Memorial Day was first widely observed in May 1868, and serves as an opportunity to honor all who have died in service for our nation. I believe there is not a more appropriate time to respond to a letter in the Santa Maria Times claiming President Trump recognizes our Vietnam War veterans. If that was true, then why did the White House refuse to apologize for aide Kelly Sadler’s sick joke about Sen. John McCain’s battle with brain cancer by noting that “he’s dying anyway”?
Furthermore, Trump questioned Sen. McCain’s war credentials at the start of his presidential campaign in July 2015, saying, “He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” If Donald Trump appreciates our veterans, why did he belittle the parents of slain U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan, who died in a car bombing in 2004 as he tried to save his fellow troops in Iraq? Twelve days after four Americans were killed in an ambush on Oct. 4, 2017, in Niger, Africa, Trump finally called the widow of U.S. Army Special Forces Sgt. La David Johnson, who was among the slain, and said that her husband “knew what he signed up for”!
Our country is forever indebted to our military, their families, and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom. The commitment of the brave men and women who fight for our freedom should not be judged based on political ideologies, religious preferences, racial biases, or countries of origin. All veterans deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. President Trump and his conservative entourage need to put their prejudices aside and take a moment to pause during this time and reflect upon the true meaning of Memorial Day.
This article appears in May 31 – Jun 7, 2018.