Brunswick Beacon, 06.13.24
On Memorial Day I reread “In Flanders Fields,” written after the 1915 Battle of Ypres. It gives voice to the fallen heroes, their sacrifice saluted by blood-red poppies growing wild beside their graves, concluding: “If ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders fields.”
That admonition proved prophetic when I saw Eric Trump’s Memorial Day post, containing a photo of the Trumps captioned, “The family that gave up everything to Save America.” Understandably, it drew scathing responses like this: “The families that gave up everything for this country have family members buried at Arlington. How tone-deaf can you be?”
Donald Trump scoffed at John McCain’s five years as a POW: “I like people who weren’t captured.” During a trip to France marking the 100th anniversary of World War I’s end, Trump called the 1,800 U.S. Marines who died at Belleau Wood “suckers.”
Trump canceled another World War I cemetery visit, telling staff, “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.”
Trump’s Chief of staff, Gen. John Kelly, said Trump called fallen troops “suckers” and “losers” in private. Kelly said Trump refused to be photographed with military amputees because “it doesn’t look good for me.”
Trump’s 2024 Memorial Day message called Americans who oppose him “Human Scum,” attacked the judge who ruled that Trump raped E. Jean Carroll, and never mentioned those who bought our freedom with their lives.
On the 80th anniversary of D-Day, I was visiting my son who is currently serving as a Naval officer at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. I was proud to watch President Biden nearby at the Normandy beaches salute the veterans who defeated Hitler.
Biden keeps faith with our heroes, unlike Trump, who praised Hitler, faked bone spurs to dodge the draft and mocked those who served in his place as “suckers” and “losers.”
Bob Bannerman
Supply