Gen. Hugh Shelton, a native North Carolinian:

“You know in the history of our great nation, there has been only one former President who received an endorsement of a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs prior to being elected. And in this case, not only one, but two former Chiefs along with a former Vice Chairman have expressed their support for Senator Clinton. And so I’m proud to be one of those two [in endorsing Sen. Hillary Clinton for president].”

Today, in General Shelton’s hometown paper, The Daily Southerner, Gen. Shelton endorses Hillary: “An opinion piece deserves a frank opinion,” and that, “Unlike any other candidate, she knows that maintaining a highly-trained military and alert military goes beyond throwing dollars at the Pentagon or giving upbeat speeches.“

Sen. Clinton has gotten to know our military during her time as first lady and as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Unlike any other candidate, she knows that maintaining a highly-trained military and alert military goes beyond throwing dollars at the Pentagon or giving upbeat speeches. She understands the impact of endless commitments on the service families who also serve our country.

She has already worked hard to build the morale, training and ultimately the capabilities of our armed forces, and she uniquely understands the importance of remembering those on our forgotten front line in Afghanistan.

We need a president like Sen. Clinton, who understands that a successful foreign policy combines equal parts of economic strength, military readiness and diplomatic persuasion. … (Read all of Gen. Shelton’s endorsement .)

In the long history of our nation, there has been only one former Green Beret to become the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs — General Hugh Shelton. The Daily SouthernHe stands beside Hillary and 34 of his fellow Generals and Admirals in enthusiastically endorsing Hillary Clinton for President and next Commander-in-Chief. General Shelton served two tours of duty in Vietnam, and was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. He was assistant commander of the 101st Airborne Division during Operation Desert Storm in Iraq, and later commanded the 82nd Airborne Division. Prior to serving as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Shelton commanded U.S. Special Operations Forces. He served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s highest ranking military office, from 1997-2001.

Gen. Shelton goes on to note Hillary’s tenacity, her commitment to the military and veterans, and her record of achievement on Armed Services committee.