A recent report in The Atlantic magazine asserts that Donald Trump has called America’s war dead losers and suckers. Apparently, he can’t understand why anyone would sacrifice their life for their country, for anything that didn’t benefit them personally. Further, his niece Mary Trump asserts that he threatened to disown his own son, Don Jr., if he joined the Army. Trump denies these accounts, but we do have it on tape that he didn’t consider John McCain a war hero, because he liked people who “weren’t captured”. Is it any wonder why he treats professionals in the military, the FBI, and the state department with distain?
During the tail end of the Vietnam war I was “sucked in” to the Air Force, after getting a low draft lottery number, and considering letting the Army just draft me and hanging on for a couple of years. But a friend who had been in the Air Force, and had been to Vietnam, convinced me I would be better off joining the Air Force, and have a better chance of surviving the war in that branch of the service. He had seen what happened to grunts who slogged through rice paddies who ended up as casualties. He convinced me that I didn’t want to end up like that—a sucker. I didn’t have a rich daddy, or bone spurs, so I raised my hand and joined the Air Force as an enlisted guy. I guess you could say that it was a sacrifice, but I managed to live through it without going overseas. As a Personnel Specialist—e.g., a clerk—on a SAC base I learned how to type orders and spit shine shoes. Taking advantage of the GI Bill, I was able to go to graduate school and get a Masters’ degree. My country tis of thee….
Now back to our current situation with the Commander in Chief who thinks war dead are losers. If the reporting is true, and apparently the report is well sourced, I’m not surprised. The question is will this make any difference to his MAGA supporters? To Republicans? To voters? In a few short weeks, we’ll find out. Trump wants you to vote twice. Don’t do it. If you do, you’ll be a loser.
Bad Randall 