Another day, another outrage from Cadet Bone Spurs. The CHICKEN HAWK all those MAGAs worship like he’s the second coming of their Jeebus. (The assault weapon Jesus of course) Trump wants a BIGLY, YUGE Birthday Parade on his birthday this year. Troops and tanks and all kinds of badass stuff. It’s just a “coincidence’ of course that the Army’s birthday happens to also fall on June 14 like Trump’s. Regardless, you can be sure that this year, and during that godawful spectacle he’s going to preside over it will be ALL about HIM – Donald Trump. As for that annual ceremony across the street at the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial? Team Trump shoved THEM aside.
That’s right folks. For decades each year there’s been a ceremony at the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial on the National Mall to honor those who served in that war. There is a ceremony of course, with honors being extended to specific individuals. This year, according to this article from The Washington Post some 774 Vietnam Veterans, the most ever were scheduled to be honored. And they won’t be, at least not properly because Donald F**king Trump wants his goddamned parade!
I’m only surprised Trump himself isn’t making a point of saying he didn’t want those “suckers and losers” and their loved ones anywhere near his bigly, beautiful parade. From the linked article it seems blame is being assigned to the Secret Service. And the Army press people are playing Sgt. Schulze “I know NOTHING” as is Hegesth and his crew. Ok, so the event will be held in Alexandria, VA. Six miles south and across the river, as in to hell and gone from TRUMP’S event. Kinda like how he and so many thought of Vietnam and the war when it was happening. Something in some faraway place to be ignored.
It seems the only reason it wasn’t cancelled altogether is too many people had spent money on travel arrangements. Apparently there are a few folks with working brain cells that recognized some negative PR from cancelling the event entirely might intrude on Trumpty’s mood. Still the whole thing is a massive insult. Worse, at least as far as I’m concerned is that no one on Team Trump would own this insult to Vietnam Vets. It was left to the organizers to spread the word that they faced either cancelling the whole thing or moving it to ‘B.F. Egypt’ so they regretfully chose the latter. Cancellations started coming in, but it still looks like a couple thousand folks will show up at wherever the hell in Alexandria the event will be held.
The WaPo article I’ve linked to cites only one specific person’s dream being crushed but she’s one of many. She and her husband who’d served had longed to make the trip to the Memorial but he was too ill. He died late last year, and was to be one of the honorees so she booked her trip. Only to be told her husband’s (and other’s) service in Vietnam didn’t count for squat. Not when TRUMP wanted the appointed day to be about HIM and ONLY him! They didn’t just move the ceremony away from being near the parade route, they moved it entirely out of DC! Sadly, too many people won’t notice or care. But some do:
The change, announced a month before the event, has stirred grief, sadness and anger among the some of the loved ones of the 774 veterans scheduled to be honored — the largest group ever for the annual ceremony. About three dozen families have already canceled their attendance and specifically cited the relocation as a reason, according to the memorial fund. Still, more than 2,000 people are scheduled to attend.
I mentioned Janet Zamora earlier. You can see a picture of her, her late husband and their granddaughter in the WaPo article. A quote from her sums this crap up perfectly:
“This is a tradition that shouldn’t have been messed with,” said Zamora, 67, who lives in Colorado. “These Vietnam veterans didn’t get the recognition they deserved when they came home from this terrible war. They had to fight and scrape. Now, once again, we got them recognized but everything has to change.”
Actually things did change, at least for a time. Now thanks to an egomaniac it’s changed back to the bad old days I remember as a teen and early adult. For a draft-dodger like Trump to be the reason for this really sticks in my craw. Look, like a lot of guys besides Trump gamed the system to avoid service in Vietnam. He got tired of dealing with deferments so the whole Bone Spurs myth was created to get him 4-F status! It’s the ones like him who talk up being “tough guys” or “badasses”, and the worst offer mealy-mouthed ‘If I’d REALLY been needed I’ve have gone’ bullshit. Trump of course never bothered to pretend he wanted any part of Vietnam or service in the military at all. Still, he loves talking tough guy talk and projecting himself as someone who COULD have been a ‘super soldier. Bullshit, Bullshits BULL SHIT!
Remember, this is someone who said HIS personal Vietnam was avoiding STDS while partying every night in NYC’s ‘beautiful people’ hot spots. Who would go on to denigrate, sometimes quite personally the service of others. But this? This is a variation on what he wanted in his first term when he wanted to do this. As in no wounded Veteran’s involved. Remember his pointing to those in wheelchairs, and/or were missing limbs lost in battle and saying ‘Nobody wants to see that!’ and ordering that such people better be nowhere in sight?
Vietnam Veterans are a double whammy to Trumpty’s ego. People who went when he was too self-centered and COWARDLY to do so. Having Vietnam Veterans and their loved ones descendants across Pennsylvania Avenue, even with the trees shielding the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial from view on the WH side is something he just can’t take. Not on HIS birthday when he’s got a bigly parade geared to celebrate not the Army but HIM!
As a final insult, for us old farts (I was too young – Saigon finally fell right when I graduated high school) we remember how Vietnam Veterans were regarded and worse, treated back then. Unlike those who’d served in Korea but which Americans wanted to forget about. Vietnam Vets when through a form of ritual insults from fellow Americans prior to the ‘let’s forget them’ phase. It took time, way too much time in fact before these Veteran’s got a modicum of respect and thanks.
Now they have a draft-dodging Chicken Hawk President once again telling them they and their service, and that of those they served with don’t mean jack-sh*t. So in the days leading up to Trump’s Bigly Birthday Bash celebration speak out. To anyone you know both in person and on social media. Comment to elected officials and don’t stop with those who represent you but as many as you can contact.
This group, and this annual event deserves that much from us all.
***From Ursula*** Zoomers, if you’re able to contribute in any way, we could use help. I’ve been ill and recuperating from a brief hospitalization. Times are tough for political commentary to begin with, and that’s been the case since November 5. Half the country is in a major depression. But we need to keep on keeping on. This too shall pass and there will be a brighter, post-Trump day if we work for it. Please join us and help if you can. Thank you. Ursula
I’ll join you, Denis, in spitting into the wind, which is what it feels like to me when we talk about Trump’s utter disrespect for “HIS” military! He doesn’t understand service or sacrifice, victory or defeat, life or death.
The ugly parade for Trump is, like all things Trump, being pulled together without real thought. There will be no sense of the 250 years of our military. No sense of the history of different methods of fighting, such as Patriots against organized Redcoats; early submarines fighting sailing ships; and all the etc. leading up to drones and robot dogs and such. But no, just modern tanks tearing up the streets because they LOOK powerful just like Trump wants to LOOK like a powerful authoritarian instead of the weak man-baby he is.
When Trump took that attitude of “I’m closer to being King Tyrant than ever…I even have a parade” to West Point this weekend, his disrespect for soldiers with elite university degrees was sickening! He did not congratulate their achievements or the sacrifices plus encouragement given by the families and communities; the least he could have done. He denigrated their decision-making by saying that no smart people are joining the Army because Joe Biden was not worthy! Good God, these young people went to West Point (and graduated from it) almost fully under the Commander-in-Chief Joe Biden!!
Trump pretty much told these new officers they weren’t even needed because the Army isn’t people, it’s this new thing called drones! 🤪 At the same time, he said they were only fodder for the next big war; just bodies to be thrown at it instead of brilliant tacticians who know how to keep big wars from starting!
And, after boring these new officers with years-old campaign bullshit, he left without one salute or handshake because the King needs golf!! How dare he believe that he deserves any respect from the troops!! 🤬🤬