Marine Corps Records Obtained in 2017 Reveal no Purple Heart or Combat Action Ribbon for John Bennett.
2016 was State Rep. John Bennett's last campaign for re election, when Bennett was loudly and proudly demanding that Democrat challenger Tom Stites show his DD214 in order to prove his veteran status. Stites had been making his time in the Air Force Academy a big selling point toward voting for him but in fact Stites had either quit or was forced out of the Air Force Academy after a few months.
Stites told tall tales about being thrown out of the academy, motion sickness was one if I recall correctly, eyesight was another but Bennett played the card well, hammering Stites for refusing to show his DD214 which is the final discharge papers that lists your rank when you mustered out, your military experience, your last station where you were discharged from, months, and years along with your sea duty and foreign service. Your medals and awards are listed as well. At the bottom it gives the reason for your separation from the service along with the character of your service, usually an Honorable discharge. Sometimes a less than honorable discharge, and some times a dishonorable discharge.