We should respect and honor all those who served

Vox Pop

Senior judicial analyst for Fox News Andrew Napolitano, longtime friend of Donald Trump, stated that he personally believed Trump called soldiers who gave their lives in World War I “suckers” and “losers.” Reported first in The Atlantic, Trump’s remarks were allegedly noted by other journalists with him at the time he was to have said those words, and those journalists’ claims were supported by Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin. The veracity of these claims may be debatable, but it seems likely they are true, given Trump’s habit of making disparaging remarks about those who disagree with him or threaten his image. A case in point: Lest any glory be bestowed upon anyone but himself, Trump said of John McCain, “not a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”

Donald Trump’s cruel and callous remarks hit home, literally. Five of my brothers were drafted into the armed services -- two during World War II, one of them a paratrooper, the other awarded a Purple Heart for being wounded and a Bronze Star for bravery. My three other brothers were drafted into the Korean War; one of them was also awarded a Purple Heart. They, like the soldiers who fought in wars before and after them, witnessed first hand the daily and nightly bloody horrors on the battlefield. They were sent into a hell. If we need reminding, many of them died, too many. Many, perhaps all, of those who returned endured pain from their wounds for the rest of their lives. They are to be honored, and deserving of our deepest-felt gratitude, in perpetuity.

Donald Trump has no business judging the merits of any soldier. Capable only of causing hurt and pain, his contribution during war years was to go about his usual business as a grifter, meanwhile receiving a reward of five deferrals - yes, that’s five - for “heel spurs.” Need we even wonder who is the sucker and loser.

— Juliana Reimann, Madison