Thank you for this piece. Both of my parents served in WWII. My mom was one of the few Mexican-American women in the Navy WAVES. She enlisted at age 20 as a widow; her first husband was a P-38 pilot killed over Romania in 1944. She met my dad serving at Corona Naval Hospital in CA; they worked in the burn unit, tending sailors and Marines wounded in the Pacific through the end of 1946.
My living siblings and their spouses are all supporters of the Convicted Felon; one even allegedly attended Jan 6. [ I can't substantiate that because I haven't spoken to any of them for two decades. I have ONE niece who is a critical thinker who is also appalled her aunt is that rabid. ]
My psyche does not handle willful stupidity well; it's not ignorance because they CHOOSE to be blind to reality. My nephews who are veterans also voted for the Fraud, despite him calling them "Losers".
They desecrate and defile the sacrifices of The Greatest Generation. May karma bite them hard.
Thank you for sharing this. Your parents' service is an incredible legacy—one of sacrifice, duty, and true patriotism. Their story, especially your mother’s as a Mexican-American woman in the WAVES, is both inspiring and a testament to the diverse fabric of those who fought for democracy in WWII.
I hear you on the willful ignorance. It’s one thing to lack knowledge; it’s another to reject it in favor of delusions that prop up a convicted felon who spits on everything our elders fought for. The fact that some of your nephews, veterans themselves, could still support someone who openly mocked the sacrifices of the military is staggering.
You’re right—this isn’t just political difference; it’s a betrayal of history, of values, of truth. And yes, may karma handle the rest.
Stay strong, and thank you again for sharing your story. It matters.
Jude, I have struggled for years now to understand WHY, HOW could anyone, much less veterans, support trump. Being related to seemingly a number of them, who are these people and what drives them? Is it hate of “intellectuals,” racism, greed…what is it? Why the rampant, willful stupidity?
"It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get."
--Confucious
My opinion is that it is laziness at the core. So much easier to have someone else tell you what is "right," what is "truth," than to have to think about it and realize being an adult is much more complicated than it was when your parents controlled your life at age five.
We have millions of voters too lazy to fill out a ballot. Add to that the psychological nature of propaganda to play on fear and shared hate, and it becomes a blindness to a reality they refuse to acknowledge.
I wake up some mornings wishing I could just stop, "let someone else" protest, and write letters, and fight...and then I remember Alexei Navalny said, "You do not get to give up; there is no shame in doing little, but there is great shame in doing nothing."
Alexei Navalny along with Volodymyr Zelenskyy are two (among others) who inspire me to keep going when I just want to curl up with my cats and forget everything.
Thank you so much for sharing that. Your father and uncles’ service is a testament to the courage and sacrifice that built and defended this nation. Their legacy lives on through you, and your words carry their honor forward. I am deeply grateful—for their service, for your voice, and for the reminder that we must continue to stand for the democracy they fought to protect.
This is true for me, too. I had 5 uncles and my dad serve in WWII. Another uncle served as an engineer at the Pentagon as he had polio as a child. One uncle was lost while doing aerial reconnaissance of the Netherlands, just prior to the Market Garden offensive near the end of WWII. My grandfather served in WWI. As a child I lived in post WWII Germany with my parents keeping the peace away from home. From all of us, we join in thanking you for saying what must be said.
That kind of family history isn’t just something to be proud of—it’s a living reminder of what real service, real sacrifice, and real commitment to something bigger than ourselves looks like. Your words mean a lot, and knowing they come from someone whose family has been so deeply connected to history makes them even more powerful.
It’s easy to feel like the truth is slipping away these days, but as long as people like you are still here to bear witness, to remember, and to speak up, it won’t be lost. I appreciate you taking the time to share this—and for standing alongside those who refuse to let the past be rewritten.
My brave uncle was a pilot in WWII whose plane crashed during a bombing raid over Yugoslavia. He lost several members of his crew, was severely injured and spent 18 months as a German POW. My father in law enlisted when he was over the age to serve and was in the infantry in Europe. Yankee Division. He fought at Bastogne and eventually was united with Patton’s army when they liberated Moosburg and freed my uncle. I have witnessed my uncle’s tears when he spoke of how important freedom is coming from a place where his freedom was taken away.
Both men are long gone now but certainly not forgotten. We owe it to them and to the many who fought and died to keep up the fight. To bring liberty and justice back to America, back to our friends and allies around the world. We won’t forget.
What a powerful tribute—thank you for sharing this. Your uncle and father-in-law embodied courage and sacrifice in its truest form. It’s staggering to consider what they endured and fought for, and how those values—freedom, unity, justice—were not just ideals, but personal truths earned through unimaginable hardship.
The image of your uncle’s tears says everything. That’s the kind of memory that stays with you and reminds us why we can’t be complacent. You're absolutely right—we owe it to them, and to every soul who stood against tyranny, to carry the torch forward. The fight for liberty isn’t over, and their legacy demands we meet this moment with the same courage they once did.
Thank you so much for your kind response and for all you are doing to bring attention to the real dangers we face today. Your Open Letters always resonate with me and encourage me to continue being brave myself to do the hard work that is necessary to save our freedom for future generations.
I was raised going to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery on Sundays after church to reflect on my lost uncle and all the service people buried there. The history and its importance was taught to my generation. My cousin and I have become the family contacts if my lost uncle is ever identified. We hold the flame of his memory while we are alive. Pray for peace.
That’s a deeply moving tradition and a powerful way to honor your uncle’s memory. Your commitment to preserving his legacy is admirable. Wishing you and your family peace.
You write with urgency, and I hear the weight of history in every line. The parallels you draw don’t just sit in the past—they press into the present. Framing this as a veteran’s voice makes that weight unavoidable. I see what you’re doing: holding a mirror to those who claim a legacy they no longer uphold.
It’s a sharp and deliberate piece. I appreciate the clarity.
What is the Russian Republican Party? Who is a Russian Republican? Is there a Russian Republican president?
A Russian Republican ignores the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A Russian Republican places the Russian Republican President before the United States Constitution.
A Russian Republican allows the destruction of the United States Constitution sections and clauses that define “Separation of Power” between the three branches of government.
A Russian Republican demolishes institutions that support the Veterans of the United States.
A Russian Republican refuses to acknowledge that Russia once again invaded a sovereign nation.
A Russian Republican refuses to support a Ukrainian democracy defend its borders.
A Russian Republican refuses to share life saving satellite intelligence to a Ukrainian democracy.
A Russian Republican labels a war time president of a Ukrainian democracy a dictator.
A Russian Republican refuses to be part of an alliance of democratic nations called NATO.
A Russian Republican claims that Canada, a sovereign nation must relinquish its independence.
A Russian Republican claims that Greenland, an autonomous country of the Kingdom of Denmark must relinquish its ties to Denmark.
A Russian Republican claims that Panama, a sovereign nation must relinquish its independence.
The Russian-American Fascist Alliance is seen and is being protested worldwide. While Iranian men wore white shirts, tearing them open to be shot by the Shah’s fascist troops, the women of Paris don’t need any stinking shirts. https://bit.ly/4iBdePo
I am an old man now, but I remember when America meant something. I remember when we didn’t kneel before tyrants, when we didn’t excuse the actions of madmen, when we didn’t turn our backs on our allies because it was politically convenient.
My father and his older brother joined the military as soon as they were out of high school in New York. They were the sons of immigrants from Eastern Europe and Russia. They knew the hell their parents escaped and responded gratefully to the war against fascism. My dad joined the Army Aircorps; my uncle joined the Navy. Both served honorably in the Pacific. My brother and I took care of both him and my mom for 3 1/2 years during COVID. During that time, our youngest brother caught COVID and died a lonely, horrible death in 2020. And I and my brother had to tell our bedridden mother and father, both in their 90s, that their youngest son had died. Dad passed away in 2022, just two months after our mother passed. We were grateful Biden was in office actually helping the American people. I was emotionally and physically exhausted. I don’t know how we would handle having to deal with him knowing what the electorate decided this time around 😔.
Our uncle, who survived being blown of a ship, is, at 100 years old, is a rabid MAGA. 😞
That’s a heartbreaking story, and I can only imagine the emotional weight of everything you and your family have been through. The contrast between your father’s and uncle’s service—fighting actual fascism—and the way some have now been manipulated into supporting its resurgence is beyond tragic. It’s enraging.
Your father and uncle served out of gratitude, understanding firsthand what their parents had escaped and what was at stake in that war. That kind of patriotism—rooted in duty, not spectacle—makes your uncle’s allegiance to MAGA all the more painful. Losing your youngest brother to COVID and having to break that news to your parents must have been devastating beyond words. And to have endured all of that while navigating the chaos of a pandemic—one made infinitely worse by Trump’s deliberate negligence—only deepens the exhaustion and grief. The relief you felt with Biden in office was real; at least there was an adult in the room trying to lead. And now, watching the country willingly march back into disaster—it’s infuriating and demoralizing.
Your 100-year-old uncle’s embrace of MAGA isn’t just a personal heartbreak; it’s a case study in how the Republican machine operates. They prey on the elderly, the isolated, and the vulnerable with relentless fearmongering, much like a scam email or robocall that feeds on anxiety. The GOP thrives on fear—fear of crime, fear of immigrants, fear of “socialism,” fear of their own neighbors—because fear is a tool of control. They package that fear, slap a flag on it, and sell it as patriotism, turning men who once fought against tyranny into foot soldiers for a cause that would have horrified them in their youth. The irony is staggering. Whether it’s nostalgia, propaganda, or sheer cognitive dissonance, the result is the same: good people, manipulated into cheering on their own destruction.
It’s cruel, cynical, and deeply effective. And for those of us who still see clearly, it’s exhausting. But even in all this frustration, you and your family have shown what real strength and care look like. You didn’t just talk about duty—you lived it, for your parents, for your brother, for each other. That’s the kind of legacy worth carrying forward. Even when the world feels like it’s unraveling, your love, your care, and your resilience are real. And that’s something no election can erase.
Thank you once again for a well written letter! My father served our country in Korea, as a gunner on the front lines. He was injured by gun shot, but it was minor and he never reported it, because he wanted to continue his duty. On top of all of the disgraceful things the felon, P01135809, has done, his disrespect for our veterans is one of the worst. Although I really miss my father, I’m glad he isn’t here to see that our country elected someone so unworthy to the highest office. He would’ve been disgusted.
Thank you for the letter from the son to his dad. I hope the dad sees the reality of this dicktraitor.
Thank you for sharing your father’s story. His dedication and sacrifice, even in the face of injury, speak volumes about his character—something Trump and his enablers will never understand.
My father also served in Korea. He was a lifelong Democrat and was horrified by Trump. He passed away in early 2023, and like you, I’m grateful he didn’t have to witness Trump’s resurrection. The idea that someone who has repeatedly disrespected veterans, belittled their sacrifices, and undermined the very institutions they fought to defend is once again in power would have sickened him.
It’s a cruel twist of history that so many who fought for democracy would live to see it so recklessly betrayed. But their example reminds us of what real service and patriotism look like—something we must carry forward, no matter how dark these times get.
Thank you again for your message, and for honoring your father’s memory.
I enjoyed reading this perspective of a veteran of that generation. I am in my 60s so the world wars were behind me but as a young child I remember the Vietnam War and the Korean conflict. I respect and am humbled by those that serve what I once would have called this great country. I now am ashamed of the US and what we have become. Sadly,
My father served three years in the Army in the European theater during World War II. He rarely spoke of his service. After he passed away in 1992, we came across his service records. He participated in:
Normandy beachhead on D-Day
Breakthrough at St. Lo
Liberation of Paris
Liberation of Liege
Fall of Aachen
Battle of the Bulge
Fall of Cologne
Remagen bridge
Liberation of Nordhausen camp
Meeting with Russians at Torgau
Perhaps he rarely spoke of it because he endured and witnessed so much. He returned largely intact, met and married my mom, and was a wonderful dad to my two brothers and me.
He was a socially conservative New Deal Democrat through and through.
Just less than 50% of voters supported this criminal, immoral, dishonest, selfish man for President in 2024. A man who, when visiting France in 2018, privately referred to troops who had died in the war as losers and suckers. A man who said avoiding STDs in Manhattan during his youthful days was his Viet Nam.
My father must be rolling in his grave at the prospect of such a man being Commander-in-Chief. Perhaps the greatest lesson my father ever taught me is that character and integrity matter; perhaps more than anything else in our public affairs; certainly more than party loyalty. It’s sad that party loyalty seems to be the prevailing concern for so many in public office these days.
This is a powerful and moving tribute to both your father and the values he lived—and fought—for. Thank you for sharing it. His service reads like a tour through the very heart of the Allied campaign for freedom and human dignity, from Normandy to Nordhausen. No wonder he didn’t speak of it often. Men like him carried the weight of history quietly.
And now we live in a time when the presidency is occupied by a man who mocks the fallen, dodges duty, and boasts about selfishness as if it were strength. It’s not just insulting—it’s obscene. Your father didn’t endure all that for a country that would one day elevate someone who sneers at sacrifice and equates patriotism with personal gain.
You’re right: character and integrity aren’t optional in leadership—they’re the foundation. And when loyalty to party outweighs loyalty to principle, we lose not just our way, but our soul. Thank you again—for your words, and for reminding us what real courage and decency look like.
Having been born at the end of WWII in the rubble of London your letter strikes a deep nerve. My grandfather fought in France in WWI with his brothers against the Kaiser who had grand ambitions. My Mother a member of the Woman’s Auxiliary Air Force WAAF, stood on guard night and day in underground bunkers in Kent England mapping the path of Nazi fighters and bombers heading to bomb London. Meanwhile my father was a British Naval officer assigned to a Dreadnough and a Revenge class battleship serving in the North Atlantic and also Burma campaign. I served in the US Army during the Vietnam war manning a Hawk Missile battery.
I have no eloquent words to describe my feelings regarding the current state of affairs of this once great nation except to say that a divided nation cannot stand and political cruelty in all its forms is reprehensible. It must STOP trying to destroy itself socially, economically, and politically from within.
Your words carry the weight of history, of sacrifice, of generations who fought not just for survival but for the principles of democracy and decency. Your family’s service—from the trenches of WWI to the watchful eyes in Kent, from the battleships of the North Atlantic to the missile batteries of Vietnam—stands as a testament to the very idea that freedom is not inherited, but defended.
And yet, here we are, watching this nation unravel from within, not by external enemies, but by those who claim to love it while undermining its foundations. The political cruelty, the willful division, the erosion of truth—it is a betrayal of every sacrifice made before us.
You are right: a divided nation cannot stand. And what we are witnessing is not just division but deliberate destruction, driven by those who would rather rule the ruins than serve a thriving democracy. But history also reminds us that resistance—whether in the skies over England or in the battles of ideology—matters. And so, we fight, not with weapons, but with words, with truth, with an unyielding refusal to let this nation fall into darkness.
Thank you for your service, your family’s sacrifice, and your voice. It is voices like yours that remind us of what is at stake and why we cannot afford to look away.
Thank you for your service sir! My father fought with you in WWII. He was a fighter pilot in Europe. I joined the Air Force and proudly served 20 years because of my father’s example. I am heartbroken and sick to see what is being done to our country and the sacrifices by people like you and my father being spit upon by these despicable tyrants bowing to Russia.
Thank you for your message, and most importantly, for your service to our country. I want to make sure you saw the note at the end of my letter—I was writing in the persona of a veteran as a literary device, but I have deep respect for those who have truly served, like you and your father.
I share your heartbreak over what is happening to our country. The sacrifices of those who fought for our freedoms should be honored, not betrayed by those who bow to authoritarian regimes. Your words are a powerful reminder of what’s at stake and why we must continue to stand against those who undermine our nation’s values.
Again, thank you for reaching out—it truly means a lot.
Thank you for this piece. Both of my parents served in WWII. My mom was one of the few Mexican-American women in the Navy WAVES. She enlisted at age 20 as a widow; her first husband was a P-38 pilot killed over Romania in 1944. She met my dad serving at Corona Naval Hospital in CA; they worked in the burn unit, tending sailors and Marines wounded in the Pacific through the end of 1946.
My living siblings and their spouses are all supporters of the Convicted Felon; one even allegedly attended Jan 6. [ I can't substantiate that because I haven't spoken to any of them for two decades. I have ONE niece who is a critical thinker who is also appalled her aunt is that rabid. ]
My psyche does not handle willful stupidity well; it's not ignorance because they CHOOSE to be blind to reality. My nephews who are veterans also voted for the Fraud, despite him calling them "Losers".
They desecrate and defile the sacrifices of The Greatest Generation. May karma bite them hard.
Dear Jude,
Thank you for sharing this. Your parents' service is an incredible legacy—one of sacrifice, duty, and true patriotism. Their story, especially your mother’s as a Mexican-American woman in the WAVES, is both inspiring and a testament to the diverse fabric of those who fought for democracy in WWII.
I hear you on the willful ignorance. It’s one thing to lack knowledge; it’s another to reject it in favor of delusions that prop up a convicted felon who spits on everything our elders fought for. The fact that some of your nephews, veterans themselves, could still support someone who openly mocked the sacrifices of the military is staggering.
You’re right—this isn’t just political difference; it’s a betrayal of history, of values, of truth. And yes, may karma handle the rest.
Stay strong, and thank you again for sharing your story. It matters.
—Mersault
Jude, I have struggled for years now to understand WHY, HOW could anyone, much less veterans, support trump. Being related to seemingly a number of them, who are these people and what drives them? Is it hate of “intellectuals,” racism, greed…what is it? Why the rampant, willful stupidity?
"It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get."
--Confucious
My opinion is that it is laziness at the core. So much easier to have someone else tell you what is "right," what is "truth," than to have to think about it and realize being an adult is much more complicated than it was when your parents controlled your life at age five.
We have millions of voters too lazy to fill out a ballot. Add to that the psychological nature of propaganda to play on fear and shared hate, and it becomes a blindness to a reality they refuse to acknowledge.
I wake up some mornings wishing I could just stop, "let someone else" protest, and write letters, and fight...and then I remember Alexei Navalny said, "You do not get to give up; there is no shame in doing little, but there is great shame in doing nothing."
Alexei Navalny along with Volodymyr Zelenskyy are two (among others) who inspire me to keep going when I just want to curl up with my cats and forget everything.
My father & every one of my uncles served in WWII. From their graves, through me, on their behalf, THANK YOU.
Dear Rebecca,
Thank you so much for sharing that. Your father and uncles’ service is a testament to the courage and sacrifice that built and defended this nation. Their legacy lives on through you, and your words carry their honor forward. I am deeply grateful—for their service, for your voice, and for the reminder that we must continue to stand for the democracy they fought to protect.
Mersault
This is true for me, too. I had 5 uncles and my dad serve in WWII. Another uncle served as an engineer at the Pentagon as he had polio as a child. One uncle was lost while doing aerial reconnaissance of the Netherlands, just prior to the Market Garden offensive near the end of WWII. My grandfather served in WWI. As a child I lived in post WWII Germany with my parents keeping the peace away from home. From all of us, we join in thanking you for saying what must be said.
That kind of family history isn’t just something to be proud of—it’s a living reminder of what real service, real sacrifice, and real commitment to something bigger than ourselves looks like. Your words mean a lot, and knowing they come from someone whose family has been so deeply connected to history makes them even more powerful.
It’s easy to feel like the truth is slipping away these days, but as long as people like you are still here to bear witness, to remember, and to speak up, it won’t be lost. I appreciate you taking the time to share this—and for standing alongside those who refuse to let the past be rewritten.
My brave uncle was a pilot in WWII whose plane crashed during a bombing raid over Yugoslavia. He lost several members of his crew, was severely injured and spent 18 months as a German POW. My father in law enlisted when he was over the age to serve and was in the infantry in Europe. Yankee Division. He fought at Bastogne and eventually was united with Patton’s army when they liberated Moosburg and freed my uncle. I have witnessed my uncle’s tears when he spoke of how important freedom is coming from a place where his freedom was taken away.
Both men are long gone now but certainly not forgotten. We owe it to them and to the many who fought and died to keep up the fight. To bring liberty and justice back to America, back to our friends and allies around the world. We won’t forget.
Dear Cindy,
What a powerful tribute—thank you for sharing this. Your uncle and father-in-law embodied courage and sacrifice in its truest form. It’s staggering to consider what they endured and fought for, and how those values—freedom, unity, justice—were not just ideals, but personal truths earned through unimaginable hardship.
The image of your uncle’s tears says everything. That’s the kind of memory that stays with you and reminds us why we can’t be complacent. You're absolutely right—we owe it to them, and to every soul who stood against tyranny, to carry the torch forward. The fight for liberty isn’t over, and their legacy demands we meet this moment with the same courage they once did.
We won’t forget. And we won’t give up.
Thank you so much for your kind response and for all you are doing to bring attention to the real dangers we face today. Your Open Letters always resonate with me and encourage me to continue being brave myself to do the hard work that is necessary to save our freedom for future generations.
I’m honored the letters resonate with you, and I’m inspired by your courage and resolve.
I was raised going to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery on Sundays after church to reflect on my lost uncle and all the service people buried there. The history and its importance was taught to my generation. My cousin and I have become the family contacts if my lost uncle is ever identified. We hold the flame of his memory while we are alive. Pray for peace.
That’s a deeply moving tradition and a powerful way to honor your uncle’s memory. Your commitment to preserving his legacy is admirable. Wishing you and your family peace.
Mersault,
You write with urgency, and I hear the weight of history in every line. The parallels you draw don’t just sit in the past—they press into the present. Framing this as a veteran’s voice makes that weight unavoidable. I see what you’re doing: holding a mirror to those who claim a legacy they no longer uphold.
It’s a sharp and deliberate piece. I appreciate the clarity.
I'm glad it resonated with you. The weight of history isn’t just an abstract lesson—it’s a warning, and if the mirror cuts, then it’s doing its job.
What is the Russian Republican Party? Who is a Russian Republican? Is there a Russian Republican president?
A Russian Republican ignores the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A Russian Republican places the Russian Republican President before the United States Constitution.
A Russian Republican allows the destruction of the United States Constitution sections and clauses that define “Separation of Power” between the three branches of government.
A Russian Republican demolishes institutions that support the Veterans of the United States.
A Russian Republican refuses to acknowledge that Russia once again invaded a sovereign nation.
A Russian Republican refuses to support a Ukrainian democracy defend its borders.
A Russian Republican refuses to share life saving satellite intelligence to a Ukrainian democracy.
A Russian Republican labels a war time president of a Ukrainian democracy a dictator.
A Russian Republican refuses to be part of an alliance of democratic nations called NATO.
A Russian Republican claims that Canada, a sovereign nation must relinquish its independence.
A Russian Republican claims that Greenland, an autonomous country of the Kingdom of Denmark must relinquish its ties to Denmark.
A Russian Republican claims that Panama, a sovereign nation must relinquish its independence.
The Russian-American Fascist Alliance is seen and is being protested worldwide. While Iranian men wore white shirts, tearing them open to be shot by the Shah’s fascist troops, the women of Paris don’t need any stinking shirts. https://bit.ly/4iBdePo
To the so-called leaders of the Republican Party,
I am an old man now, but I remember when America meant something. I remember when we didn’t kneel before tyrants, when we didn’t excuse the actions of madmen, when we didn’t turn our backs on our allies because it was politically convenient.
ISN'T THAT THE TRUTH!
My father and his older brother joined the military as soon as they were out of high school in New York. They were the sons of immigrants from Eastern Europe and Russia. They knew the hell their parents escaped and responded gratefully to the war against fascism. My dad joined the Army Aircorps; my uncle joined the Navy. Both served honorably in the Pacific. My brother and I took care of both him and my mom for 3 1/2 years during COVID. During that time, our youngest brother caught COVID and died a lonely, horrible death in 2020. And I and my brother had to tell our bedridden mother and father, both in their 90s, that their youngest son had died. Dad passed away in 2022, just two months after our mother passed. We were grateful Biden was in office actually helping the American people. I was emotionally and physically exhausted. I don’t know how we would handle having to deal with him knowing what the electorate decided this time around 😔.
Our uncle, who survived being blown of a ship, is, at 100 years old, is a rabid MAGA. 😞
Dear BmG,
That’s a heartbreaking story, and I can only imagine the emotional weight of everything you and your family have been through. The contrast between your father’s and uncle’s service—fighting actual fascism—and the way some have now been manipulated into supporting its resurgence is beyond tragic. It’s enraging.
Your father and uncle served out of gratitude, understanding firsthand what their parents had escaped and what was at stake in that war. That kind of patriotism—rooted in duty, not spectacle—makes your uncle’s allegiance to MAGA all the more painful. Losing your youngest brother to COVID and having to break that news to your parents must have been devastating beyond words. And to have endured all of that while navigating the chaos of a pandemic—one made infinitely worse by Trump’s deliberate negligence—only deepens the exhaustion and grief. The relief you felt with Biden in office was real; at least there was an adult in the room trying to lead. And now, watching the country willingly march back into disaster—it’s infuriating and demoralizing.
Your 100-year-old uncle’s embrace of MAGA isn’t just a personal heartbreak; it’s a case study in how the Republican machine operates. They prey on the elderly, the isolated, and the vulnerable with relentless fearmongering, much like a scam email or robocall that feeds on anxiety. The GOP thrives on fear—fear of crime, fear of immigrants, fear of “socialism,” fear of their own neighbors—because fear is a tool of control. They package that fear, slap a flag on it, and sell it as patriotism, turning men who once fought against tyranny into foot soldiers for a cause that would have horrified them in their youth. The irony is staggering. Whether it’s nostalgia, propaganda, or sheer cognitive dissonance, the result is the same: good people, manipulated into cheering on their own destruction.
It’s cruel, cynical, and deeply effective. And for those of us who still see clearly, it’s exhausting. But even in all this frustration, you and your family have shown what real strength and care look like. You didn’t just talk about duty—you lived it, for your parents, for your brother, for each other. That’s the kind of legacy worth carrying forward. Even when the world feels like it’s unraveling, your love, your care, and your resilience are real. And that’s something no election can erase.
That was an absolute beautiful reply🙏🏽🙏🏽💙💙🇺🇦🇺🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Thank you. Thank you for your care and response. I am overwhelmed ❤️🩹
Thank you once again for a well written letter! My father served our country in Korea, as a gunner on the front lines. He was injured by gun shot, but it was minor and he never reported it, because he wanted to continue his duty. On top of all of the disgraceful things the felon, P01135809, has done, his disrespect for our veterans is one of the worst. Although I really miss my father, I’m glad he isn’t here to see that our country elected someone so unworthy to the highest office. He would’ve been disgusted.
Thank you for the letter from the son to his dad. I hope the dad sees the reality of this dicktraitor.
Rusty,
Thank you for sharing your father’s story. His dedication and sacrifice, even in the face of injury, speak volumes about his character—something Trump and his enablers will never understand.
My father also served in Korea. He was a lifelong Democrat and was horrified by Trump. He passed away in early 2023, and like you, I’m grateful he didn’t have to witness Trump’s resurrection. The idea that someone who has repeatedly disrespected veterans, belittled their sacrifices, and undermined the very institutions they fought to defend is once again in power would have sickened him.
It’s a cruel twist of history that so many who fought for democracy would live to see it so recklessly betrayed. But their example reminds us of what real service and patriotism look like—something we must carry forward, no matter how dark these times get.
Thank you again for your message, and for honoring your father’s memory.
We must continue to make our fathers’ service and all our veterans who chose to fight for democracy valued and respected!
I enjoyed reading this perspective of a veteran of that generation. I am in my 60s so the world wars were behind me but as a young child I remember the Vietnam War and the Korean conflict. I respect and am humbled by those that serve what I once would have called this great country. I now am ashamed of the US and what we have become. Sadly,
A 60+ year old citizen
beautifully written
This Marine is with you! Semper Fi
My father served three years in the Army in the European theater during World War II. He rarely spoke of his service. After he passed away in 1992, we came across his service records. He participated in:
Normandy beachhead on D-Day
Breakthrough at St. Lo
Liberation of Paris
Liberation of Liege
Fall of Aachen
Battle of the Bulge
Fall of Cologne
Remagen bridge
Liberation of Nordhausen camp
Meeting with Russians at Torgau
Perhaps he rarely spoke of it because he endured and witnessed so much. He returned largely intact, met and married my mom, and was a wonderful dad to my two brothers and me.
He was a socially conservative New Deal Democrat through and through.
Just less than 50% of voters supported this criminal, immoral, dishonest, selfish man for President in 2024. A man who, when visiting France in 2018, privately referred to troops who had died in the war as losers and suckers. A man who said avoiding STDs in Manhattan during his youthful days was his Viet Nam.
My father must be rolling in his grave at the prospect of such a man being Commander-in-Chief. Perhaps the greatest lesson my father ever taught me is that character and integrity matter; perhaps more than anything else in our public affairs; certainly more than party loyalty. It’s sad that party loyalty seems to be the prevailing concern for so many in public office these days.
This is a powerful and moving tribute to both your father and the values he lived—and fought—for. Thank you for sharing it. His service reads like a tour through the very heart of the Allied campaign for freedom and human dignity, from Normandy to Nordhausen. No wonder he didn’t speak of it often. Men like him carried the weight of history quietly.
And now we live in a time when the presidency is occupied by a man who mocks the fallen, dodges duty, and boasts about selfishness as if it were strength. It’s not just insulting—it’s obscene. Your father didn’t endure all that for a country that would one day elevate someone who sneers at sacrifice and equates patriotism with personal gain.
You’re right: character and integrity aren’t optional in leadership—they’re the foundation. And when loyalty to party outweighs loyalty to principle, we lose not just our way, but our soul. Thank you again—for your words, and for reminding us what real courage and decency look like.
Having been born at the end of WWII in the rubble of London your letter strikes a deep nerve. My grandfather fought in France in WWI with his brothers against the Kaiser who had grand ambitions. My Mother a member of the Woman’s Auxiliary Air Force WAAF, stood on guard night and day in underground bunkers in Kent England mapping the path of Nazi fighters and bombers heading to bomb London. Meanwhile my father was a British Naval officer assigned to a Dreadnough and a Revenge class battleship serving in the North Atlantic and also Burma campaign. I served in the US Army during the Vietnam war manning a Hawk Missile battery.
I have no eloquent words to describe my feelings regarding the current state of affairs of this once great nation except to say that a divided nation cannot stand and political cruelty in all its forms is reprehensible. It must STOP trying to destroy itself socially, economically, and politically from within.
Tom,
Your words carry the weight of history, of sacrifice, of generations who fought not just for survival but for the principles of democracy and decency. Your family’s service—from the trenches of WWI to the watchful eyes in Kent, from the battleships of the North Atlantic to the missile batteries of Vietnam—stands as a testament to the very idea that freedom is not inherited, but defended.
And yet, here we are, watching this nation unravel from within, not by external enemies, but by those who claim to love it while undermining its foundations. The political cruelty, the willful division, the erosion of truth—it is a betrayal of every sacrifice made before us.
You are right: a divided nation cannot stand. And what we are witnessing is not just division but deliberate destruction, driven by those who would rather rule the ruins than serve a thriving democracy. But history also reminds us that resistance—whether in the skies over England or in the battles of ideology—matters. And so, we fight, not with weapons, but with words, with truth, with an unyielding refusal to let this nation fall into darkness.
Thank you for your service, your family’s sacrifice, and your voice. It is voices like yours that remind us of what is at stake and why we cannot afford to look away.
With respect,
Mersault
With sincerity I pray your words help wake-up this national complacency. All the best. T
Thank you! I don't get these rabid republicans. Why do they love Trump so much? Is it bth brainwashing they've received from Fox News?
Thank you for your service sir! My father fought with you in WWII. He was a fighter pilot in Europe. I joined the Air Force and proudly served 20 years because of my father’s example. I am heartbroken and sick to see what is being done to our country and the sacrifices by people like you and my father being spit upon by these despicable tyrants bowing to Russia.
Hi Cheri,
Thank you for your message, and most importantly, for your service to our country. I want to make sure you saw the note at the end of my letter—I was writing in the persona of a veteran as a literary device, but I have deep respect for those who have truly served, like you and your father.
I share your heartbreak over what is happening to our country. The sacrifices of those who fought for our freedoms should be honored, not betrayed by those who bow to authoritarian regimes. Your words are a powerful reminder of what’s at stake and why we must continue to stand against those who undermine our nation’s values.
Again, thank you for reaching out—it truly means a lot.
I’m reading Viktor E. Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. It’s time.