The Real Loser And Sucker
It was 28 years ago this week that I graduated Navy boot camp at NRTC Great Lakes, Ill., and to that — Donald Trump thinks I’m a loser. For me, it was the greatest accomplishment of my life. For those that do not know, boot camp is a brutal experience. The worst part of boot camp happens within the first two weeks. This is when the soldier, sailor, airmen, marine gets mentally conditioned for the challenges they will face in the years to come. Of the thousands of recruits, many don’t make it.
I had two of my fellow sailors commit suicide. To Trump, they are losers. In my first two weeks, I thought of suicide — and what pulled me through was receiving letters and care packages from my loved ones at home. What got me through was the bond I formed with my fellow sailors, and to Trump — we are suckers. By the third week, things started to feel better. I started to adapt. I felt strong. I felt proud, and to Trump — I was a sucker.
In my fifth week of boot camp I tried out for the elite Navy SEALs. I arrived at the pool at 3 a.m. only to quit after swimming one lap. I was humiliated by the actual Navy SEALs that were in the pool. They were shouting at me to get back in, and that SEALs don’t quit. I chose to quit, and I cried the whole march back to the barracks. I was determined to do it again, and I showed up to the pool the next morning, only to have the SEALs pull me out of the water after a lap and a half. To Donald Trump, I am a loser.
By the eighth week of boot camp, I was holding my head up high graduating Color Company with my mother and grandmother in attendance. I was a proud man for going through what most people wouldn’t dare go through, and to Trump — I am a sucker.
There are 18 million veterans in America, and we all had different reasons for joining the armed forces. To Donald Trump, we are all suckers.
What made me interested in joining was the admiration I had for my high school business teacher, Mr. Howard Catley.
Howard Catley is a Vietnam Veteran, and I found out he was a veteran because he had a purple heart license plate on his car. I was born during the Vietnam war. Although I wasn’t old enough to serve I would think that I would be brave enough to go. I would ask Mr. Catley about what he went through in Vietnam, and he would never respond. It was painful for him to talk about it, and what I found out with the hundreds of Vietnam vets I talk to in the 1980’s it was painful to talk about. To Donald Trump, Mr. Catley is a sucker. To me, Mr. Catley is my hero. Every veteran who served in Vietnam are my heroes. They are my heroes, because many of them were forced to go. Donald Trump refused to go, and people like Mr. Catley had to go in his place. They were the suckers to Donald Trump.
The military is not for everyone. Honestly, it wasn’t the right fit for me. I did have some fun times. I had some times of fear. I had some times of sadness. I had many times when I missed home, and my friends, and when people ask me if they should join I often tell them not to. However, when someone asks if joining the military is a good thing — they have already made up their mind.
I never really put much importance in my decision to serve. When I asked former veterans if I should join they all said yes, but I already knew I wanted to go in — the same way I wanted to serve in Vietnam. Right now, there are families guiding their children into making the right decision, and I just want you all to know that if you decide to join I believe that you are NOT a loser or a sucker. If you decide to join you will be part of a special club that will forever change your life, and once you get out the whole World will be your oyster. There will be nothing that will stand in your way of success.