Democrat Mr John Kerry won the support today of fellow veteran and former White House rival Mr Wesley Clark, a retired four star general who asked the Massachusetts senator: "Sir, request permission to come aboard."
The endorsement came as front-runner Mr Kerry rolled through Wisconsin where he has a wide lead in polls and fought back against charges from President George W. Bush's re-election campaign that he was "unprincipled" and beholden to special interests.
"The Army's here," declared Mr Clark, who quit the race for the Democratic presidential nomination on Wednesday after finishing third in the Virginia and Tennessee primaries.
"I ask you to join me in standing up for an American who has given truly outstanding service to his country in peace and in war," Mr Clark told a rally at the University of Wisconsin.
Mr Kerry, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, responded, "Welcome aboard" and told Mr Clark he should be prepared "to walk point" in the campaign.
Hoping to add two more victories to his haul of 12 nominating contests, Mr Kerry visited Wisconsin which votes on Tuesday and was headed to Nevada where caucuses will be held on Saturday. But the senator looked beyond his Democratic opponents and focused his fire on Mr Bush.
Mr Bush's re-election campaign directly engaged Mr Kerry last night with a video calling him "unprincipled" and "brought to you by the special interests."
Saying it came as "no surprise," Mr Kerry dismissed the attack as an attempt to divert attention from the president's own dismal record on jobs, the economy, health care and foreign policy.