Punchbowl: From The Battlefield To The CapitolThey served in combat together. Now they're both in the House.
Washington,
July 30, 2021
Back in 2003, Mike Garcia and Jake Ellzey were U.S. Navy pilots flying combat missions over Iraq together. And with Ellzey’s swearing in as the newest member of the House today, they’ll be serving in Congress together.
Punchbowl
By. John Bresnahan Back in 2003, Mike Garcia and Jake Ellzey were U.S. Navy pilots flying combat missions over Iraq together. And with Ellzey’s swearing in as the newest member of the House today, they’ll be serving in Congress together. This is something special. It’s also seen far less frequently these days as there are fewer veterans serving in Congress than in the past. In the 1970s, for instance, nearly three-quarters of lawmakers were veterans. Now, it’s fewer than one in five. Garcia’ and Ellzey’s relationship is even rarer. They served in the same fighter squadron on the USS Nimitz for several years, flying F/A 18 Super Hornets as part of VFA-14, the “Tophatters.” Their squadron’s motto: “The oldest and the boldest.” In fact, Garcia was Ellzey’s wing man during combat missions early in the Iraq war, both men said during interviews on Thursday. They remained close friends in the years since, and they encouraged each other to run for Congress. “I was his wing man when we’d go into Iraq,” said Garcia, a Republican who represents California. “We’d fly combat missions over Baghdad together.” Ellzey won the special election this week to replace the late Rep. Ron Wright (R-Texas), who died from Covid-19 in February. “He was the first one I called when Ron -- who was a friend of mine -- passed,” Ellzey said of Garcia. “He said, ‘You’ve got to get up here.’ He said it in sailor terms. But you get the point.” Ellzey, 51, has been serving in the Texas House of Representatives since January. He ran for Congress in 2018, but was beaten by Ron Wright in a runoff. Following Wright’s death, Ellzey announced his candidacy for the special election. Ellzey defeated Susan Wright, the congressman’s widow, in a runoff, despite her endorsement by former President Donald Trump. Garcia, 45, recalled that he and Ellzey “were basically like brothers on the ship.” Ellzey was the senior pilot, having graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy six year earlier. Garcia eventually flew more than 30 combat missions. Ellzey took part in combat missions over both Iraq and Afghanistan. Garcia said he called Ellzey shortly after Ron Wright’s death and told him he should run. “I just said, ‘Armageddon is on again, and we need guys like you in office. If Armageddon is on, one basically out to be there,’” Garcia recalled, referring to the Covid-19 pandemic. “He said, ‘That’s all I needed to hear,’ and I think he filed a couple days after that. It was very cool to watch it all happen.” Garcia said he believes that one of the reasons for the hyper-partisan atmosphere in Congress right now when compared to the past is the lack of veterans. “We don’t have enough veterans. We don’t have enough people who are wanting to serve for the right reasons,” Garcia said. “A lot of folks who run for office are doing it for self-serving purposes or some other agenda. Veterans, you have a known good patriot with a known good heart and intentions.” |