Cleland in CR for Kerry, 8/27
Max Cleland and Kerry¹s Band of Brothers To Headline August 27 Workers
for a Better Iowa Event

August 17, 2004, CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA. The Workers for a Better Iowa announced today that former U.S. Senator and decorated Vietnam Veteran Max Cleland will be the keynote speaker at a major political rally, to be held in conjunction with the Iowa Democratic Party, on August 27, 2004, at the Paramount Theatre in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  The rally will begin at 6:30 pm. The date is the Friday before the Republican National Convention, and the rally will highlight why Iowans should support Democratic candidates this election.  The program will also include appearances by members of Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry¹s Band of Brothers, his former Vietnam swift boat crewmates.

Max Cleland was severely injured by an exploding grenade in 1968 in Vietnam, losing three limbs, and spending 18 months in rehabilitation hospitals.  He was awarded the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service and the Silver Star for Gallantry in Action. In 1970, at age 28, Cleland was elected to the Georgia State Senate, where he wrote the law making public facilities accessible to the handicapped. In 1977, he was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to be the Administrator of the U.S. Veterans Administration, the first Vietnam Veteran and the youngest person ever, to hold this post.  In 1982 he was elected Secretary of State in his native Georgia, serving in this post until 1996.  In 1996 he was elected to the United States Senate.  He was defeated in his re-election bid for this office after what many termed a smear
campaign by his opponent which questioned Cleland¹s patriotism.  Cleland introduced John Kerry prior to his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention last month.

Also to be in attendance at the August 27 event will be members of John Kerry¹s Band of Brothers, including his former swift boat crewmate, Gene Thorson of Ames, Iowa. Thorson was an Engineman on PCF-94 with Senator Kerry.  Thorson is a member of the Operative Plasterer¹s and Cement Masons Local 21 in Des Moines.  Thorson will be joined by Jim Wasser, who was a Radarman on PCF-44, and was Chief Petty Officer and second in command on this boat.  Wasser is an electrician, and has been a member of IBEW Local 176 in Kankakee, Illinois for 34 years.  Wasser is also in his third 4-year term on the Kankakee County School Board.  These former crewmates of Senator
Kerry will talk about labor and education issues and emphasize why they support Democrats in this year¹s election.
- posted by John @ 7:11 PM