Opinion : Letter to the Editor: Response

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To the Editor:

I was not going to respond to Gerald’s taunting because it does not warrant a response but he continues to get more vicious as time goes on. So here it goes.

For the record, I did not mock John or any other veteran. There are two types of people. Those who carry-on with their lives accepting the accolades from others about their service. Then there are those who live in the past, who think that somehow their service warrants constant recognition, I guess to stroke their egos while reliving their stories over and over again.

I don’t recall what I was responding to that John said but it no way diminishes his service but rather his need to tell us about it.

Gerald has made many comments on what he thinks I believe about veterans. As usual he does not know what he is talking about. Here is my story. My Dad served in WWII spending time on Okinawa after the end of the war. I have many uncles on both sides of my family that also served in WWII. I had an uncle by marriage that was severely wounded, and lost an eye. I do not remember any of them going on and on about their experiences. 

Causality Record of my uncle by marriage which resulted in the loss of his eye.

Gender Male

Race White

Rank Enlisted Man

Admission Date Dec 1942

Admission Place New Guinea

Discharge Date Jun 1943 

Military Branch   Infantry (or possibly Quartermaster) 

Age Birth Date 25 abt 1917 Birth Place USA Admission Date

Diagnosis: Concussion; Location: Brain (cerebral)

Causative Agent: Blast (code possibly also means Missile, secondary – - richochet); Associated Disease: [withheld by NARA]

Injured in Line of Duty In line of duty (Battle Casualty)

Type of Discharge Disposition: Duty (returned to); FinalResult [withheld by NARA] 

The next generation, mine, mostly were too young for Vietnam. On a side note: When I turned 19, my lottery number was #6 and for the grace of God and genetics I did not have to serve. Women were not allowed for the lottery/draft then. But it was sobering to see that if I were male, I would be packing my bags, next stop Vietnam.

I had classmates that did serve and fortunately all came back. But the real heroes are those who did not come back or were wounded or suffers from PTSD. I have great reverence for those who have served and find it insulting that someone who does not know me can opine about any of my beliefs.

What I find disturbing is the amount of attention an off-handed comment I made has resulted in taunting from Gerald especially when the President-elect, who Gerald idolizes, has a sorry history of degrading our military.

• I see nary a word about a rich family paying off a doctor to keep him from having to serve.

• A person who calls those who die on the battlefield or get captured are suckers and losers. Who said John McCain was not a hero because he was captured. Doesn’t understand why anyone would serve because nothing is in it for them.

• Who would not attend the commemoration of WWI soldiers in France because it was raining and the rain would make his hair look bad. The soldiers were dead anyway.

• In 2020, put on a fake fundraising event in Des Moines supposedly for veterans but those organizations had to struggle to get the money promised to them because he thought he could better spend it on his campaign.

• Calls the generals that he picked as losers and he says he knows more about warfare that those generals.

• He has put up a scandal-ridden person for the Department of Defense who believes that women are incapable of serving on the front-lines. And an art collector who never served in the Navy in charge of the Navy. (The statements bullet pointed are all common knowledge.)

Where is your indignation for someone who is going to be leading our country that has such disdain for our military? Gerald you can continue to taunt me but it only shows your lack of character and for not only me but for the men and women of the Armed Forces with your demeaning comments.

Rosemary Schwartz