A little while ago I read a piece from Newsweek describing how President Biden and former President Trump marked yesterday. Veteran’s Day. I doubt you’ll be surprised to learn they struck rather different tones as the day progressed.
Ever since I can remember Nov. 11 has carried significance for me. I’m old enough (mid sixties) to remember when Veteran’s Day was called Armistice Day to mark the end of hostilities in WWI, the “war to end all wars.” Of course, things didn’t work out that way but the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month was a sacred day and time. I’d buy a poppy from one of my small hometown’s WWI veterans from one of the tables on Main Street. On the 50th anniversary a movement to ring church bells all over the country at 11am resulted in my getting the honor of being the person who would do so in my own church. The day had meaning, and as I grew older and it morphed into Veteran’s Day it still does get to me. To be completely honest since my own service (Marines) wasn’t anything particularly special I’ve at times felt a bit embarrassed at attention directed to me personally. However, I like that many attempt to get the country to recognize the service and sacrifice of the millions who have served.
By tradition our nation’s President issues a message on Nov. 11 to thank both those currently serving and veterans. When in DC the President places a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in a formal cemetery, and then takes part in a larger ceremony in the adjacent amphitheater. President Biden did so yesterday, and during his moving speech he reiterated his formal message that had already gone out:
“Today, we honor the story of our veterans—the story of our nation at its best,” Biden wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “On Veterans Day, let’s recommit to fulfilling our one sacred obligation as a nation: to prepare those we send into harm’s way and care for them and their families when they come home.”
It’s not as though other former Presidents haven’t offered their own honors but Trump, being who he is had to try to hog the spotlight and blasted out his own message in an attempt to at the very least make it seem like HE was still President and Commander in Chief. His first shout out wasn’t so bad, but I suspect it was written by others. But it at least had what for Trump was an unusually appropriate tone:
Trump, on the other hand, first marked Veterans Day with a message on his Truth Social platform that said: “To our heroic veterans, I am grateful for your service to our country and honored to wish you a Happy Veterans Day!”
He added that there “is no greater act of selfless service than defending America’s God-given freedoms and liberty.”
This I remind you is the same a-hole who stood at the grave of the son of his Chief of Staff John Kelly who retired from the Marine Corps a full General, confused over who Kelly’s son (and others) who was also a Marine Officer who died in combat even served! Looking around Trump said “I don’t get it. What was in it for them?” I will never forgive Kelly for not right then and then beating Trump into a bloody pulp. I don’t know how to embed a tweet but if you click on the link at the beginning of this and scroll down you can see a mashup of what Trump actually thinks of military service, and that to his core he regards every one of us as “suckers and losers.”
Ah, but as the day unfolded Trump revealed himself for the P.O.S. he truly is. He’d post something that did seem written by himself on Truth Social:
“In honor of our great veterans on Veteran’s Day, we pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists, and radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country. Lie, steal, and cheat on elections, and will do anything possible, whether legally or illegally, to destroy America, and the American dream,” he wrote.
“The threat from outside forces is far less sinister, dangerous, and grave, than the threat from within. Despite the hatred and anger of the radical left lunatics who want to destroy our country, we will make America great again!”
Meidas Touch said in a tweet Trump was channeling Hitler. They weren’t the only ones thinking along those lines:
Journalist Bill Grueskin wrote that it was a paragraph for readers who can’t handle the subtle nuances” of Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
Prem Thakker, a reporter with The Intercept, wrote that Trump “echoed Hitler, who said communists and Jews were Germany’s ‘enemies within.'”
Presidential historian Michael Beschloss weighed in too. He noted that on a day devoted to Veteran’s service Trump was on social media demanding the country ‘root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country.’ Bescheloss dryly asked whether such rhetoric reminded us of any other historical figure. The dude with the mustache that looks like a fake eyelash comes to mind!
Trump can’t help himself. He just HAD to make a day that was supposed to be remembering and honoring the service of others and turn it into another airing of his personal grievances. And denigrating and dishonoring those who have served (not just in the military I want to add) this country.
How can such a man be the choice of one of our political Parties to lead this country? To be Commander in Chief? How can the troops respect the chain of command with someone who doesn’t respect them atop it? Actually, they don’t. The Military Times has long conducted an annual survey of the troops and Trump scored lower (by a significant margin) than any other Republican President in a group that always rated Republican Presidents far higher than Democratic ones. If I’m not mistaken Trump’s approval went underwater among the Officer ranks. The Officers! That group, especially the career ones had always shown stronger support for the GOP than enlisteds.
Well, a day later there’s some perspective on the difference between President Biden (thankfully) no longer president Trump. I for one am glad Biden decided to comment, noting instances of Trump disparaging veterans and even soldiers killed in battle. Better still he threw a hard punch at his predecessor:
“If you don’t respect our troops, you can’t lead them,” Biden posted on his personal X account.
People should take note.
Just more projection. From the former guy who does nothing but vomit.
“In honor of our great veterans on Veteran’s Day, we pledge to you that we will root out the “conservatives”, fascists, and radical right-wing thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country. Lie, steal, and cheat on elections, and will do anything possible, whether legally or illegally, to destroy America, and the American dream”
There, fixed that statement!
To quote The Bard, as a backhander to Trump, and his hollow word salad: “… Thou damned and luxurious mountain goat..” Yes, you are an insensitive and uncaring pig, because “… Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell…” you brainless fool, as you’ve repeatedly shown us all “… Thou hast no more brain than I have in mine elbows…” but “… Thy tongue outvenoms all the worms of Nile,,.” you cowardly “…cream faced loon…” And so, “… Away, you three-inch fool…” you “… art unfit for any place but hell…”
President Biden, your words stand tall, delivered with personal honesty and integrity.
You might like this, too:
A speechless speech by you know who:
“I’m old enough (mid sixties) to remember when Veteran’s Day was called Armistice Day to mark the end of hostilities in WWI, the “war to end all wars.””
Not wanting to accuse you of shaving your age but the holiday was officially changed to “Veterans Day” on June 1, 1954 which would make your age to be in your mid-seventies if you remember it as “Armistice Day.” Indeed, the holiday has been known as Veterans Day for 69 years. You might remember your parents referring to it as “Armistice Day” (as many people are loath to adopt new nomenclature immediately; Memorial Day didn’t officially become “Memorial Day” until 1967 even though people had been using that name instead of the correct “Decoration Day” since after WW2).
For what it’s worth, a WW2 veteran from Alabama, Raymond Weeks, is considered to be the first person to expand the day to celebrate and recognize all veterans, not just those who served in WW1, and he led a delegation to then-General Eisenhower concerning the proposal which Eisenhower fully endorsed. And, appropriately enough, it was President Eisenhower who signed the bill changing the day from “Armistice Day” to “Veterans Day.”
I’m from a small midwestern town. The day WAS called Armistice Day by everyone back when I was growing up. All the adults used that term. I don’t think I’m the only person from small town America of my general age who remembers being taught Nov. 11 was Armistice Day from the time they could remember. And we were children of those who fought WWII yet it was the WWI veterans that got the attention. As I recall it was in high school that the term Veteran’s day started being more commonly used back home.
Oh, and regarding “Decoration Day” which we all know as Memorial Day. Various ladies groups in some small towns in the south would pick a day to decorate the graves of Confederate (mostly) soldiers. It didn’t become a widely organized thing on the same date however. Then, post civil war the first true large and influential veteran’s organization, the Grand Army of the Republic was formed. (If you’re in a cemetery and see a really gold grave with a small stone that has the initials GAR on it that’s what it represents) Their second commander is the one who, having learned of what took place in some southern communities decided to issue a proclamation calling for a nationwide Decoration Day on a specific date. The GAR was gaining a wide enough reach it got notice in a lot of places and people responded. It was from that that it wound up turning into an annual event. Decoration Day. The Civil War General who took over command of the GAR and issued that proclamation that became Memorial Day was General John A. Logan. If you’ve ever been to DC and Logan Circle (DC has pain in the ass traffic circles) that big statue of the guy on the horse is General Logan. (He’s buried in the Soldiers & Sailors Cemetery in DC) Ardently pro-slavery (and racist) in the years prior to the outbreak of the Civil War Logan had started to soften his views. Most importantly as it turns out he was passionately Pro Union like his friend Ulysses Grant and yet another Illinoisan – Abraham Lincoln. Logan had folks from the Confederacy reach out to him in the leadup to the Civil War about taking a Commission in the Confederate Army but rejected them.
When a couple of counties in southern Illinois voted that the area (look at a map – I’m talking about most of Illinois south of I-64) Logan, who was from one of the most prominent and respected families in the region travelled over to Williamson County and being quite well known and respected personally prevailed on them to rescind that vote! He then used his connections in Springfield to secure a small garrison of federal troops to put down any efforts to form groups that would engage in armed rebellion against the Union. Thanks to Grant, Logan would wind up Commissened in the Union Army and did well even though Grant’s superiors didn’t want to entrust Logan with major command. He wasn’t a West Pointer for one thing, and though he served in the Mexican-American war he got stuck in the Quartermaster Corps and didn’t see any real combat. However he was smart and capable and Grant knew his worth.
Logan would during the war not only turn solidly against slavery but he became a true abolitionist. I could write much more about him but he had influence far beyond most people. The thing is, he’s from my hometown! When the village of Brownsville burned to the ground the Logan family donated ten acres of their nearby estate so the people could rebuild. The village grew into a full blown town eventually and became the county seat of Jackson County.
When I was young the Logan name was spoken with reverence. Sadly, the town and the region are solid Trump territory and the little P.O.S. Congress Critter from there (he is the little brother of a classmate of mine) is a Trumper and member of the sedition caucus. If Logan was buried back home instead of in DC many including people my age who were imbued with a sense the man was a giant would spit on his grave. Or worse. I of course would be quite unwelcome if I were able to go back home for a visit. The number of people who’d be okay with spending some time catching up numbers in the single digits and the number that would be truly happy to see me can be counted on one hand. Such is the way of things. When (hopefully long from now) my time comes and it’s time to bury my cremated remains with my dad (WWII, U.S. Army Air Corps) there will be no Veterans there to render honors, to fire the volleys and fold my flag. Nor if my sister precedes me someone who would accept it.
So each fall I get homesick, wishing I could be back there to witness one of mother nature’s marvelous shows. The fall colors aren’t the best in the country but they are up near the top of places worth seeing. Putting something on dad’s grave on Veteran’s and Memorial Day would be nice, and of course flowers for my mom’s grave on Christmas and other days would be nice too. But I can’t go home again even if I had the financial means to do so.
That is what Trump and Trumpism has done. Sure, I wouldn’t have been nearly as admired well before Trump (my sister has begged me for twenty years to move back there) but since Trump came along I wouldn’t be mostly shunned – I’d face outright hatred on a widespread scale. So for anyone reading this perhaps you have a better understanding of where my hatred of Trump and Republicans comes from.
I do believe, Denis, that there was a formal ‘ceremony’ in the ‘cemetery’
there is a book on spelling demons called accommodating broccoli in the cemetery. (although tongue in cheek, the title is all misspelled)
I didn’t need to wait until the nasty comments at the cemetery to realize his opinion on military service. Initially he insulted a Gold Star family, then he insulted John McCain. Maybe the crowning achievement was when he stuck his 2 cents into the military justice system on behalf of the Navy Seal. He’s always been just as plain as day to me.
I have felt that saying happy veterans day and happy memorial day sounds kind of off. not quite right for a somber occasion. maybe it’s just me.