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Arthur Keller
Beavertown
I asked myself, why were the New York Military Academy cadets at President Trump's inauguration? So, I did a little digging. Pres. Trump attended the New York Military Academy junior/senior high school reaching the rank of Captain, lettering in a variety of sports (baseball, football, soccer), and was an Honor Cadet for four years. Perhaps this is where his love for the military began. The Washington Post stated Trump's best sport was baseball, a passion that inspired him at 12. He was a right-handed power hitter by sixth grade, not inclined to bunt, but always wanting to hit the ball "through" people. Coach Dobias lauded at Trump's apparent skill playing baseball. Dobias said Trump was aggressive, so coachable and reacted positively to instruction earning him the Coach's Award in 1964.
So why didn't Trump become a professional baseball player? He said because at the time there was no money to be made playing baseball.
According to Snopes, June 16, 2024, Bill Clinton asked to be excused from the draft because of anti-war beliefs, of which he was an active anti-war protestor. His deferment was due to educational status. Obama was 12 when the draft ended. Biden was given five education deferments and later requested a deferment due to severe asthma "as a teenager." Donald Trump was given four education deferments and later a medical deferment due to bone spurs in both heels.
None of Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden or Donald Trump spent time in military service, but none have the backing of the military like Donald Trump. According to the Pew Research Center, Sept. 30, 2024, military veterans have long tended to affiliate with the Republican Party and support their candidates (i.e. Trump 61% / Harris 37% in 2024, Trump 60% / Biden 39% in 2020 and Trump 61% / Hillary Clinton 35% in 2016). "More than half of veteran voters (55%) say that if Trump wins the election, his policies would make things better for veterans."
Trump increased military spending and focused on modernization. He improved the VA system / expanded benefits and choices, gave the military salary increases plus the Forever GI Bill and eliminated student loan debt for disabled veterans. He established the Space Force as the sixth branch of armed forces, offered service members discharged due to vaccine refusal the option to rejoin and restored "Merit and Lethality" emphasizing a "warfighting mentality."
Trump held a military parade to honor the 250th anniversary of the army. Yahoo News, June 16, reported anti-Trump Washington Post columnist Max Boot admitted that he loved the military parade in Washington D.C. despite his reservations and he "thoroughly enjoyed the entire parade." It was 'America's army on display', "the Army's military parade was an absolute success, and Trump 'kept his remarks short and focused on the Army.'" He gave no remarks concerning his birthday.
After the recent bombing of Iran by our military, Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat politician/retired astronaut/former naval officer, slammed President Trump, stating on NBC's Meet the Press, "I find it interesting that the person without combat experience is often the first person to want to drop a bomb." With all his education and military background, I guess he forgot that out of all the American officers who commanded at the army-level neither Eisenhower nor Bradley had any combat experience, and we all know they played key roles in WWII. Kelly also stated we've got a very capable military. Yes, indeed, thanks to Donald Trump.
Recently, President Trump had 50 ft flagpoles installed at the north and south entrances to the White House to display large American flags, done at his own expense. He is proud to be an American and wants to make it great again. Yet again, he serves our country taking no salary.
Of course, this is not quite what you read in the anti-Trump "fake news" media!