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 ...
Sorry but that is BS! And your comment is an insult to all Reservists, some of whom are former active duty service members who then become reservists and who are then called up again to active duty or the reservists who voluntarily enlist as reservists, who train hard and for very little compensation and put their civilian lives at risk and often with great hardships on their families knowing that they could be called up to active duty at any time.
FWIW, I’ve known of at least 3 Reservists at places were I’ve worked over the years who were called up to active combat duty and sent overseas; 1 during the 1st Gulf War and 2 during the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and one of those reservists was killed in action.
I know this not only because I knew these men personally but also because I was the Payroll Manager or the HR rep who had to work with them to ensure that their jobs were protected under The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) while they were called up on active duty and that their employer provided insurance benefits for their dependents continued.
http://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/Home/Benefit_Library/Federal_Benefits_Page/Uniformed_Services_Employment_and_Reemployment_Rights_Act_(USERRA).html?serv=228
Afghanistan Special Forces Commander Lt. Col. Michael Waltz:
Mike commanded a U.S. Army Special Forces unit in the reserve component with multiple deployments to Afghanistan and the Middle East. There, Mike commanded a number of SOF teams in four provinces along the border region with Pakistan. In previous deployments, Mike worked closely with UAE, Czech, French, Kuwaiti and Australian Special Forces units in southern Afghanistan, in the Gulf region and other locales. He was awarded four Bronze Stars (including two for Valor) for his service in Afghanistan. Or Lt. Col. Tom Hanton – a POW in Vietnam.
http://www.veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.php?recordID=1813
Is Lt. Col. Tom Hanton one of those people that Trump said he doesn’t like because he “doesn’t like people who got captured”, and calls “losers”?
Source for that? I don’t believe his daddy had anywhere near that level of wealth.
Yes, cancer is wicked. God bless your granddaughter and keep her cancer free.
It’s nice when daddy can loan you a million to vault over the ‘greasy pole’ of government employment.
I know that, it is more the principal of what Trump did that was so bad. It was another reason I don’t like McCain no more than I liked RINO Romney.
You can’t go through 4 years of Military School and the day you run out your student deferments suddenly have foot trouble, that got you classified as 4 F, and that stupid low draft number was not an issue. It would have shown up in school records. Especially when under aged kids signed up and went for 4 years. My ex did his 4, 2 tours in Nam. Current hubby was already in Navy before Nam, but he was pulling Friendly’s out of Nam on the USS Midway when they pulled the AMB out. And off the Coast of Cuba during the Missile Crisis. Career 20 years, Ret. SCPO. We have had men in service since WW2 through the current generation in our family. Including my dad who fought 5 major battles Airborne, under Gen. MacArthur including the Retaking of the “ROCK”.
The birthdates were drawn in a lottery, and assigned a number as they were drawn. Low number? Might as well enlist and choose your branch. High numbers were less likely or unlikely to be drafted.
Ah! Another jealous conservative! Join Bernie’s campaign, pal, you’ll fit in better.
There is a huge difference in SF training for reservists as they have to go through the active duty schools to earn the SF flash. Now, I recall the 20th in Alabama after I left AD and they had zero A team CO’s then who had been through the SFOC. Tell me the reservist who has a year plus of time to go through SF medic school? This reserve LTC may have served 4 tours and BSM’s are not what LTC’s and up get in war for doing a great job. The sharp LTC gets a LOM.
There is a huge difference in SF training for reservists as they have to go through the active duty schools to earn the SF flash. Now, I recall the 20th in Alabama after I left AD and they had zero A team CO’s then who had been through the SFOC. Tell me the reservist who has a year plus of time to go through SF medic school? This reserve LTC may have served 4 tours and BSM’s are not what LTC’s and up get in war for doing a great job. The sharp LTC gets a LOM.
Also a damn payroll civil service type has no idea what SF training is for each MOS. Tell me all about your military duty?
I am not a “payroll “civil” service type”. I’ve always worked in the private sector but I have known Reservists in both my personal and professional life; Reservists who served their country as active duty service members and after leaving active duty, remained Reservists and Reservists who voluntarily enlisted in the reserves and you are disparaging their service and contributions.
Tell me all about your military duty?
Trump took ROTC in High School in NY. Landing a Navy vessel at a dock in DaNang is not same same as serving a year at a time there or flying a jet off a carrier and bombing the north through SAMS. The same is true of pilots out of Thailand who flew up north and others supported friends of mine on the ground in Laos.Trump was in college for 4 years and that =’S 1S or 2S deferments, 1S is a shorter term student deferment then 2S. In 64-66 I and many of my friends went in the service. I could have easily gone to Germany and never served a day in Vietnam as my father got a number of Dr’s sons sent to Germany or Korea. Donald Trump could have easily have been assigned to a NY NG unit and never left the USA with his father’s pull. Trump was not a draft dodger. He did it legally and his lottery number was 356.
This LTC Waltz is a Republican Party hack. He is a defense contractor. Yes, he served his AD time of 4-5 years and then it was reserves. He is a VMI grad. He is a small Gov Contractor with only 5-10 million and claims 100-200 employees. 100 employees at 100K each would bankrupt him.
http://askariassociates.com/michael-waltz-principal/
Death Toll Rises for Military Reservists://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,78441,00.html
Marine Reserve unit hit hard in Iraq holds 10-year reunion
And FWIW, when my late father was drafted into the US Army during WWII he was put into what had been, until they were activated after the declaration of war, a National Guard division – the National Guard division from Ohio, nicknamed the "Buckeye Division".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/37th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)#World_War_II
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/37th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)#Combat_chronicle
He fought valiantly in the PTO, in the Fiji Islands, in New Georgia, and in Bougainville and finally to liberate the city of Manila and served alongside other draftees and with career soldiers and commanders and with many who had formerly been National Guardsmen – those who had been Reservists during peacetime.
Major General Robert Beightler was one of only eleven generals who commanded their divisions for the entire war, and was the only National Guard general to do so
You can disparage and try to belittle the service of Reservists all you like but it doesn’t change the facts.
That was WWII. This Waltz is a political hack. Everyone who could served during WWII. Where have you served?
Because that has nothing to do with the claim that he dodged the draft by buying a medical exemption. So take your own advice and be honest.
Donald Trump took student deferments for four years. By the time he graduated the damn lottery was in effect. Student deferments are not draft dodging. And you think a doctor lied for Trump? If my ass could have found an MD who would lie-I would have seen him. Instead I served for almost 9 years on active duty. 66-75.
I was defending Trump from the accusation that he bought a deferment or in any other fashion had dodged the draft.
And what have I not been honest about? I told the damn truth that the Reserves and NG are not as combat capable or as well trained as active duty. That is especially true of SF. Go to professional soldiers.com. Ask team sergeant.
“And what have I not been honest about?”
In your intitial post to me you said “Why not be honest and..”. I was simply responding to that.
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