Sen. Richard Blumenthal recently asked his Senate colleagues to give Judge Neil Gorsuch an "extreme vetting" before confirming him to the Supreme Court. He said "every aspect of his background" will be investigated and told the Wall Street Journal that, "It is important that every aspect of his background be critically and closely scrutinized."

Though we don't want just anyone on the Supreme Court, the Connecticut Democrat needed to be reminded that America remembers that he himself has lied about his own military record to score points with voters. Fourteen Medal of Honor recipients took it upon themselves to do just that. They wrote:

• In 2003, you apparently stated, "When we returned [from Vietnam], we saw nothing like this [a public outpouring of support for deployed military personnel]."

• In 2008, the New York Times reported you said, "We have learned something important since the days I served in Vietnam ..."

• At a Vietnam War memorial in 2008, it is reported you stated, "I served during the Vietnam era ... I remember the taunts, the insults, sometimes even the physical abuse."

In other words, Blumenthal's own story could have used a little more vetting. The soldiers' open letter explains why they aren't buying Blumenthal's Gorsuch critiques:

We are veterans of the Vietnam War. We fought alongside our brothers in arms, many of whom died or were gravely injured there. We saw the treatment meted out on us and our fellow military personnel upon our return, yet we never questioned our commitment to our nation's freedom. But perhaps more relevant to this discussion is that we know you were not there with us.

The fact you repeatedly and consistently claimed to have served in Vietnam is a gross case of stolen valor in our opinion. You obtained at least five military deferments between 1965 and 1970, at least two of which were seemingly political favors to you so that you could avoid joining us in a war zone. 

They continue:

We recognize that military service of any kind is valuable to the protection of our nation's freedom. There is no shame in engaging in "Toys for Tots" campaigns, recycling efforts, or assisting in the improvement or construction of various facilities, which appears to be a fair description of the bulk of your duties during the Vietnam War.

What is offensive to those who fought in a most brutal conflict, some of us who were captured and tortured by our enemy, is any comparison of those most brutal experiences to the ones of people like you who never even sniffed the air in Vietnam.