What Was in It for Them?
COMMENTARY

September 9, 2020 by Leonard Pitts
What Was in It for Them?
American Cemetery at Normandy. (Dreamstime/TNS)

The American Cemetery at Normandy sits on a bluff overlooking the beach where, on June 6, 1944, American soldiers waded ashore to begin the invasion of France. The old battlefield is marked with shell craters and gun pits offering mute testimony to the fury of that day. In the cemetery itself stand endless rows of white crosses and the occasional Star of David — mute testimony to the sacrifice it required.

If you’ve ever been there, ever knelt to read names on marble markers or stood in contemplation of the gray waters of the English Channel, you understand why my thoughts flew back there last week. That, of course, is when The Atlantic posted a story alleging that Donald Trump described American military personnel captured or wounded in war as “losers” and “suckers.”

Reporter Jeffrey Goldberg, citing four anonymous sources, writes of how Trump canceled a planned visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in 2018 to commemorate the centennial of the World War I Battle of Belleau Wood. The public explanation was that it was raining too hard for the presidential helicopter to fly, and the Secret Service nixed the idea of a motorcade.

“Neither claim,” writes Goldberg, “was true.”

He quotes Trump asking, “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” Separately, according to Goldberg, he described the 1,811 marines who died in the battle — which stopped the Germans from reaching Paris — as “suckers” for getting killed. Plus, says Goldberg, he was concerned the rain might muss his hair.

Then there’s this: On a 2017 Memorial Day visit to Arlington National Cemetery accompanied by then-Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly, Trump reportedly joined Kelly at the grave of Kelly’s son, a 29-year-old marine killed in Afghanistan.

“I don’t get it,” said Trump. “What was in it for them?”

And here, I am obligated to note that Trump has forcefully denied these reports. I also note that Kelly, who could easily clear his ex-boss with a simple denial, has maintained an eloquent silence. Meantime, a number of other news organizations, including the Associated Press, the Washington Post and, incredibly, Fox, have confirmed the story, in whole or in part. More to the point, given his very public denigration of Sen. John McCain’s wartime service, his attack on Gold Star father Khizr Khan, his oafish condolence call to the widow of army Sgt. La David Johnson (”He knew what he signed up for”) and his willingness to use the military as a political prop, is it so hard to believe Trump said those words?

No, it is not. So in response, I’ll simply say this: He’s right. American military personnel are losers.

They’ve lost limbs and eyesight, blood and guts, minds and lives in the jungles of Guadalcanal, the mountains of Afghanistan, the streets of Gettysburg.

And yes, they’re suckers, too. Sucker enough to venerate corny ideals like duty and valor and the responsibility to answer when country calls.

What was in it for them? Nothing much. Just mud, snow, terror, hunger, horror, jungle rot and a good chance of death.

It is no surprise Donald Trump understands none of this. He is the favored son of a rich man who never taught him to look beyond the horizon of his own self-interest. But on a bluff in France, in graveyards, fields, forests, deserts and jungles around the world, dead Americans lie in silent rebuke of his selfishness. These “losers” and “suckers” never thought to ask what was in it for them. They already knew, yet they did not shirk. Their country asked them to go forward into danger.

And they did.


© 2020 MIAMI HERALD

A+
a-

In The News

Health

Voting

Opinions

New Poll Results Show Americans Are Concerned About Political Division and What Can Be Done to Fix It

As we head into this election year with a likely rematch between two relatively unpopular candidates, it may seem political divisions... Read More

As we head into this election year with a likely rematch between two relatively unpopular candidates, it may seem political divisions are higher than ever. Many controversial issues like immigration, taxes and debate over foreign aid dominate the news, so much so that many Americans may think... Read More

Ensuring Equity and Innovation in Kidney Care: a Call to Action During National Kidney Month

When you woke up this morning, you probably turned on the light, maybe looked at your phone or went to... Read More

When you woke up this morning, you probably turned on the light, maybe looked at your phone or went to get a glass of water, all without much thought. Electricity, phone service and running water are all essentials that we give little thought to until they’re... Read More

The American Rescue Plan Is (Still) Worth Celebrating

Just three years ago, our economy was in the midst of an unprecedented crisis. Communities across the nation were reeling... Read More

Just three years ago, our economy was in the midst of an unprecedented crisis. Communities across the nation were reeling not only from the health implications of the COVID pandemic, but also from high unemployment, business closures and frightening economic uncertainty. Bold and decisive action was... Read More

Cutting Through the Generative AI Noise: What Business Leaders Should Do Now

No matter what industry you’re in, there are two things that every business leader cares about: revenue growth and cost reduction. These are the... Read More

No matter what industry you’re in, there are two things that every business leader cares about: revenue growth and cost reduction. These are the metrics that CEOs talk about ad nauseam during earnings calls. They are the keys that unlock higher business valuations, individual performance bonuses and the ever elusive... Read More

Shield Our Eyes: Lawmakers Across the Country Must Ensure Eye Surgery Can Only Be Performed by Medical Eye Surgeons 

Training and experience matter, especially when health is on the line. Just as one would rightly be concerned to discover... Read More

Training and experience matter, especially when health is on the line. Just as one would rightly be concerned to discover a flight attendant, rather than a pilot, flying their airplane, so too would most people be alarmed to find the person performing surgery on and around... Read More

Fentanyl Kills More Than 150 Americans Each Day, but Some States Keep Overdose Rescue Medications Out of Reach 

Today’s growing overdose epidemic is being fueled by fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100... Read More

Today’s growing overdose epidemic is being fueled by fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. In fact, it’s so lethal that only a tiny amount — 2 milligrams, about the size of a pencil tip — can... Read More

News From The Well
scroll top