On television news I saw some veterans sporting a Veterans for Trump cap or T-shirt. This brings up 
a few interesting points about former President Donald Trump, veterans and the military.

First of all, I wonder if these Trump 
supporters are aware that he literally bought his way out of military service. When the Vietnam War was at its height, Trump shopped around for a doctor who, for the right price,
 wrote a letter to the local draft board claiming Trump had “painful” bone spurs in his feet and 
should get a medical deferment from service. The scheme worked, and Trump successfully evaded
 military service.

In my opinion, in consideration of his draft evasion, it was blatant hypocrisy that then President
 Trump, also commander-in-chief, gave the commencement address to the 2020 graduating class at the 
U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. As commander-in-chief, he probably just bullied his way into 
having this honor.

Also, as president, Trump hijacked hundreds of millions of dollars that Congress already approved 
for much-needed maintenance and improvements on housing for military families, both here and 
abroad. Trump then applied these funds to his pet project — his racist and shameful wall on our
 southern border. However, the Biden administration has recently stopped any more construction on Trump’s wall, 
thankfully.

Trump also famously said that we veterans who served and fought in the Vietnam War were 
”suckers and losers.” By clear inference, Trump also is holding that the 58,000-plus Americans who died in Vietnam 
are the biggest suckers and losers.

At any rate, it is beyond me to comprehend the obvious support that many veterans, and millions of
 non-veterans, have for Trump, whose numerous legal problems are just beginning.

Bob Shippentower

Pendleton