Thorncrown Studios

It is time for military veterans to face reality about this President.

In a recent press conference, President Trump boasted that the recovery effort for the downed airman in Iran was one of the greatest military operations of its kind ever mounted. He said, “This has never happened before. . . No one has ever witnessed this kind of rescue . . .” It was painfully clear that he was taking credit for it as “Commander-in-Chief”. Now, all Americans are very glad that this man was rescued.  It was an amazing operation that was carried out at great risk and cost. But like every word that proceeds from this President’s mouth he promotes himself while denigrating others. In this case, tacitly denigrating all the military rescue operations that have gone before.

What right do I have to make such a criticism? I am a combat veteran of Vietnam, a former Army infantry officer.  My personal decorations include two Bronze Stars, three Army Commendations for valor, the Air Medal for combat assaults by helicopter and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. Almost every day I remember my battalion fighting for hours to “rescue” the bodies of four young soldiers killed in an ambush.  Two of them were from my platoon. That was only one of the countless “rescue” operations conducted during so many wars. None that I know of had the force and equipment available for this airman. I am so glad it was there for him. But that does not diminish all operations that have taken place in the past. 

But am I being over-sensitive about this issue? No, because what the President said must be viewed in the context of all that he has said about American combat veterans. Let me be specific:

• According to a 2020 report in The Atlantic, during his first presidency, President Trump called fallen soldiers “suckers” and “losers”. This was confirmed by his former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly who stated that Trump viewed those who defend their country in uniform, are shot down or wounded in combat, or spend years as POWs as “suckers” because “there is nothing in it for them”.

• When Trump canceled a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France, he reportedly said, “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” He also reportedly referred to Marines who died at Belleau Wood as “suckers”.

• In preparation for a military parade, Trump’s former Chief of Staff confirmed that he said he didn’t want to be seen with wounded veterans because “it doesn’t look good for me.” He also reportedly admonished senior Pentagon officials for allowing a wounded war veteran to sing during an event, saying “no one wants to see that, the wounded.”

• During a 2015 appearance in Iowa, Trump criticized Senator John McCain’s Vietnam service, saying: “He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” McCain had spent more than five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, including two years in solitary confinement, and was subject to torture throughout. McCain said in 2017 that he never received an apology from Trump. Trump also reportedly went “ballistic” upon seeing flags lowered to half-staff after McCain died, telling officials he wouldn’t support “that loser’s funeral.”

• Trump reportedly said on at least two occasions that former President George H.W. Bush, who was shot down by the Japanese in World War II as a Navy pilot, was a “loser.”

• At a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, Trump campaign officials disregarded rules against political activity at the burial sites of fallen soldiers and engaged in a verbal and physical altercation with a cemetery official. Trump later posted the footage to his TikTok account against the wishes of Gold Star families. Trump’s comments about the Gold Star Khan family drew widespread criticism from Gold Star families, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and fellow Republican politicians including his then-running mate Mike Pence. No public apology was ever issued by Trump to the family.

• On Memorial Day 2017, while visiting the grave of 1st Lt. Robert Kelly, son of his then-homeland security secretary, Trump reportedly turned to the secretary and said, “I don’t get it. What was in it for them?”

• President Trump claimed that the Presidential Medal of Freedom he awarded to one of his billionaire donors was “much better” than the nation’s highest military honor, the Medal of Honor. Veterans’ advocates called the remarks “disgusting” and “offensive on so many levels.”

An interesting question:  What if the operation to save the airman had failed? Would he have classified all of those involved as “losers”?  For certain, he would have found a way to make himself look good, while blaming other people for the failure, which is his life-long modus operandi.

President Trump was a draft dodger.  I have total respect for those who stood against the Vietnam war, refused to serve and paid the price for their stand.  I have no respect for anyone who used their father’s money to help them lie in order to escape danger. The President and I are almost the same age.  While I was leading a rifle platoon in combat, he was struggling on tennis courts and golf courses enduring the pain of his bone spurs.

It is long overdue for veterans to hold this man accountable for his arrogance, cowardice and utter disrespect.  Think about it, are all of our military personnel who have died and will die in his current war losers and suckers? It is heartbreaking to say, but the real losers and suckers are the millions of Americans who have supported this man. And so many will never accept the truth.