ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ

People often speak without thinking about what they are saying. In the service we used to say these types of people were engaging their alligator mouth with their canary brain. Simply put, they didn’t think before they spoke.

The late Sen. John McCain was accused of starting the fire on the USS Forrestal in July of 1967. That story made the rounds on the internet for some time. There are probably people who still think this was a fact.

What they neglected to do was check the facts. They simply took someone’s opinion and repeated it as fact without performing any due diligence on their part.

The Navy investigation fixed the blame for the fire on a missile that launched itself due to stray voltage. I don’t know that much about the Zuni rocket that was found to be the cause of the disaster, but a similar incident occurred on the USS Enterprise 18 months later with the Zuni as the cause.

From my own experience with missiles aboard aircraft, we were very conscious of stray voltage and even with some ordnance, we were not allowed to have our personal radios on the flight line as the local oscillator in the radio was enough to induce stray voltage. At least that was how it was explained to me. Our squadron expedite truck couldn’t use their radio to communicate with Maintenance Control until they were a safe distance from aircraft that carried certain types of ordnance.

Fast-forward to the 2016 campaign for president. Mr. Trump made some disparaging remarks about Senator McCain that I feel demeaned all veterans. Mr. Trump in an interview questioned Senator McCain’s being labeled a hero just because he was a POW. He implied he would rather praise those who were not captured. Without knowing the circumstances of his capture or the conditions the senator faced for the next few years, Mr. Trump belittled an individual who served his country. Coming from someone who managed to evade military service during the Vietnam War, I find it sleazy and cheap.

I would suggest that the current office holder of the presidency of the United States has acted in an irresponsible, reckless, immature and imprudent manner. He has slapped every veteran in this country in the face by continuing his kindergarten quarrel with a fallen American warrior. It was my impression that members of the armed forces were to be respected.

Was John McCain excluded?

And he now wants to make military personnel participate in a parade just to satisfy his ego. Now that is thinking of veterans first, isn’t it? I’d rather see military personnel be honored with the day off and not have to spend useless hours preparing for the parade and then waste taxpayer dollars on a show of force that is meaningless. Let the Brits, French and anyone else who wants to strut their stuff, do so on their own currency. We already know we are the most powerful military force on the planet. Having a parade to prove it is unnecessary.

Mr. Trump has sealed my opinion of him. He has lost all credibility with me. He has taken potshots at anyone who disagrees with him. He has used his office to discipline those who take issue with him. He has managed to tarnish the reputation of the office and of this nation. I hope that those who still admire his shoot-from-the-hip manner will soon awaken to see the emperor’s new clothes.

I have said it before in previous articles in Civil Beat: I put on a uniform for a country that is represented in its institutions, not a president that ridicules those he thinks are beneath him.

Thoughts on this or any other story? Write a Letter to the Editor. Send to news@civilbeat.org and put Letter in the subject line. 200 words max. You need to use your name and city and include a contact phone for verification purposes. And you can still comment on stories on.