If the headline sounds harsh or unbelievable (or both) get past it. The GOP has an ugly history of trashing the military service including combat service of Democrats. And worse, an appalling lack of Republican leaders standing up to defend them, even when the ones being attacked have lost limbs, arms and legs on the battlefield serving this country. So yes, it’s more than fair to say the Republican Party is full of steaming, nasty smelling brown organic matter in their claims of respecting those who serve. Their history shows it’s bullshit because any Democrat who is critical of a Republican President is “fair game.” GOPers will trash the service and sacrifice of any Democrat in a heartbeat.
Think I’m being hyperbolic? Let’s take a trip down memory lane for some glaring examples of GOP sh*ttiness. Former Gov. and Senator Bob Kerry of Nebraska was a Navy Seal during Vietnam. He left a leg leg on the battlefield there. Oh, and he is a Medal of Honor Recipient. The GOP trashed him. Former Georgia Senator Max Cleland lost both legs and an arm on the battlefield in Vietnam, and the remaining one was damaged. He too had his service trashed. Now we can add sitting Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois who was an Army helicopter pilot flying missions over hostile territory in Iraq. She lost two legs when her bird was shot down. Some former Army asshat complained about a recent honoring of her so a set of websites that help help Veterans was shut down by Hegseth.
I’ve said it before and with no small amount of bitterness, but for all their f**king flag waving, lapel pin wearing faux patriotism a sh*tload of conservatives don’t believe ANY service or ANY sacrifice, including limbs or even lives “counts” if that sacrifice comes from (horrors!!!) a Democrat! Worse, precious few (if any) GOP leaders will come to the defense of Democrats who have given extraordinary service to this country. Not even when they left limbs or their lives on the battlefield.
Take Bob Kerry. I only met him in passing (once) (a little over 20 years ago) but he seemed like a humble guy. He’d become disillusioned by the time he came home (minus a leg) and didn’t actually want to be awarded his Medal of Honor. He was prevailed upon by others to go along with the whole hoopla. But he served honorably and with a single exception was admired by those he led in the bush. He tried to use his experience to make us better if we had to fight another war. For his trouble, when he was exploring what would have been a credible, serious Presidential campaign Karl Rove sent a ‘shot across the bow’ letting Kerry know if he didn’t back off (Rove had Baby Bush to inflict on us) he’d make a stink and get Kerry at least investigated for war crimes! That was that.
Then there’s Max Cleland who I had the honor of not just meeting (more than once) but spending much of an evening with. It was a 2004 Presidential debate watching gathering in Martinsburg, WV during the 2004 campaign. With just one limb, an arm (and a damaged one) he was full of life, energy and purpose. However because he questioned Baby Bush’s Iraq war he got painted as a traitor. Bush’s ‘you’re either with them or us’ was a thing then and Cleland got painted as ‘with them.’ His challenger, Chickenhawk (avoided service due to a ‘trick knee’) Saxby Chambliss and almost all the GOP from Bush on down) got away with backing trashing Cleland’s patriotism. One ad was so offensive John McCain finally took a stand and upbraided his Party. But it worked. Losing three limbs and having his remaining arm damaged wasn’t good enough for Republicans!
Now we have what Petey Boy Hegseth has done with Tammy Duckworth. An Army helo pilot she flew numerous missions over hostile territory in Iraq. One bad day after making multiple stops they were headed back to base when the chopper was shot down. Duckworth’s injuries were devastating and it took medical miracles to get her to a hospital alive and manage to save her. Minus her legs. Senator Duckworth gave up both legs serving in Iraq, but that too isn’t good enough for Republicans. Especially not Petey BOY Hegseth. For him Duckworth is “wrong” on so many levels. She’s a woman for starters. Then there’s that she’s not white, having been born in Thailand. That’s two strikes right there. Add in that she’s a Senator, a DEMORATIC Senator who ‘dares’ to criticize King-God-Master-of-the-Universe Trump (and him too) and he was looking for a way to make like a baseball umpire and say “You’re OUT.”
He got excuse it from an asshat Veteran who served 20 years in the Army. As Raw Story Reports:
The U.S. Army shut down an entire network of official social media accounts this week after a post celebrating Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a Purple Heart recipient who lost both legs in combat, drew backlash from a pro-Trump veteran online.
The “Soldier for Life” program, which connects veterans and their families to employment, healthcare and retirement resources, posted a tribute to Duckworth’s military career as an Army lieutenant colonel and Iraq War veteran. Within 24 hours of a former Army paratrooper criticizing the post on X, it was deleted.
I’ll get to that ‘former Army paratrooper’ thing in a minute. I want to emphasize that not only did the DOD remove the post praising Duckworth because some dickhead “real warrior” complained. Nope. Hegesth’s DOD pretty much CANCELLED Senator Duckworth and initiatives that serve Veterans that could be linked to from the DOD website. Once again we have self-professed ‘Real Warriors’ getting hurt fee fees. And worse from a woman. One who isn’t even white! What a bunch of sexist, nationalist/racist pussies! I’ve had new on today and have seen anything about this so I hope you’ll spread this appalling news far and wide and at least shame journalists into asking Petey Boy about it. That Duckworth has been openly critical of Trump and Hegseth is I’m sure he’ll say is just a coincidence. Bullshit! A follow up along the lines of ‘Senator Duckworth regularly flew helicopter missions over enemy territory where fighting was taking place during her tour. She lost both legs doing so. Doesn’t that kind of sacrifice merit more respect than you’ve shown her? And what about Veterans and their families who have lost access to information about needed services because you cancelled her?’
Well, that’s what I’d like to see but I’m not holding my breath. What I CAN to is give you a look at retired Army Major Chase Spears who got all this going. He likes to sometimes bill himself as Dr. Chase Spears and does have a Ph.D from Kansas State in Leadership and Communication. I don’t have a problem with him referring to himself as Dr. Chase Spears, except…remember how conservatives were sooooooo offended at Dr. Jill Biden being referred to that way because she ‘only had a Doctorate’ – not a real MEDICAL degree! So there’s that. I wanted to know more about him and while Raw Story and other’s refer to him as a “paratrooper” a search of his Army career paints less than a complete picture.
He enlisted and was encouraged to apply to become an Officer. He did so and that’s where my questions begin. The conservative outlet RedState describes him as:
Chase Spears served as a U.S. Army public affairs officer for 20 years and is host of the Finding Your Spine podcast. Among other pursuits, he enjoys writing about courage, civil-military relations, communication ethics, and policy. Chase holds a Ph.D. in leadership communication from Kansas State University, where his research focused on the political realities of military norms and actions. You can find him on social media @drchasespears and connect with his work at chasespears.com.
Ok. That doesn’t mean he didn’t go through jump school and become a full-fledge paratrooper and serve as one – someone who trains to and jumps out of planes laden with combat gear. Sometimes in training and sometimes into actual combat. Yet there doesn’t seem to be, despite all my searching for info. on his Army career to suggest that. And there are precious few pictures of him either in uniform or civvies. Since he makes a thing about his Army service I thought it would be easy to find a picture of him in uniform – specifically in dress uniform. Where his (coveted more than almost any other decoration) Combat Infantry Badge would be clearly visible.
Details are sketchy. His own bio on his website says after commissioning he served 17 years as “an officer and paratrooper at the 55th Combat Camera Company, 4th Brigade (Airborne) – 25th Infantry Division, U.S. Army Alaska Headquarters, and the Mission Command Training Program at Fort Leavenworth.” It goes on to describe a tour in Kuwait and served a ‘combat tour’ (emphasis added by me) in Afghanistan but NO details on said “combat” experience. What unit, location, operation(s) etc. What we DO know is that descriptions of him all seem to portray him as a career Public Affairs Officer.
If he was a full-fledged paratrooper who even at least trained for a couple of years with a unit that had to be ready to deploy and jump into hostile territory you’d think a point would be made of that. And, for damned sure if he’d seen actual combat THAT would get a mention. But no. This dude was after all a career PR guy and no doubt learned how to proverbially paint a picture. One that if a reader doesn’t look too closely at the ‘about me’ page on his website suggests he was a ‘paratrooper who served in combat.’
Like Hegseth and J.D. Vance there seems to be an effort to paint himself as a combat hardened infantryman but there’s a difference between serving in a war zone and actuall going out on combat missions to engage enemy forces – and being attached to a command that does so and sending out photos and press releases. I’m hesitant to go denigrating someone’s service just because they didn’t serve on the front lines getting shot at. However my standard is different for Veteran’s who didn’t stand into danger, people who COULD have volunteered to become an actual combat troop and fight but didn’t trashing the service of those who spent time on or flying over gomers on their territory.
I did find a picture of this dipshit in camo receiving an Army Commendation Medal while with the 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion (Airborne), Task Force 4-25 at a Forward Operating Base in Khost Province in Afghanistan. I can’t seem to find ANY listing of other decorations he received. No CIB. No Purple Heart. Not even the generic Bronze Star Officers get, much less one that has a small gold V showing it was earned for actual combat. I’ve known my share of people who were humble about their service and awards they’d gotten. Even some (including my father) who didn’t believe what they did should have earned them said awards. (the one conversation I had with him on the subject is too long to get into here)
Still, for someone who makes his military service his/her bona fides as an expert/authority on military matters it’s always easy to look them up and get a detailed account of their service including any awards, commendations, medals etc. they received. This guy? He’s either humble or hiding that he was what we called a Remington (the old typewriter) Raider. Hey, there’s a need for all kinds of support personnel and they are vital to the overall mission. Again however I’ve got a problem with one of those Veterans TRASHING the service and sacrifice of those who regularly stood into danger.
Just who the f**k does this asshat think he is is to denigrate Senator Duckworth and her service and sacrifice? Same with Hegseth, and Driscoll too! This guy and those like him make me sick. And angry. So do all the GOPers from folks I know back in my hometown who trash me (who didn’t wind up under fire in Beirut because Reagan chickened out) or another guy from my hometown, a fellow Marine who flew his chopper in dangerous times in the Persian Gulf back in the day – a fellow Democrat. But they just love our fellow Marine who put in four years as an enlisted with a Marine Air Wing who never left U.S. soil – yet hate Senator Duckworth!
There is no John McCain left in the GOP to stand up and loudly denounce this kind of crap. Not even Senator Duckworth’s fellow veterans. She’s tough as nails and will be okay. What’s tragic is that people who were helped by having access to those DOD maintained sites can no longer access them. All because she’s a Democrat and Democrat’s service doesn’t count. Not Hegeseth’s “Warrior” (as long as you’re WHITE and MALE) military.
Friends, I know everyone begs you for money. I promise, among all those asking for spare change, we are the smallest and the hardest working. We’re a group of old, disabled people, except for one writer in his mid-50s. The rest of us are in our sixties and seventies, and this is a labor of love. All we’re asking for is the chance to keep telling the truth about Trump and help ensure democracy survives. If you can help, please do. Thank you. Ursula
“…as a career Public Affairs Officer.”
Yes, the ONLY stuff he knows is how to fling BS from his Remington.
Thx much for this excellent report.
” However my standard is different….. ” And rightly so. It gives you compass.
However, that’s very inconvenient for shysters of the kind you have just speared. Keep raising the flag.
Thinking of the cult of GOPers, shrinking as they realise the falsity of the shiny do$$ar green gold of their Me$$iah and his close grifting cohorts. To what standard (flag) will they now cling?