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Posted on 03/06/2016 3:12:59 PM PST by Citizen Zed
Decorated veterans are going after Donald Trump’s character in hard-hitting new Florida ads designed to drive down the Republican presidential front-runner’s popularity to stop him winning the crucial winner-take-all state on March 15.
In new attack ads, released by conservative nonprofit American Future Fund within a multimillion-dollar rotation, two veterans, Afghanistan Special Forces Commander Lt. Col. Michael Waltz and retired Vietnam pilot and prisoner of war Lt. Col. Tom Hanton, hit Trump for dodging the draft in Vietnam, “serving only himself,” and for criticizing Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for being captured during the Vietnam War.
American Future Fund spokesman Stuart Roy said in an email to The Hill Saturday that the group is swapping out its current ads in the Florida Panhandle for the new veteran ads and said it "will be adding new money there on Monday, as well."
“The Panhandle is full of active and retired military. Think Eglin Air Force Base, Pensacola Naval Air Station, Hulburt Field, Naval Support Activity Panama City, and Tyndall Air Force Base.”
In one of the ads, Waltz tells viewers to put a stop Trump's campaign.
“Donald Trump hasn’t served this country a day in his life, essentially dodged the draft in Vietnam through multiple deferments,” Waltz says, speaking directly into the camera. “All Donald Trump has served is himself. Don’t let Donald Trump fool you. Look into his real record and stop Trump now."
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Now that is more of a HOT topic then anything they have on the Donald. Anyone can claim to be a decorated Vet, and anymore they will not even prosecute them. They are trying to SwiftBoat him and will not work. Come on Romney, Cruz Rubio, and some on this site where are your Creditals. Were a pretty quite bunch until you tred where you have no standing.
He was classified 1-A in November 1966, and again in July 1968, ostensibly after he recently had graduated from college and in between his 2-A college deferments. He then had a second Armed Forces physical in September 1968, and the the following month in October 1968 was classified 1-Y, a medical deferment. Finally, he was reclassified from 1-Y to 4-F and disqualified for military service in February 1972.
I voluntarily entered the Armed Forces as a 17 y/o in 1972, near the end of Vietnam and when the draft was still in effect. Many young men were then trying to find ways to avoid the draft. Trump took legitimate advantage of college deferments, and then went from 1-A after graduation to 1-Y just three months later. At the medical exam in September 1968, Trump & his campaign claim he was diagnosed with bone spurs in his feet/heels, although medical records from that time have been destroyed. Trump said “one of his feet,” but couldn't remember which one. The campaign said bone spurs in both heels. His draft card lists “birthmarks” on both his heels — could that have been misconstrued as “bone spurs?”
At this point, I'll give Trump the benefit of the doubt, unless someone has any other information. Add to that, he received a high number in the 1969 draft lottery, 356 out of 366, and very likely would never have been drafted anyway.
Although, like me and many others, he could have volunteered. After all, he was a strapping 6'2”, weighed 180, played football & basketball at the New York Military Academy private boarding school, and was a decorated cadet. The jury will remain out in perpetuity; it's up to each to decide whether or not he purposefully avoided military service.
He seems to have walked it back-but the fact it was said at all is not good.
I am a Iraq Vet. First one under the first Bush. I still wake up in a sweat in the middle of the night.
I do not blame anyone for not volunteering for that, or for not eagerly embracing the draft back in the Vietnam era.
I served under the watchful eye of many Vietnam era vets when I first joined in the early 80's. There stories made me understand what a hellhole that place was.
I am grateful for their service, particularly since they were at such risk fighting a war the public didn't wholly support, and one that was politically mismanaged from the Pentagon. To a man, they believed the war could have, and should have, been won. And that it never should have dragged on that long. And in quiet moments over a beer, they mostly didn't think we belonged there anyway.
Even more incendiary, and a statement that might get me banned by JimRob... if the draft were instituted today, I'd have my son on the first flight out of the country.
So, I don't blame ANYBODY running for President for not serving. A volunteer service is all that should ever be required, barring a catastrophe where the survival of the Republic is at risk. That wasn't the case in Vietnam, and it isn't the case in the Middle East.
And even more flameworthy: I think women SHOULD be required to register. If it ain't worth sending our daughters into war, it ain't worth sending our sons either.
Zactly...
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“Why?”
Because you, or anyone else, who never served in Viet Nam, do not have the right to accuse Trump of dodging the draft.
The military garb Trump wore was due to the type school he was attending.
Neither Cruz nor Rubio served in the military. How can either one open their mouths about someone else not serving?
Yep, there are some profoundly ignorant statements being made here by folks who know little or nothing about the Vietnam era.
Thanks for your service. Bless you. Maybe, I certainly speak for Mr. Trump, he feels a President position will be his serving to his country that wasn’t done years ago. I could be way off base I’m sure.
Bone spurs are not a “foot boo boo.” They can be very painful, limit physical activity, and usually required surgery. And they were determined to be real during a draft physical. Totally legit. If they’re bad enough, you can’t walk far, much less run.
I’m not the one who claimed Trump got out of the draft by lying about having bone spurs. I was just responding to that ridiculous allegation.
I still haven’t gotten an explanation of how he pulled that off. I find it comical that he’s supposed to have told the draft board he had bone spurs, and they just took his word for it.
ping
I agree!
Romney is poison!
One of the reasons that the military physicals are all-encompassing is that they do not want to have to pay disability to someone who had a pre-existing condition.
Yep, I agree. The KKK and Megyn Kelly stuff was garbage, but this one seems legit.
In the new ad I saw an ex-POW was incensed at this Trump statement:
“I like people who weren’t captured.”
Not cool.
One can search for a person in the records, if the SS# and DoB is known: https://www.sss.gov/Home/Verification
Twitter and news conferences are not enough.
Besides, he needs distance between himself and the ads...as they should be just as hostile and dirty as his oppositions.
If he has the money he says he does, he should start spending.
Big.
Otherwise he will be steamrolled.
No! This thread was about Trump not being in the service and I just posted an article telling about his deferments.
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