Posted on Jul 19, 2018
Should We Be Upset At Those Who “Dodged The Draft”?
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I’ve seen a number of posts elsewhere provocatively calling President Trump a “draft dodger” for utilizing three educational deferments and one medical exclusion during Vietnam. I know this can be a sensitive issue for many of us who have served. Many of my military friends seem to want to pile on, and comment with disdain over his actions, and this issue. Some of this is just politics, for others it’s more personal.
I’d like to present a position here that may be unpopular with some. As a freedom loving American who voluntarily served in the US Army and Michigan National Guard for 22 years, including a tour in Iraq (2004-2005), I am thankful that I’ve never had to contend with an active draft. Most of us here have served in the military. Most of us served voluntarily; some were forced to “serve”. I’ve heard some who were conscripted say they are thankful they ended up in the military, or that they were thinking about volunteering anyway. I’ve also heard some say it was the worst thing that’s ever happened to them. There are still others who can’t comment because they didn’t make it back alive.
Most of us who joined the military will tell you they served to protect the freedom that is America, and we DO enjoy a great many freedoms that people in other countries do not. Now for the controversy. Can we include a draft as one of those freedoms? I contend we cannot. I’ve heard arguments for the utility, and necessity of a draft to fight our wars. But what is a draft when we REALLY take time to consider its nature. I’d like to place two definitions below to set the premise that guides my thinking on this issue. (I always use Merriam Webster for consistency’s sake.)
Servitude: “a condition in which one lacks liberty especially to determine one's course of action or way of life.”
Slavery: “a person held in servitude as the chattel of another
: one that is completely subservient to a dominating influence“
Given these two definitions, it’s hard to argue that a draft doesn’t, at best fit the first definition, and at worst the second. When confronted with being drafted, we are given a “choice” either go to war, put your life in danger and do what you’re told, or go to jail. It’s a false choice, because either way you lose the choice to determine your life’s course of action, or you become a slave to the prison system. When I’ve made this argument, the replies, and questions seem to indicate that it’s ok to draft people for a host of reasons, and I have a host of reasons in disagreement.
“It’s a price we have to pay to live in a free country.”
Are we really free if our government can place us into servitude, or slavery without due process?
“Other countries do it.”
We’re not other countries. We’re America, and we abolished servitude, and slavery over 150 years ago. Why would we want to resurrect slavery to fight wars?
“How can we count on volunteers to enlist in great enough numbers to fight our wars?”
How about we offer commensurate pay and benefits that will draw enough citizens to volunteer? If that doesn’t work, perhaps our government should re-think the necessity of that particular engagement.
“What if we’re invaded or we’re needed to fight a great injustice somewhere else?”
If we’re invaded, one suspects there’ll be no shortage of volunteers, civilian, or military. If the cause is just, and the danger real, America has never had a shortage of volunteers.
“Don’t you find it dishonest to use deferrals, or medical exemptions to avoid the draft when others didn’t do so?”
Those deferrals, and exemptions were legal, weren’t they? Would you call taking your mortgage interest deduction, or other legal deductions to lower your tax liability as dishonest?
All of these questions, and answers, are ancillary though, because these questions ALL avoid, bypass, or totally ignore the basic premise that a draft is based upon involuntary servitude at best, and slavery at worst. So, when someone gets all up in arms about President Trump, or anybody else “dodging the draft” by taking legal deferrals, I say, “I don’t blame them”. I tell them I didn’t blame President Clinton for avoiding the draft, and I don’t blame President Trump either. My support of President Clinton in this regard back in the 1990’s certainly caused some consternation among my Republican friends. It’s the price one pays for being philosophically honest, and consistent. Some have asked, about those who fled the country to Canada to avoid the draft, while others went along with it and were deployed to Vietnam. My answer is that I didn’t blame black slaves from fleeing slavery to Canada in the 19th century nor do I blame anybody else for fleeing to Canada to escape our slavery of the Vietnam era.
I understand that the military isn’t for everybody, and we don’t want just anybody fighting next to us. I want people fighting next to me who volunteered. Someone who has that special love of country, of service, and of unit that promotes an effective force.
In summary, I start from the basic premise that a draft is involuntary servitude/slavery, and therefore I can’t blame anybody for avoiding such bonds, either within the system of deferments, and exemptions, or outside the system by fleeing the country. America is a great country because we did away with things like slavery and spearheaded the concept of economic and individual liberty. These concepts led to the greatest worldwide advancements of production, technology and efficiency ever known previous to the founding of our great nation.
I’m sincerely interested in your thoughts, comments, or questions on this issue.
I’d like to present a position here that may be unpopular with some. As a freedom loving American who voluntarily served in the US Army and Michigan National Guard for 22 years, including a tour in Iraq (2004-2005), I am thankful that I’ve never had to contend with an active draft. Most of us here have served in the military. Most of us served voluntarily; some were forced to “serve”. I’ve heard some who were conscripted say they are thankful they ended up in the military, or that they were thinking about volunteering anyway. I’ve also heard some say it was the worst thing that’s ever happened to them. There are still others who can’t comment because they didn’t make it back alive.
Most of us who joined the military will tell you they served to protect the freedom that is America, and we DO enjoy a great many freedoms that people in other countries do not. Now for the controversy. Can we include a draft as one of those freedoms? I contend we cannot. I’ve heard arguments for the utility, and necessity of a draft to fight our wars. But what is a draft when we REALLY take time to consider its nature. I’d like to place two definitions below to set the premise that guides my thinking on this issue. (I always use Merriam Webster for consistency’s sake.)
Servitude: “a condition in which one lacks liberty especially to determine one's course of action or way of life.”
Slavery: “a person held in servitude as the chattel of another
: one that is completely subservient to a dominating influence“
Given these two definitions, it’s hard to argue that a draft doesn’t, at best fit the first definition, and at worst the second. When confronted with being drafted, we are given a “choice” either go to war, put your life in danger and do what you’re told, or go to jail. It’s a false choice, because either way you lose the choice to determine your life’s course of action, or you become a slave to the prison system. When I’ve made this argument, the replies, and questions seem to indicate that it’s ok to draft people for a host of reasons, and I have a host of reasons in disagreement.
“It’s a price we have to pay to live in a free country.”
Are we really free if our government can place us into servitude, or slavery without due process?
“Other countries do it.”
We’re not other countries. We’re America, and we abolished servitude, and slavery over 150 years ago. Why would we want to resurrect slavery to fight wars?
“How can we count on volunteers to enlist in great enough numbers to fight our wars?”
How about we offer commensurate pay and benefits that will draw enough citizens to volunteer? If that doesn’t work, perhaps our government should re-think the necessity of that particular engagement.
“What if we’re invaded or we’re needed to fight a great injustice somewhere else?”
If we’re invaded, one suspects there’ll be no shortage of volunteers, civilian, or military. If the cause is just, and the danger real, America has never had a shortage of volunteers.
“Don’t you find it dishonest to use deferrals, or medical exemptions to avoid the draft when others didn’t do so?”
Those deferrals, and exemptions were legal, weren’t they? Would you call taking your mortgage interest deduction, or other legal deductions to lower your tax liability as dishonest?
All of these questions, and answers, are ancillary though, because these questions ALL avoid, bypass, or totally ignore the basic premise that a draft is based upon involuntary servitude at best, and slavery at worst. So, when someone gets all up in arms about President Trump, or anybody else “dodging the draft” by taking legal deferrals, I say, “I don’t blame them”. I tell them I didn’t blame President Clinton for avoiding the draft, and I don’t blame President Trump either. My support of President Clinton in this regard back in the 1990’s certainly caused some consternation among my Republican friends. It’s the price one pays for being philosophically honest, and consistent. Some have asked, about those who fled the country to Canada to avoid the draft, while others went along with it and were deployed to Vietnam. My answer is that I didn’t blame black slaves from fleeing slavery to Canada in the 19th century nor do I blame anybody else for fleeing to Canada to escape our slavery of the Vietnam era.
I understand that the military isn’t for everybody, and we don’t want just anybody fighting next to us. I want people fighting next to me who volunteered. Someone who has that special love of country, of service, and of unit that promotes an effective force.
In summary, I start from the basic premise that a draft is involuntary servitude/slavery, and therefore I can’t blame anybody for avoiding such bonds, either within the system of deferments, and exemptions, or outside the system by fleeing the country. America is a great country because we did away with things like slavery and spearheaded the concept of economic and individual liberty. These concepts led to the greatest worldwide advancements of production, technology and efficiency ever known previous to the founding of our great nation.
I’m sincerely interested in your thoughts, comments, or questions on this issue.
Vietnam War
Vietnam
Donald Trump
Military service
Service
Posted >1 y ago
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I don't think dodging the draft is something that should be respected. I think it is something that that the individual needs to deal with his own conscious about. I have more respect for conscientious objectors who chose other avenues to serve their country like the Peace Corps, VISTA or what have you.
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I believe that Mr Trump is considered a draft dodger because he , in his final deferment, FRAUDULENTLY avoided the draft.
Trump's father had a tenant ,that rented both his office space , and his home from President Trump's father. President Trump at the time was winning multiple trophies for athletic achievement , around the same time of the note for " Bone Spurs" being written . How was he able to win all of these awards for sports while at the same time being disabled by " Bone Spurs"?
The doctors daughters have said that the doctor got preferential treatment after he wrote the " Bone Spurs" note. The Doctor's rent did NOT go up , when all of the others did.The daughters say that their father told them that it was just a note to keep him from going to Vietnam.
Interestingly enough , IF the bone spurs were real , President Trump would have evidence even to this day that COULD be proven with a simple x ray. Is it interesting that this president who has been caught lying so many times, has the evidence that can prove that he really had bone spurs , even to this day , that could be proven with a simple x ray , and he has chosen not to do so?
While we agree on the draft being a bad thing ( I'm a Vietnam Era Vet) , it did have a function in that it kept the voters more engaged with our foreign policy. Across multiple demographics, those of income , or race families had to think MY KID MIGHT DIE if our country does something stupid in foreign policy. Of course the richer folks had more access to deferments for school . I think a more engaged population is better for our country , as is evident by what happened in our last Presidential election when half of our registered voters did not care enough about their country to vote.
Trump's father had a tenant ,that rented both his office space , and his home from President Trump's father. President Trump at the time was winning multiple trophies for athletic achievement , around the same time of the note for " Bone Spurs" being written . How was he able to win all of these awards for sports while at the same time being disabled by " Bone Spurs"?
The doctors daughters have said that the doctor got preferential treatment after he wrote the " Bone Spurs" note. The Doctor's rent did NOT go up , when all of the others did.The daughters say that their father told them that it was just a note to keep him from going to Vietnam.
Interestingly enough , IF the bone spurs were real , President Trump would have evidence even to this day that COULD be proven with a simple x ray. Is it interesting that this president who has been caught lying so many times, has the evidence that can prove that he really had bone spurs , even to this day , that could be proven with a simple x ray , and he has chosen not to do so?
While we agree on the draft being a bad thing ( I'm a Vietnam Era Vet) , it did have a function in that it kept the voters more engaged with our foreign policy. Across multiple demographics, those of income , or race families had to think MY KID MIGHT DIE if our country does something stupid in foreign policy. Of course the richer folks had more access to deferments for school . I think a more engaged population is better for our country , as is evident by what happened in our last Presidential election when half of our registered voters did not care enough about their country to vote.
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Lt Col Timothy Cassidy-Curtis
Trump did this while he was a Democrat. In fact, the great lion's share of people who did this were Democrats. Hmm...is there a pattern, here?
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SPC John Cowhig
Lt Col Timothy Cassidy-Curtis - I was talking about an individual.Why do you need to make it about a party?
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SPC John Cowhig
Do you have a problem with the verifiable truth? How is telling the truth an attack? Look it up.
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I don't judge anyone by what they did that many years ago, "apparently a lot of Congress do", I did and said a lot when I was younger that I am not proud of. I served in Viet Nam, and also three tours in the Middle East, and I could care less about what someone did back then, only what they do right now. I can say that if they didn't serve, they missed a great opportunity, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
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I have no issue with those who used legal means to avoid the draft. My father was 4F due to a medical condition over which he had no control. Does that make him a "draft dodger"? My baby brother, who quite likely would have never been born had my father been sent to Vietnam, is one of the top heart surgeons in the country. He is a pioneer in the field of pediatric heart surgery. He has saved hundreds of lives so it probably worked out for the best.
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I think that the draft is a safety net. There will not be shortage of volunteers in a true national emergency. In an age of equality, draft should be extended to women too. Now, there's a controversy!
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Draftdodgers
A Brief History
On March 24, 1958, Elvis Aron Presley, the “King of Rock and Roll,” was drafted into the U.S. Army and served his country in Germany, on the front lines of the Cold War. Millions of Americans have been drafted and responded obediently, and, of course, millions more have served voluntarily. On the other hand, many American men of draft age or at least of age to serve during a war or conflict chose not to defend their country with their own blood but stayed on the sidelines, only later to pretend to be patriots. Most of these phony patriots also kept their own kids out of the military as well. Here 10 such individuals are listed.
Digging Deeper
10. George W. Bush.
Former President of the United States, this macho warhawk avoided the draft during the Viet Nam War by getting a valued slot in the National Guard, done only with string pulling as all slots had been filled. The icing on the cake is that he even failed to serve that commitment properly and was allowed to leave service early. Privilege must be nice…
George W. Bush only ranks #10 because he at least kind of served, and we want to make it absolutely clear that there is certainly nothing inherently dishonorable about serving in the National Guard, although the actual nature of his particular service has been called into question by impartial journalists around the world. For more information on this entry as covered by mainstream media sources from The United Kingdom to The United States, please see “The Curious Mystery of George W. Bush’s Vietnam War” by Suzanne Goldenberg and Oliver Burkeman of The Guardian and “George W. Bush’s Military Lies: The Real Story About the Undeniable Service Gaps He Got Away With” by Paul Rosenberg of Salon. For an encyclopedic overview of this controversial topic, please see “George W. Bush military service controversy“.
9. Rudy Giuliani.
This guy once said recently of President Obama, “I do not believe the President loves America.” Well, neither does Rudy as he repeatedly sought and got deferments from the draft, having strings pulled to keep him undrafted even though he had a 1A status (highest, unrestricted draft category) and a high draft number. (How he pulled this off is unknown.) Despite hiding from the war, Giuliani is quite vocal about wanting to use American force every time the subject comes up. Additionally, following the September 11 attacks, he falsely reassured citizens and ground zero workers that the air in New York was safe when it was indeed full of asbestos and other contaminants. Mayor “Mr. Law and Order” also used police officers getting city overtime to drive him to his mistress and provided her with a city police chauffeur service.
8. Mitt Romney.
This conservative leader of the Republican party does not hesitate to talk tough about throwing around American military might and bitterly criticizes President Obama for failing to be more decisive with America’s enemies. For himself, however, he fled to Europe when of draft-eligible age to work as a missionary, tooling around France on his bicycle, returning to the U.S. when it was “safe.”
7. Ted Nugent.
This tough-talking, gun-totin’ rascal told the magazine High Times in a 1977 interview that he avoided the draft during Viet Nam by taking crystal meth and pooping his pants. He confirmed this story to the Detroit Free Press in 1990, saying he used the inside of his pants as his bathroom for a week to purposely fail the physical. Nugent later denied this, saying he got his deferment by enrolling in college, but that is not true as his actual deferments for 1969 and 1972 were for physical, psychological or moral reasons. It seems he strongly believes in our rights, just not that they are worth fighting for on his part.
6. Bruce Springsteen
He acted wacky at his induction physical to get a 4F rating and therefore be able to avoid the draft, something he told Rolling Stone in 1984, saying that his thoughts at the time were, “I aint going.” Do not be fooled by his unemployed veteran’s lament “Born in the USA.” “The Boss” did not serve and wanted it that way.
5. Newt Gingrich.
President Clinton’s archenemy and most vocal critic, Gingrich pulled the same trick to avoid the draft that Clinton did (see below) and topped off his hypocrisy by engaging in an extra-marital affair while lambasting Clinton for the Monica Lewinsky incident. Of course, this chickenhawk is all gung-ho about committing U.S. armed forces to combat anywhere and everywhere, just not when it involves him or his kids.
4. Bill Clinton.
Although not as hawkish as some of those listed, Clinton did use American military in Yugoslavia and Somalia although he himself avoided the draft during the Viet Nam War Years by pretending to sign up for ROTC, a college-based military officer training program, a legal but sneaky ruse at the time. The is the type of thing a weasel would and did do. Oddly enough, he gained the presidency at the expense of George H. W. Bush who had served as a pilot during World War II and even got shot down. In 1996, Clinton was reelected after he beat World War II hero Bob Dole. (Obviously, military service means little when the election of presidents is concerned.)
3. Muhammad Ali.
This “Mr. Tough Guy” heavyweight boxing champ refused to serve when drafted even though, by his own admission, his new religion (Nation of Islam) did not preclude it. A couple of the men who would go on to beat Ali for the championship, Ken Norton and Leon Spinks, served in the Marine Corps. (So did I.)
2. Dick Cheney.
An outspoken hawk of a congressman, Secretary of Defense and Vice President, Cheney repeatedly obtained waivers to avoid being drafted while younger but did not hesitate to send other people’s kids to war. It is believed by many critics that Cheney was the driving force behind the disastrous decision to invade Iraq in 2003. Thanks, Dick.
1. John Wayne.
This All-American icon of the silver screen starred in more movies than any other leading man in movie history, often playing a brave and patriotic soldier, sailor, airman or Marine. In reality, this outspoken “patriot” failed to serve in the military, despite being only 34 years old when the U.S. entered World War II. His real life lack of commitment did not match his “uber-patriot” persona, and he also declined to even run for political office despite pleas from the far right. Character Note: Wayne was somewhat of a racist and thought the Native Americans were “selfish” for wanting the land that white people “needed.” He also spoke harshly about African-Americans, decrying welfare culture and said “I believe in white supremacy, until the blacks are educated to the point of responsibility.” A real American hero…
Bonus: Donald Trump
Although he attended a military prep school from 8th grade through 12th grade, he applied for and was granted a few deferments from the draft and then sought a medical deferment for “heel spurs,” although he does not currently remember which foot was affected! (The problem seems to have magically disappeared once he was past draft status.)
A Brief History
On March 24, 1958, Elvis Aron Presley, the “King of Rock and Roll,” was drafted into the U.S. Army and served his country in Germany, on the front lines of the Cold War. Millions of Americans have been drafted and responded obediently, and, of course, millions more have served voluntarily. On the other hand, many American men of draft age or at least of age to serve during a war or conflict chose not to defend their country with their own blood but stayed on the sidelines, only later to pretend to be patriots. Most of these phony patriots also kept their own kids out of the military as well. Here 10 such individuals are listed.
Digging Deeper
10. George W. Bush.
Former President of the United States, this macho warhawk avoided the draft during the Viet Nam War by getting a valued slot in the National Guard, done only with string pulling as all slots had been filled. The icing on the cake is that he even failed to serve that commitment properly and was allowed to leave service early. Privilege must be nice…
George W. Bush only ranks #10 because he at least kind of served, and we want to make it absolutely clear that there is certainly nothing inherently dishonorable about serving in the National Guard, although the actual nature of his particular service has been called into question by impartial journalists around the world. For more information on this entry as covered by mainstream media sources from The United Kingdom to The United States, please see “The Curious Mystery of George W. Bush’s Vietnam War” by Suzanne Goldenberg and Oliver Burkeman of The Guardian and “George W. Bush’s Military Lies: The Real Story About the Undeniable Service Gaps He Got Away With” by Paul Rosenberg of Salon. For an encyclopedic overview of this controversial topic, please see “George W. Bush military service controversy“.
9. Rudy Giuliani.
This guy once said recently of President Obama, “I do not believe the President loves America.” Well, neither does Rudy as he repeatedly sought and got deferments from the draft, having strings pulled to keep him undrafted even though he had a 1A status (highest, unrestricted draft category) and a high draft number. (How he pulled this off is unknown.) Despite hiding from the war, Giuliani is quite vocal about wanting to use American force every time the subject comes up. Additionally, following the September 11 attacks, he falsely reassured citizens and ground zero workers that the air in New York was safe when it was indeed full of asbestos and other contaminants. Mayor “Mr. Law and Order” also used police officers getting city overtime to drive him to his mistress and provided her with a city police chauffeur service.
8. Mitt Romney.
This conservative leader of the Republican party does not hesitate to talk tough about throwing around American military might and bitterly criticizes President Obama for failing to be more decisive with America’s enemies. For himself, however, he fled to Europe when of draft-eligible age to work as a missionary, tooling around France on his bicycle, returning to the U.S. when it was “safe.”
7. Ted Nugent.
This tough-talking, gun-totin’ rascal told the magazine High Times in a 1977 interview that he avoided the draft during Viet Nam by taking crystal meth and pooping his pants. He confirmed this story to the Detroit Free Press in 1990, saying he used the inside of his pants as his bathroom for a week to purposely fail the physical. Nugent later denied this, saying he got his deferment by enrolling in college, but that is not true as his actual deferments for 1969 and 1972 were for physical, psychological or moral reasons. It seems he strongly believes in our rights, just not that they are worth fighting for on his part.
6. Bruce Springsteen
He acted wacky at his induction physical to get a 4F rating and therefore be able to avoid the draft, something he told Rolling Stone in 1984, saying that his thoughts at the time were, “I aint going.” Do not be fooled by his unemployed veteran’s lament “Born in the USA.” “The Boss” did not serve and wanted it that way.
5. Newt Gingrich.
President Clinton’s archenemy and most vocal critic, Gingrich pulled the same trick to avoid the draft that Clinton did (see below) and topped off his hypocrisy by engaging in an extra-marital affair while lambasting Clinton for the Monica Lewinsky incident. Of course, this chickenhawk is all gung-ho about committing U.S. armed forces to combat anywhere and everywhere, just not when it involves him or his kids.
4. Bill Clinton.
Although not as hawkish as some of those listed, Clinton did use American military in Yugoslavia and Somalia although he himself avoided the draft during the Viet Nam War Years by pretending to sign up for ROTC, a college-based military officer training program, a legal but sneaky ruse at the time. The is the type of thing a weasel would and did do. Oddly enough, he gained the presidency at the expense of George H. W. Bush who had served as a pilot during World War II and even got shot down. In 1996, Clinton was reelected after he beat World War II hero Bob Dole. (Obviously, military service means little when the election of presidents is concerned.)
3. Muhammad Ali.
This “Mr. Tough Guy” heavyweight boxing champ refused to serve when drafted even though, by his own admission, his new religion (Nation of Islam) did not preclude it. A couple of the men who would go on to beat Ali for the championship, Ken Norton and Leon Spinks, served in the Marine Corps. (So did I.)
2. Dick Cheney.
An outspoken hawk of a congressman, Secretary of Defense and Vice President, Cheney repeatedly obtained waivers to avoid being drafted while younger but did not hesitate to send other people’s kids to war. It is believed by many critics that Cheney was the driving force behind the disastrous decision to invade Iraq in 2003. Thanks, Dick.
1. John Wayne.
This All-American icon of the silver screen starred in more movies than any other leading man in movie history, often playing a brave and patriotic soldier, sailor, airman or Marine. In reality, this outspoken “patriot” failed to serve in the military, despite being only 34 years old when the U.S. entered World War II. His real life lack of commitment did not match his “uber-patriot” persona, and he also declined to even run for political office despite pleas from the far right. Character Note: Wayne was somewhat of a racist and thought the Native Americans were “selfish” for wanting the land that white people “needed.” He also spoke harshly about African-Americans, decrying welfare culture and said “I believe in white supremacy, until the blacks are educated to the point of responsibility.” A real American hero…
Bonus: Donald Trump
Although he attended a military prep school from 8th grade through 12th grade, he applied for and was granted a few deferments from the draft and then sought a medical deferment for “heel spurs,” although he does not currently remember which foot was affected! (The problem seems to have magically disappeared once he was past draft status.)
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It's not that he got medical deferments, it's that his dad paid for them. His own words were , my vietnam was protection from std's.
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PO1 Gerald Sutton
SSG Gerhard S. it seems to have come from the doctor who wrote the bone spurs exemption and stated so in a televised startment. I have no idea if he's dead now or not. I joined myself but almost every person of color was drafted along with the white poor.
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SSG Gerhard S.
PO1 Gerald Sutton respectfully, that's inaccurate. There was no statement from the doctor, who had been dead since 2007. The accusation came from his two daughters, who, apparently are apparently Trump haters. This according to USA Today.
"Larry Braunstein, who died in 2007, rented a ground floor office in a building owned by Trump in Jamaica, Queens. His daughters, Elysa Braunstein, 56, and Sharon Kessel, 53, told the Times that their father's role in Trump's diagnosis had become "family lore."
"It was something we would always discuss," Elysa Braunstein told the Times. She and her sister are both Democrats who oppose Trump, according to the newspaper."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/12/27/trump-vietnam-war-bone-spur-diagnosis/ [login to see] /
"Larry Braunstein, who died in 2007, rented a ground floor office in a building owned by Trump in Jamaica, Queens. His daughters, Elysa Braunstein, 56, and Sharon Kessel, 53, told the Times that their father's role in Trump's diagnosis had become "family lore."
"It was something we would always discuss," Elysa Braunstein told the Times. She and her sister are both Democrats who oppose Trump, according to the newspaper."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/12/27/trump-vietnam-war-bone-spur-diagnosis/ [login to see] /
Podiatrist's daughters say bone spur diagnosis that helped Trump avoid Vietnam draft was 'favor'
Elysa Braunstein said her father diagnosed Donald Trump with bones spurs at the height of the Vietnam War as a favor to his landlord, Fred Trump.
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SPC John Tacetta
SSG Gerhard S. - A bit testy, you are. The guy's a dunce that thinks the US military is a play toy. His status as a draft dodger may never be confirmed, but the whole affair has a rather unpleasant odor. Kerry and McCain, for 2, know/knew the man for what he is.
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Finding a doctor to give trump 3 deferments would have been as easy as writing a check. In fact this has happened quite a few times in our history. Being wealthy and connected has its benefits for some.
Being unable to serve his country for "bone spurs" Trump later had a doctor write an assessment for him (that trump dictated) saying if elected he "would be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency".
Actually I don't believe trump would have been physically capable of graduating basic training, and if he did he certainly would have been discharged quickly for either mental incompetence or health reasons.
I personally have no respect for those who use power and influence to avoid the service. Trump is a draft dodging coward.
Being unable to serve his country for "bone spurs" Trump later had a doctor write an assessment for him (that trump dictated) saying if elected he "would be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency".
Actually I don't believe trump would have been physically capable of graduating basic training, and if he did he certainly would have been discharged quickly for either mental incompetence or health reasons.
I personally have no respect for those who use power and influence to avoid the service. Trump is a draft dodging coward.
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SSG Gerhard S.
Thank you for taking the time to read the post and to respond. One might argue this is all the more reason to not have a draft. Just like the death penalty one might she it is a good idea or a just punishment but our government has shown a propensity for the inability of dealing out Justice or freedom equally.
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I find this post most interesting as I am a student of our Constitution. Our military is and was designed to be an all voluntary force. Forced conscription is an attack on the liberty our Constitution prevents the federal government from taking from us. The issue about having enough volunteers to fight a war takes care of itself if that war is Just and Constitutionally declared. No one wants to volunteer to fight wars that presidents have unconstitutionally declared. All our "wars" since WWII have been unconstitutional, as it was not Congress that declare war. I believe our last Constitutionally declared war was actually our last Just war, and was the reason there was no shortage of volunteers (regardless that there was still a draft)
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SN Walt Boyer
I know that we have had a form of draft for every major war since the revolution, but the premise of our military has always been about being a volunteer force
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SPC John Tacetta
Please reread the Constitution as your studies seemed to have omitted Article 1 Section 8. You might also wish to look into the Federalist Papers.
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