ICYMI: Pennlive: ‘Disgusting and disgraceful’: Veterans react to Trump’s broadsides at Khan family

* Former Congressman Chris Carney, who served as a commander in the United States Navy Reserve, called Trump’s remarks “disgusting and disgraceful.” “Folks like me who served this country honorably are absolutely disgusted at Trump,” he said. “Those who have given the last full measure of devotion – he denigrates their service, he denigrates their families.”

 

* Gale S. Pollock, a United States Army Major General (Retired) from Gettysburg, said she “could not stand by” and watch Trump abuse the Khan family. “I’m appalled,” Pollock said. “Whether enlisted or an officer, we take an oath to defend and protect the Constitution.”

 

* Pennsylvania native, Manan Trivedi, a former. Lt. Commander in the United States Navy, said Trump’s comments were not the kind he wanted from the country’s next president. “I find Donald Trump’s comments disgusting, disgraceful and reprehensible,” said Trivedi, who led one of the first medical battalions of Marines to enter Iraq. “It’s just one more piece of prove that he lacks any kind of judgment to be commander in chief. If the last 10 outburst didn’t prove that to you, this one should.”

 

* “This is another one of those cases where Mr. Trump has not been as respectful as he could have been.” Larry Holman, PA State Council of Vietnam Veterans. […} “To do what he did, basically attack a Gold Star Mother for her silence brought on by extreme grief, he missed an opportunity to make a political point and at same time to show empathy and compassion.”

 

* Another combat veteran, Thomas Faley, a retired Army colonel who served in Vietnam said the Trump-Khan controversy is just another reminder of why he abandoned his support for the billionaire businessman. Faley, whose best friend was shot down over Hanoi, Vietnam in 1967, said he relinquished support for Trump when early on during the primary season he excoriated McCain for not being a true hero. “That to me was totally unfeeling and an insult to the families of those shot down,” said Faley, a former South Middletown Township supervisor. “It hurt so much. That comment was so gross and insulting. That’s  where I  closed the book on him.”

 

* The head of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Brian Duffy, said: “Election year or not, the VFW will not tolerate anyone berating a Gold Star family member for exercising his or her right of speech or expression. There are certain sacrosanct subjects that no amount of wordsmithing can repair once crossed. Giving one’s life to nation is the greatest sacrifice, followed closely by all Gold Star families, who have a right to make their voices heard.”

Pennlive: ‘Disgusting and disgraceful’: Veterans react to Trump’s broadsides at Khan family

August 1, 2016

Donald Trump on Monday continued to provoke the outrage and condemnation from veterans and bereaved military families for disparaging comments he directed last week at the family of a Muslim-American soldier killed in combat in Iraq.

Across Pennsylvania, veterans, military families and lawmakers joined the ranks of voices condemning Trump for having gone too far in his remarks directed at Khizr Khan, the father of Army Capt. Humayun Khan, who was killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq in 2004.

Former Congressman Chris Carney, who served as a commander in the United States Navy Reserve, called Trump’s remarks “disgusting and disgraceful.”

“Folks like me who served this country honorably are absolutely disgusted at Trump,” he said. “Those who have given the last full measure of devotion – he denigrates their service, he denigrates their families.”

Gale S. Pollock, a United States Army Major General (Retired) from Gettysburg, said she “could not stand by” and watch Trump abuse the Khan family.

She said the men and women of the Armed Forces shared in the “values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage,” adding that when Trump said the military should resort to torture, he is suggesting that the men and women of the military carry out “illegal and immoral” orders.

“I’m appalled,” Pollock said. “Whether enlisted or an officer, we take an oath to defend and protect the Constitution.”

The latest firestorm around Trump comes in the wake of remarks he made this weekend about an emotional speech that Khizr Khan delivered last week before the Democratic National Convention. Khan spoke about the heroism of his son, 27-year-old son Army Capt. Humayun S.M. Khan, who was killed in action in Iraq and was credited with saving the lives of his fellow soldiers.

Trump last week ridiculed the soldier’s mother – Ghazala Khan – for having remained silent while her husband delivered an impassioned speech at the Democratic National Convention about his son’s sacrifice. Holding up a small copy of the U.S. Constitution, Pakistani-born Khan directed to Trump the statement:  “You have sacrificed nothing.”

“This is another one of those cases where Mr. Trump has not been as respectful as he could have been.” Larry Holman, PA State Council of Vietnam Veterans

Trump this weekend fired back, disparaging Ghazala Khan for remaining silent, adding that she was forbidden to speak because she is Muslim.

“If you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say. She probably, maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say,” said Trump. He added that he had sacrificed a lot in terms of creating thousands of jobs.

“Even though he was criticized by Mr. Khan, it’s Mr. Trumps habit, ritual and procedure to  respond in kind every time he gets criticized. I  think this would have been one of those times for him to simply extend condolences. He could have made a political point and said ‘I  didn’t vote for that war.’ That would have helped him, but to do what he did, basically attack a Gold Star Mother for her silence brought on by extreme grief, he missed an opportunity to make a political point and at same time to show empathy and compassion.”

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA), who is seeking re-election, added his voice to the ranks of Republicans and Democrats defending the Khans, saying they “deserve our gratitude and honor; anything else is inappropriate.”

Sen. John McCain said: “While our Party has bestowed upon him the nomination, it is not accompanied by unfettered license to defame those who are the best among us.”

In addition, the families of more than a dozen service members killed in combat sent Trump a letter on Monday, calling his criticism of Khizr Khan and his wife, Ghazala, “repugnant, and personally offensive to us.” The letter was released by political action committee VoteVets.

The head of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Brian Duffy, said: “Election year or not, the VFW will not tolerate anyone berating a Gold Star family member for exercising his or her right of speech or expression. There are certain sacrosanct subjects that no amount of wordsmithing can repair once crossed. Giving one’s life to nation is the greatest sacrifice, followed closely by all Gold Star families, who have a right to make their voices heard.”

“Somebody with such lack of sensitivity is not someone I would like to see as commander-in-chief, especially when we are still in war situations in various parts of the world,” Holman said. “We need someone who values and respects everybody who takes that oath of office to serve in the military. This is not an example of that kind of respect by a potential commander-in-chief.”

Another combat veteran, Thomas Faley, a retired Army colonel who served in Vietnam said the Trump-Khan controversy is just another reminder of why he abandoned his support for the billionaire businessman.

Faley, whose best friend was shot down over Hanoi, Vietnam in 1967, said he relinquished support for Trump when early on during the primary season he excoriated McCain for not being a true hero.

“That to me was totally unfeeling and an insult to the families of those shot down,” said Faley, a former South Middletown Township supervisor. “It hurt so much. That comment was so gross and insulting. That’s  where I  closed the book on him.”

Faley noted that Trump had never backtracked nor apologized to the families of military personnel killed in action or shot down.

Trump on Monday turned to one of his favorite social media platforms – Twitter – to defend himself and add further fuel to the outrage directed at him.

As the Khans made appearances in the morning news circuit, Trump tweeted:

“Mr. Khan, who does not know me, viciously attacked me from the stage of the DNC and is now all over T.V. doing the same – Nice!”

But in a state crucial to Trump’s hopes of triumph in November, at least one Republican supporter voiced a measure of defense for the GOP contender.

“I  think Trump’s comments were somewhat inelegant but he was responding to a direct attack from an individual at the DNC,” said Al Bienstock, a  Hampden Township commissioner and Vietnam veteran.

“I  can’t comprehend how a parent who lost a child, how his mind works. I’ve never been in that situation. But this was something said not in the immediate wake of the loss of a child…I  think pointing a finger at Trump particularly at a convention that anointed Hillary Clinton for president was wrong.”

Bienstock said Clinton had done worst to the families of the Americans killed in Benghazi when they returned to the U.S,

“Hillary Clinton to their faces lied to them about the reason for the deaths,” he said. “I look at that as far more egregious than Trump response to an attack.”

Pennsylvania native, Manan Trivedi, a former. Lt. Commander in the United States Navy, said Trump’s comments were not the kind he wanted from the country’s next president.

“I find Donald Trump’s comments disgusting, disgraceful and reprehensible,” said Trivedi, who led one of the first medical battalions of Marines to enter Iraq. “It’s just one more piece of prove that he lacks any kind of judgment to be commander in chief. If the last 10 outburst didn’t prove that to you, this one should.”

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