Undaunted: Veterans

America owes them so much more

Observing the United States from abroad as it begins the Memorial Day weekend, I am struck by how much of the world that we know today would not exist, but for American military and financial sacrifice. That sounds too pristine. If not for young men and women ready to lay down their lives for others, Europe today would not be free, democratic, and devoted to Western values. In countries that experienced dictatorship (e.g., Spain) firsthand, the potential for the U.S. to slide into authoritarian rule and isolationism is unfathomable.

It’s an appropriate time, as Donald Trump and his MAGA know-nothings throw aside American values (e.g., empathy, selflessness, ingenuity, inclusion), to appreciate the sacrifice of all those who have served. In the midst of debates about Medicaid cuts, debt, and tax cuts for billionaires, we should not lose track of honoring our veterans, whom Trump has nonchalantly kicked to the curb.

“It may be no surprise that President Donald Trump, who did not serve in the active-duty military, would rather celebrate victory than veterans,” CNN reports. “In multiple social media posts this month, Trump said he would declare November 11 as Victory Day for World War I. He didn’t mention that it’s already a federal holiday: Veterans Day.”

While he cuts billions from the Veterans Affairs Department and lays off tens of thousands of vets, Trump wants to throw away tens of millions on a cringeworthy military parade on his birthday, which also happens to be the US Army’s 250th birthday and Flag Day. Rather than honor others’ service by keeping our commitments, he preens amid military pomp like every two-bit dictator on the planet.

Trump cares not one wit about those who, unlike him, risked their lives. Quite the opposite: he has made life notably challenging for vets. Thanks to some masterful Washington Post reporting on the trauma he intentionally inflicted on tens of thousands of government workers, we have learned about the inexcusable toll on veterans in particular, who disproportionately serve in the federal government. Sadly, “Phone operators for the Veterans Crisis Line said they’d seen a rise in calls from federal employees and others worried about cuts to the VA.”

Elon Musk and Trump have treated government workers, including veterans, as disposable slackers. The results may be disastrous:

Some advocates are particularly concerned for veterans, who make up 30 percent of the federal workforce. Almost a third of all veterans already suffer from a service-connected physical or mental disability. Roughly 11 to 20 percent of those who served in Iraq or Afghanistan have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder. Many have training and access to firearms, which increases suicide risk.

Virtually every aspect of the MAGA budget—from federal civilian personnel firings to Medicaid and VA spending cuts—will hit vets who rely on such services especially hard. “From layoffs at the Department of Veterans Affairs to a Pentagon purge of archives that documented diversity in the military, veterans have been acutely affected by Trump’s actions,” PBS reported. “And with the Republican president determined to continue slashing the federal government, the burden will only grow on veterans, who make up roughly 30% of the federal workforce and often tap government benefits they earned with their military service.”

Earlier this month, ProPublica reported on “Trump administration’s moves to shrink the Department of Veterans Affairs….after a ProPublica investigation revealed widespread disruptions across the agency’s health care system.” The pain is evident for anyone who cares to look. It also reported on “dozens of emails sent from staff at VA hospitals and clinics across the country to headquarters warning how cuts could, and in some cases are, degrading the agency’s ability to provide for the roughly 9 million veterans who rely on it.”

Hiring freezes and other edicts from the White House have left medical providers scrambling and short-staffed amid an ever-shifting series of policy moves, including the cancellation of contracts with companies that maintain cancer registries, the emails said. Staffers at VA centers in Pennsylvania warned the cuts were causing “severe and immediate impacts,” including to “life-saving cancer trials.” . . . . Staffers at [a Pennsylvania VA] hospital warned more than 1,000 veterans would lose access to treatment for diseases ranging from metastatic head and neck cancers to kidney disease, to traumatic brain injuries.

Even a temporary disruption in services can have life-threatening consequences. “One clinical trial to treat veterans for opioid addiction was hobbled by temporary layoffs.” Nevertheless, those funds and livelihoods are less important than Trump’s desire to throw himself—of all things—a military parade.

If Republicans cannot be persuaded to drop or deny these draconian cuts, perhaps vets can help persuade voters to drop Republicans. Fortunately, some veterans are taking up the gauntlet that cruel, ignorant, and reckless MAGA politicians have thrown down. Progressive groups that help new candidates run for office have been inundated with requests from fired federal workers, veterans specifically. Run for Something founder Amanda Littman told USA Today that “federal workers make compelling candidates because many are veterans and have ‘a deep understanding of how the system works and a willingness to fight for it in a different way from the inside.’” People abused and mistreated by the likes of Musk and Trump have a “compelling campaign story,” Littman says.

Individual Democrats such as Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Amy McGrath and Eric Mosley, as well as established groups like VoteVets are working to elect veterans dedicated to democracy. Electing pro-democracy veterans angered by the dismal treatment of veterans (both in and outside the federal workforce) would provide some measure of justice for those whose loyalty, dedication, and sacrifice Trump and his cohort refuse to recognize, let alone honor.

Veterans and their families have remained undaunted in military service and in the face of grotesque betrayal by the MAGA ingrates. They deserve better than this president, his cronies, and MAGA flunkies have offered. During their Memorial Day recess, Republican lawmakers who have enabled Trump’s cruelty should take a moment to reflect on what it truly means to put country above self.

We honor the Undaunted veterans who have defined patriotism to our country, and who will be remembered by history for their dignity and service.