Commander Kelly: Veterans Memorial Museum and Donald Trump

Last weekend I had an opportunity to visit the Veterans Memorial Museum in Chehalis, WA. This remarkable museum was completed in 2005. It is just off I-5 in Chehalis which is south of Olympia. Here is their link...http://www.veteransmuseum.org/.

Purple Hearts
Veterans memorial Museum, Chehalis, WA

It contains many personal artifacts that were donated by veterans and their families. It presents a record of consistent service stretching back from the American Revolution to recent service in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Sgt. Jeffrey Shaver
Veteran's Memorial Museum, Chehalis, WA

Some of these veteran artifacts can be deeply moving. You will find the uniform of Jeffrey Shaver, the first Washington state guardsman to die in combat since the Korean war -- he was killed in Iraq (http://thefallen.militarytimes.com/army-sgt-jeffrey-r-shaver/257310).

Donald Trump

An tsunami of condescension has swept the Trump Presidential campaign from the mainstream media. Huff/Po relegated / elevated coverage of the Donald to the entertainment sections. The sneering was widespread and palpable.

Personally, I have attempted to keep an open mind about all of the Republican candidates including The Donald. He has clearly been an enormous success in the business world and he is willing to speak his mind in a way that is refreshingly unlike ordinary politicians.

Trump is also his own worst enemy. Every time he opens his mouth he seems to veer off script and embarrasses himself in some way. He lacks any real political experience or a filter.

The same weekend that I was visiting the Veterans Museum in Chehalis Donald Trump had this to say about Senator John McCain, "He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured."

POW / MIA
We remember

By attacking a fellow Republican he violated Reagan's famous 11 Commandment -- to not speak ill about fellow Republicans. Moreover, he disparaged McCain in a way that is offensive to many veterans. Many American servicemen and some women have been captured while on duty. Even during the American Revolution thousands of American patriots were imprisoned on British prison hulks; many of them died in captivity. Thousands of Americans were captured in the Philippines at the start of World War II in the Pacific (e.g. the siege of Corregidor). The USS Pueblo and her crew was captured by the North Koreans. Many like John McCain were captured during the Vietnam war. All of those have been heroes in my estimation.

Vietnam era soldier and his dog

Many candidates make verbal gaffes and these are understandable and excusable provided that one recognizes the error and makes an apology. Trump refused to apologize and doubled down on his own fatuous position. He tried to change the subject and discuss the US governments failure to address the needs of veterans.

Soldier on a rope

Trump may have many fine qualities (good negotiator, etc.) but he is utterly hopeless as either the Republican nominee or a future American President. His ignorance of the most basic military matters disqualifies him to become Commander in chief.