vance also wrote of his military tenure, "I was lucky to escape any real fighting."
There is more to his military service than meets the eye
JD Vance's lack of physical combat experience, however, would come back to bite him when, prior to winning the 2024 election, he attacked his opponent, Tim Walz. He told reporters, "When the United States Marine Corps ... asked me to go to Iraq to serve my country, I did it. When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq ... he dropped out of the army and allowed his unit to go without him," (via the Independent). That insult didn't play out the way he probably hoped it would, with Vance soon receiving the moniker "Sergeant Scribbles," signifying he saw more of an office than a war zone.
The Independent spoke with one of Vance's fellow combat correspondents who served with him, Cullen Tiernan, who shed some light on what Vance actually did during his time in the Marines. "When we first landed, we got mortar and rockets from Baghdadi, the neighboring town. That was definitely a shock," he said. Tiernan didn't understand why people were brushing off the trauma that combat correspondents experienced simply because they had to document what they were seeing on the battleground.
Despite that, X users still left comments on those side-by-side photos of Vance that didn't support the vice president's time in the military. "He was 'one and done' and was a reporter.. no combat [duty]. Ohh. So brave," one person tweeted. Another person wrote, "F*** him and his 'service.'"