Corbett Courts Veterans' Support

Corbett courts veterans' support

GOP gubernatorial candidate makes campaign stop at Legion post here

He's a veteran who "knows what it is to wear the uniform of this country," one said.

And he will run a state administration that "understands and shares our core values," said another.

Fellow military veterans spoke about Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett during a stop Tuesday in Lancaster.

Corbett, a Republican who in recent polls has a slight lead over Democrat Dan Onorato, pledged "to ensure that those who serve our country are never taken for granted, and return home to opportunity."

Corbett spoke to some 60 people in a brief address at American Legion Post 34 on Arcadia Road in Manheim Township.

He pledged to lobby for vets on the national level, while also helping them with job placement and supporting the families of those deployed.

Corbett served 13 years with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard's 28th Infantry Division and the Texas Air National Guard, attaining the rank of captain.

He pledged that, if elected governor, he will be an advocate for Pennsylvania's 1.1 million veterans, the fifth-largest population of vets of any state.

Corbett "will work to ensure that … their service will never be forgotten," said Maj. Gen. (Ret.) William Lynch, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, a member of the Veterans For Tom Corbett coalition.

Corbett's military experience "has really shaped who he is as a person, and more importantly, who he is as a leader," his communications director, Kevin Harley, said.

It has "played a huge role in shaping his values and developing his leadership style," Harley said.

According to his campaign website, Corbett pledges "to ensure all veterans are aware of and receive the job training services for which they are eligible."

Corbett, the state's attorney general, told the audience that "we need a leader in Harrisburg who will never be afraid to make the tough decisions.

 "And, boy, if there's ever a place where you learn to make tough decisions, it's in the military."