Howard Dean was criticized by an Iowa newspaper for the answer he gave in a questionnaire.  He implied that his brother was serving in the US military when he disappeared in Laos 29 years ago. In actuality his brother had been traveling in Southeast Asia as a tourist.

The Quad-City Times, a Davenport, Iowa, newspaper posed the sentence "My closest living relative in the armed services is," and Dr. Dean wrote, "My brother is a POW/MIA in Laos, but is almost certainly dead."

His brother was 23-years old Charles Dean, whose apparent remains were recently uncovered by a military search team in Laos.  He had been classified as missing in action along with other civilians captured or killed during the Vietnam War in the area. Charles Dean never wore a uniform, and some of his family members have suspected he was working as a spy. Dr. Howard Dean said he never believed that.

His answer to the newspaper's question drew complaints from readers and a rebuke from the newspaper's editorial board.

Active duty soldiers are upset over being forced to participate in a repatriation ceremony for the possible remains of presidential candidate Dean's non-soldier, civilian brother recently found in Laos by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC).  His brother will receive full military honors including a flag-draped coffin.

The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command is tasked to search for, recover and identify remains of US service men and women killed in all previous wars.

While the Viet Nam war was raging, Dean's brother, a civilian, along with an Australian friend were treking around the world, went into Laos, were captured by the Viet Cong and killed. JPAC was pressured to recover Dean's brother's remains and also to give priority over numerous MIA's who died fighting for their country.  Apparently today JPAC is being pressured to give priority to identification of the remains. It usually takes 2 years to get a definite ID on remains, but these remains will be rushed through the ID process in 4 to 6 months.

New York Times©, Published: November 22, 2003

"In the winter of 1970, a 21-year-old student from Yale walked into his armed services physical in New York carrying X-rays and a letter from his orthopedist, eager to know whether a back condition might keep him out of the military draft.

This was not an uncommon scene in 1970, when medical deferments were a frequently used avenue for those reluctant to take part in the unpopular war in Vietnam. And this story would have little interest save that Howard Dean was the name of the young man. Now, 33 years later, he finds himself a leading Democrat in the quest for the party's nomination to be president of the United States.  Dr. Dean got the medical deferment.

In the 10 months after his graduation from Yale, time he might otherwise have spent in uniform, Dr. Dean lived the life of a ski bum in Aspen, Colo. His back condition did not affect his skiing the way the rigors of military service would have, he said, nor did it prevent him from taking odd jobs like pouring concrete in the warm months and washing dishes when it got cold."

Dean's fees and charitable donations were legal.  They didn't have to be disclosed under Vermont law but were detailed in correspondence and tax records reviewed by The Associated Press.

She knows that each contender is inadequate.  She sees that they are attacking and destroying each other.  Her plan is to wait quietly for this bunch to ruin each other's chances.  Then, at just the right time, her cronies will start calling for her to join the race to save our country.   She will "reluctantly" condescend to run for president... just to save us all.