The Ignoble Act of Disparaging the Service of Veterans
Very few Americans ever serve in our armed forces and even fewer continue to serve in elected office after they hang up their uniforms. I believe I know why. We treat them horribly. We pick apart their service records looking for any small thing that can be exploited for our own political purposes. We belittle their sacrifice and selflessness. This is wrong, disgusting, and dishonorable. It is even worse when veterans do it to other veterans.
The Few, The Proud?
In 1980, around 12.6% of Americans were veterans, but that number has fallen to less than 5.5% today. While the U.S. population has grown, the absolute number of veterans has dropped dramatically from 28.6 million down to 18.3 million. Given our all-volunteer force and the passing away of older generations, the Veterans Administration projects this number will drop to 12.1 million in 2048. Today, active-duty service members now comprise less than 1% of all U.S. adults.
Not long ago, America had a record of putting a large number of our veterans in elected positions, especially in the U.S. Congress and Senate. It makes sense as these bodies are responsible for declaring war, passing national security laws, ratifying treaties, and oversight of our Departments of Defense, State, Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, and Intelligence Agencies. Between 1965 and 1975, 70% or more of each chamber had military experience. Today, that number hovers around an abysmal 17–18%.
Swiftboating Candidates
I get why fewer and fewer veterans want to run for political office. Look at the ridiculous scrutiny and un-called for criticisms they receive. It is bad when civilians denigrate our veterans, but it is even worse when it is done to veterans by fellow veterans or by the news media. Just after the DNC convention in August of 2004, a group of politically motivated men called “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” accused the Democratic nominee for President, Senator John Kerry of exaggerating his military service in Vietnam and questioned the legitimacy of his medals. Kerry had received three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, and a Silver Star. The group was mostly composed of people who did NOT serve directly with Kerry and who all had different political views than the candidate. Their false claims were contradicted by other veterans who had served with Kerry and by Kerry’s official military records.
A month later, Dan Rather and CBS aired a report on “60 Minutes II” questioning the service of then President George W. Bush, the Republican nominee for President. Bush had served in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War and CBS was suggesting Bush had received preferential treatment to avoid the war and that he had failed to fulfill his service obligations. CBS presented documents allegedly written by Bush’s commanding officer criticizing Bush’s performance and suggesting he disobeyed orders. When the authenticity of the documents was questioned, CBS and Dan Rather doubled down on their story. The documents CBS used to manufacture their story were proven to be fake. After an independent panel review of the situation, Dan Rather stepped down and several other CBS News personnel were fired or resigned.
Twenty years later and we are slandering the service of our veterans running for office all over again. I am personally proud that the Republican and Democratic nominees for Vice President are both veterans. Senator JD Vance served in the Marine Corps like me and Governor Tim Walz served in the National Guard, just like Governor and then two-term President George W. Bush. I am grateful for the service and sacrifice of both of these men and their willingness to continue to serve in our government. At the same time, I am repulsed by the false claims against their service and the “butt sniffing contest” I am seeing from some of my fellow veterans. If you served our country honorably, then you served. Full stop.
JD Vance served honorably in the Marine Corps for 4 years, achieved the rank of Corporal, was a public affairs specialist, and deployed to Iraq as a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He did his job. Tim Walz served honorably in the National Guard for 24 years, was an infantryman and later an artilleryman, served as the Command Sergeant Major of his unit, retired at the rank of Master Sergeant, responded to natural disasters, and was deployed to Italy as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and Norway for joint training with other NATO militaries. He filed for his run for Congress before his unit was called up, and well before they deployed to Iraq. He did his job.
Shameful and Dishonorable
Recently, Senator Vance publicly and falsely accused Governor Walz of abandoning his unit to avoid deployment to Iraq and of stolen valor. Vance pointed to his own service and answering the call to go to Iraq as being superior to Walz and called what Walz did “shameful.” Vance said, “When the United States Marine Corps, when the United States of America, asked me to go to Iraq to serve my country, I did it. When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, do you know what he did? He dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him. … I think it’s shameful.” At another event, Vance accused Walz of “stolen valor.” The timing of Walz’ retirement and filing to run for Congress and when his old unit deployed is a matter of public record. Vance is clearly lying for political gain.
Beyond the dishonesty, what is truly shameful and even dishonorable about this is Vance knows better than to attack a fellow veteran who served honorably or to belittle their service. Vance has forgotten or maybe never learned the core values the United States Marine Corps tried to teach him. What is even more shameful is that Vance is openly attacking Walz, while at the same time running on the Presidential ticket with the candidate that has the most contempt for our veterans and military I have ever seen and who did everything he personally could to avoid being drafted. Perhaps that is why Vance feels the need to make these preposterous claims — to make us forget what President Trump said about our veterans and did to avoid Vietnam.
Suckers and Losers
I revered John McCain when I attended the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the Marine Corps and I voted twice for him for President. I served with Brigadier General John Kelly in Iraq in 2003 and I know the honorable man, father, Marine, and leader he truly is. When Kelly, who went on to be a 4-star general, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and Trump’s longest serving Chief of Staff went on the record with CNN in October 2023 to confirm President Trump’s disgusting contempt for our military and veterans, who do you think I am going to believe? Kelly referred to Trump as:
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.’ A person that did not want to be seen in the presence of military amputees because ‘it doesn’t look good for me.’ A person who demonstrated open contempt for a Gold Star family — for all Gold Star families — on TV during the 2016 campaign, and rants that our most precious heroes who gave their lives in America’s defense are ‘losers’ and wouldn’t visit their graves in France. A person who is not truthful regarding his position on the protection of unborn life, on women, on minorities, on evangelical Christians, on Jews, on working men and women. A person that has no idea what America stands for and has no idea what America is all about. A person who cavalierly suggests that a selfless warrior who has served his country for 40 years in peacetime and war should lose his life for treason — in expectation that someone will take action. A person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators. A person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law. There is nothing more that can be said. God help us.
I will say one more thing. John Kelly lost his son, 1st Lieutenant Robert Kelly, U.S. Marine Corps on November 9, 2010. Robert was killed while leading a platoon of Marines in Sangin, Afghanistan and fighting the Taliban. He was 29 years old. So, when General Kelly says the above, it comes from a place of deep personal respect and honor for the sacrifices the veterans of this country make. Fellow veterans — it is time to get back to showing each other the respect we deserve. If you served honorably, you served. Thank you.
