104 Stark Countians Died in Vietnam
As Donald J. Trump was graduating from New York Military Academy, I was completing a four year tour of duty in the United States Air Force having served one year in the Republic of South Korea.
I recall vividly standing in formation in front of base headquarters at Kunsan, Korea on November 23, 1963 in honor of President John F. Kennedy, who had been assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald.
During my first permanent duty station assignment (November, 1960 through January, 1963, Great Falls, Montana [Malmstrom AFB]), I recall the tenseness we all experienced, especially those of us in the military, as President Kennedy and the American nation went eye-to-eye with Nikita Khrushchev and the-then Soviet Union in what we now call the Cuban Missile Crisis during the period of October 16 through October 28, 1962.
Now I am the father of a USAF medical doctor currently serving in Honolulu, HI and a USAFR public relations officer.
The Olson family believes in personal sacrifice in service of the well being of the nation.
It appears to me Donald Trump was having none of that and, in my view, continues to way, way excessively look out for himself over the interests of Americans as a whole.
One would think that a person with a scintilla of humility would be loathe to criticize any U.S. military connected family. We all remember Trump's over-the-top reaction of the Kahn family (Muslim American family whose son paid "the ultimate sacrifice") criticism of Trump's deferment record. Here is a LINK to a recounting of the feud between the Kahns and then-political-presidential-candidate Donald J. Trump.
To be an equal opportunity critic, I single out Democrat William Jefferson Clinton (president from January 20, 1993 through January 20, 2001) as also having a draft-dodging personal deferment history.
And, of course, there is Democrat president Lyndon Baines Johnson whom I cleary recall saying in the 1964 presidential campaign (216 battlefield deaths) that under his watch "no American boy [was] going fight an Asian boy's war." Four years later there were 16,899 "American boy" deaths (3,094 Ohioans).
Here is a LINK to a website which lists 63 Cantonians as having lost their lives in Vietnam including nurse Sharon Lane who was a Canton South and Aultman School of Nursing graduate. Lane was the only nurse death owing to hostile action.
From the outstanding website (Virtual Wall), a collective list of those from Canton who died in Vietnam. By going to the website, one can click on a name to get a more detailed listing of the deceased soldier's military service (see Sharon Lane abbreviated sample as presented above.)
And here is an accounting (41) of those from other parts of Stark County who lost their lives in Vietnam.
Using the two foregoing sources, the SCPR counts 104 Stark Countians as having died serving in Vietnam.
And, of course, there is Democrat president Lyndon Baines Johnson whom I cleary recall saying in the 1964 presidential campaign (216 battlefield deaths) that under his watch "no American boy [was] going fight an Asian boy's war." Four years later there were 16,899 "American boy" deaths (3,094 Ohioans).
Here is a LINK to a website which lists 63 Cantonians as having lost their lives in Vietnam including nurse Sharon Lane who was a Canton South and Aultman School of Nursing graduate. Lane was the only nurse death owing to hostile action.
From the outstanding website (Virtual Wall), a collective list of those from Canton who died in Vietnam. By going to the website, one can click on a name to get a more detailed listing of the deceased soldier's military service (see Sharon Lane abbreviated sample as presented above.)
And here is an accounting (41) of those from other parts of Stark County who lost their lives in Vietnam.
Using the two foregoing sources, the SCPR counts 104 Stark Countians as having died serving in Vietnam.
So today's blog is owing to the respect for the office of president of the United States of America as the position of commander-in-chief of United States Armed Forces; not for the current Republican holder of the office who The Stark County Political Report thinks is not worthy—on the draft deferment issue in and of itself—of holding these titles.
Had I been writing this blog in the Clinton years, he would have gotten the same treatment at the hand of the SCPR. For he too was a "draft dodger."
President Donald J. Trump Proclaims Memorial Day, May 28, 2018, as a Day of Prayer for Permanent Peace
Issued
on: May 25, 2018
On
Memorial Day, we pause in solemn gratitude to pay tribute to the
brave patriots who laid down their lives defending peace and freedom
while in military service to our great Nation. We set aside
this day to honor their sacrifice and to remind all Americans of the
tremendous price of our precious liberty.
Throughout
the history of our Republic, courageous Americans have purchased our
cherished freedom with their lives. Our 151 national cemeteries
serve as the final resting place for millions of people, including
veterans from every war and conflict, many of whom died while serving
our country. We remain duty bound to honor those who made the
ultimate sacrifice on our behalf and to remember them with
thankfulness and unwavering pride. The fallen — our treasured
loved ones, friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens — deserve
nothing less from a grateful Nation.
We
must safeguard the legacies of our service members so that our
children and our grandchildren will understand the sacrifices of our
Armed Forces. As a part of this effort, the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) is working to keep the memories of our fallen
heroes from ever fading away. The National Cemetery
Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program challenges our youth, from
elementary school through college, to research and share the stories
and sacrifice of their hometown veterans, who are forever honored at
VA National, State, and tribal veterans cemeteries. To further
ensure that our veterans’ legacies are remembered and celebrated,
this program is developing an online memorialization platform that
will amplify the voices of families, survivors, and Gold Star parents
and spouses as they honor our beloved veterans and fallen service
members.
Today,
and every day, we revere those who have died in noble service to our
country. I call upon all Americans to remember the selfless
service members who have been laid to rest in flag-draped coffins and
their families who have suffered the greatest loss. The
sacrifices of our hallowed dead demand our Nation’s highest honor
and deepest gratitude. On this day, let us also unite in prayer
for lasting peace in our troubled world so that future generations
will enjoy the blessings of liberty and independence.
In
honor and recognition of all of our fallen heroes, the Congress, by a
joint resolution approved May 11, 1950, as amended (36 U.S.C. 116),
has requested the President issue a proclamation calling on the
people of the United States to observe each Memorial Day as a
day of prayer for permanent peace and designating a period on that
day when the people of the United States might unite in prayer.
The Congress, by Public Law 106-579, has also designated 3:00
p.m. local time on that day as a time for all Americans to observe,
in their own way, the National Moment of Remembrance.
NOW,
THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of
America, do hereby proclaim Memorial Day, May 28, 2018, as a day
of prayer for permanent peace, and I designate the hour beginning in
each locality at 11:00 a.m. of that day as a time when people might
unite in prayer.
I
further ask all Americans to observe the National Moment of
Remembrance beginning at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day.
I
also request the Governors of the United States and its Territories,
and the appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct
the flag be flown at half-staff until noon on this Memorial Day on
all buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout the
United States and in all areas under its jurisdiction and
control. I also request the people of the United States to
display the flag at half-staff from their homes for the customary
forenoon period.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of
May, in the year of our Lord two thousand eighteen, and of
the Independence of the United States of America the
two hundred and forty-second.
DONALD
J. TRUMP
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