Kelly Confirms Trump Trashing Troops. Too Little TOO LATE!

It seems retired four-star General John Kelly, who went on to serve Trump first as head of DHS and then as Chief of Staff is attempting an image rehabilitation campaign. Maybe to pump up book sales, or maybe because he’s getting the cold shoulder when it comes to getting on corporate Boards who’d rather not have it discovered a dirtbag like him is hanging around. Or both. The point is that like others who could have and SHOULD have spoken up in the moment, Kelly waited until after he was out of Trump World to tell stories he should damn well have shouted from the rooftops when he was working for Trump. Or from the press room in the minutes after quitting.

Various outlets have reported on this story but in another lifetime I was after all a jarhead so I’ll offer this link to the Military Times for their take:

Former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly on Monday confirmed past reports that then-President Donald Trump insulted wounded veterans in private conversations with staff and called fallen troops “losers” for sacrificing their lives for their country.

It goes on to note Kelly’s “disgust” over Trump’s comments attacking retiring Chair of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley. Oh my… Kelly is disgusted. I’m sure that will shame Trump into apologizing. Also from the article:

The 73-year-old Kelly told CNN that Trump is “a person that thinks those who defend their country in uniform, or are shot down or seriously wounded in combat, or spend years being tortured as POWs are all ‘suckers’ because ‘there is nothing in it for them.’”

I’ll have more to say about that in a minute. In the meantime remember Kelly eagerly went to work in the new Trump administration knowing Trump’s contempt for service and sacrifice by out troops. He damn well knew how Trump denigrated the late Senator John McCain, objecting to calling McCain a hero. His “I like guys that weren’t captured” comment (and worse his standing by it) made my blood boil. Trump would never have made it through Annapolis, not even plebe summer. Nor qualified as a Naval Aviator or as an Air Force pilot. Too much (hard) work, discipline and frankly courage required and that’s before flying in combat. In McCain’s case he was seriously injured when he ejected from his dying aircraft, badly treated by his initial captors and although eventually treated once in a North Vietnam hospital not nearly well enough.

Seeing the propaganda value given McCain’s father was an Admiral in command of a Pacific Fleet force the gomers offered him early release as part of a program they started to release a handful of people based on time spent as POWs. (Interestingly enough they didn’t start with those first captured. A handful would remain POWs until the end) McCain knew the score and said he’d only accept release if everyone ahead of him was also released. He knew what that would mean for him but as Naval Aviator’s would say “He kept the faith” and he paid dearly with years more torture before the gomers finally curtailed that ugliness. But Trump chose to denigrate McCain, who as a result of those injuries and years of torture was unable to lift his arms above his shoulders even just to comb his hair for the rest of his life!

THAT is the President Kelly so willingly chose to serve.

Look, I’ve gone off on rants about Kelly before, going all the way back to when I often published “diaries” on DK . Quite a few times, going all the way back to when I often published “diaries” on DK. I’d really hoped I’d heard the last from/about him. I too once proudly wore the same uniform Kelly ultimately defiled. Earning the right to wear the Eagle, Globe & Anchor, that very first time being address by the title of Marine was the proudest of my life and I’d had some pretty damned good moments in life before that honor came at the age of 26. Interestingly enough I learned once when checking Kelly’s career we’d both been stationed at HQMC (then in Arlington, VA) at the same time. If we ever crossed paths I don’t remember it. But I’m grateful to have never served under that son-of-a-bitch even though by all accounts he managed (somehow) to keep his actual character hidden.

Once retired from active duty Kelly was free to let his despicable, racist freak flag fly. He’s responsible for much of the creation and implementation of the cruel immigration policy at our southern border, including separating children, sometimes babies from their parents. Since (and no one will ever convince me it wasn’t intentional) no records were kept on who went where and only snippets of information were available some of those families have still not been reunited. Or ever will be. That wasn’t all though. As Trump COS Kelly was in on the call to a Gold Star Widow, a black woman who’s husband had been killed in the line of duty in some godforsaken spot in Africa when Trump talked dismissively about that death. Her Congresswoman Frederica Wilson was in the car when the call from Trump happened and Wilson was less than complimentary regarding Trump’s attempt to “console the widow.” So Kelly went off on a racist (and public) trashing of Wilson.

However this article is about Kelly’s toleration of Trump’s dismissive and too often outright insulting comments about military service including when it comes to those wounded and even those who gave their very lives in the service of our country. This is but one example but by the time it happened Kelly shouldn’t have been the least bit surprised. He just didn’t like seeing his boss called out on it. Now, in the interest of fairness I have to admit Kelly’s trashing of a black Congresswoman who stood up for a constituent who, along with her deceased husband (also black) she’d long known personally.

No, Kelly wouldn’t even stand up to Trump for demeaning the service and sacrifice of his own son!

Take a look again at the title picture. It was taken at Arlington National Cemetery at the first Memorial Day commemoration Kelly attended with Trump. Presidents as you know visit Arlington for Memorial Day when they are in town. There’s some traditional ceremonial stuff that always happens. After all the formal stuff ended Kelly and his wife & the entourage including Trump made their way over to the section where Kelly’s son, a 1st Lt. in the Marine Corps who died in combat was buried. Standing there with Kelly Trump gestured around and said “I don’t get it. What was in it for them?”, in effect questioning why anyone would risk, much less give their life in the service of this country. (For the record it’s not only military folks who do so!)

Trump directly insulted Kelly and his son, hell the entire Kelly family right there at Lt. Kelly’s grave. And John effing Kelly didn’t DO or SAY jack sh*t about it! Again, take a look at the picture. This was a “secure” setting and the Secret Service was well back. So, on behalf of his OWN SON, as well as everyone else buried at Arlington and in cemeteries and unmarked graves around the world why the hell Kelly didn’t leave Trump bleeding on the ground prior to a long hospital stay is beyond my understanding. I never had kids so I can only imagine how beserk I would have gone in that moment. Kelly had at least five or six seconds, maybe as much as ten before Agents could have intervened. Plenty of time to crotch-punt Trump and as he doubled forward in pain bring a knee up into his ugly face. The while Trump was on his back stomp it a few times, hard enough to tear skin and break bones. I’m not the only veteran who feels that way.

If that wasn’t bad enough, remember the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended WWI? All the world’s leaders went to Paris to mark the event. Days of ceremonies took place including one above the Normandy beaches and Trump, being Trump showed his ass with some tasteless remarks at a cemetery filled with war dead. That wasn’t the worst though. He had one more insult to Kelly and my entire Marine Corps in store. November 11 was the big day, but the day before an event was planned at Aisne-Marne Cemetery, about an hour’s drive from Paris. November 10, which happens to be the Marine Corps’ Birthday and it’s THE high holy day in the Corps. So much so even recruits and Officer Candidates get cut a little slack from the DIs!

That cemetery in case you didn’t know is where the dead of the Battle of Belleau Wood which turned the tide of the war was fought. It was the Marine’s first major engagement of the war, and their fierceness so unnerved the enemy the Germans gave us the moniker “Teufelhunden” which translates to Devil Dogs – a term we have carried with pride ever since. It wasn’t truly raining the day of the ceremony, more of a drizzle but there wasn’t a covering on the review stand. Fearing the drizzle would result in a “bad hair day” Trump blew off honoring the Marine’s dead, the only Allied country leader to do so. He made up bullshit excuses and Kelly let him get away with it! So, not once but twice Trump massively insulted the Marine Corps and Kelly, rather than be a “Lion” played “Lamb.” (That requires another long explanation but I think you get it)

In between and after were plenty of other instances of Trump not respecting and even outright denigrating the service and sacrifice of our military. And NOW, all these years later Kelly comes out and formally confirms all the stories that were credibly reported? I swear I can smell the stench of Kelly’s bullshit through my computer screen when I read the stories about his “awakening” to how despicable Trump was and still is.

So again I say it’s way too little, and way too effing late!!!!

The latest revelation about Trump’s criticizing General Milley for featuring a disabled veteran, and wanting to ban such troops from his events saying “no one wants to see that” is no surprise. It’s who Trump has always been. And John Kelly trying to burnish his own image is almost as despicable as Trump:

Trump has fought publicly with multiple former members of his senior staff during and after his presidency. Kelly did not say why he served for two full years in the Trump administration after hearing Trump’s insults regarding military members.

Every day John Kelly is in the DC area he should visit his son’s grave to apologize and beg forgiveness. And drive down to Quantico and stand at the gate (as far as I’m concerned he should never set foot there or at any other Marine base/post again) and apologize to the Corps. And beg forgiveness. Kelly, like others needs to just STFU, go away and stay gone.