In 1932, nearly 15,000 World War I Veterans marched on Washington, known as Bonus Expeditionary Forces, to demand payment of their promised bonuses. Many had needed to access these bonuses, which the Harding and Coolidge Administrations denied. One of their own, Congressman Wright Patman of Texas, sponsored a bill that would immediately pay a $2.4B bonus to our honored veterans. 

The bill passed the House but was defeated in the Senate. Most historians agree that Hoover would have vetoed the legislation without hesitation given the nation's financial issues. Many were destitute due to the failed policies of several administrations as this nation was in the grips of the Great Depression, so they set up camps that ultimately attracted upwards of 40,000 people, including women and children, to protest the failure of this critical legislation. While many were honorable, some criminals also joined them and made a plan to attempt, according to some accounts, to attack the Capitol, some 50 did cross into the Capitol and occupy buildings. 

On President Hoover’s orders names made legendary by World War II in the years to come such as MacArthur, Patton, and future President Eisenhower were to be tasked with driving the protesters back across the Anacostia River; Hoover made it clear that MacArthur was not to cross the bridge; he ignored his Commander in Chief. 

MacArthur with tanks and fixed bayonets attacked without mercy, burning the camp to the ground. While the operation was a success, the spectacle of the world's mightiest nation using force against men, women, and children was not forgotten and led to the election victory of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. 

So what does it say when a cowardly President, who used his family's wealth to avoid service in the Vietnam War, and an unqualified Secretary of Defense, who cares nothing for this nation’s history now—are focused on decimating our veterans' welfare and livelihoods with cutting 70,000 to 80,000 jobs desperately needed at the Veterans Affairs (VA)? 

It says we as a nation don’t care. 

This is not how a nation should honor its veterans or their families, some whose loved ones gave their ‘last full measure of devotion”—never returning home from the field of battle—a phrase forever enshrined in our nation's history by Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. 

When the Global War on Terror (GWOT) commenced following the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001, everyone—from President Bush to Vice President Chenny to Secretary of Defense Rumsfield— made it clear that the path to victory was possible but that we would need to be prepared to invest at least $1T to fulfill our obligations to those veterans and their families for many decades to come. 

Congress has failed in its obligation to provide our VA with the necessary appropriations, infrastructure, and personnel to fulfill our commitments for services that should be easily accessible. 

Now President Trump is going after an already insufficient VA by obliterating critically low staffing levels and eliminating many positions within our federal government where nearly a third of its employees have veteran status, and more egregiously cutting back what was implemented by the previous administration, reversing those policies. 

The POTUS is a complete disgrace to the office and not worthy of being Commander in Chief.

Our esteemed veterans will now be experiencing massive delays in critical services, with many getting outright denials for healthcare, and major processing delays for promised benefits that so many of our honored veterans rely upon to live. 

President Trump’s orders will force agencies across the government to implement immediate reductions in the workforce as those positions not under mandate are to be eliminated. The results will be catastrophic with reduced administrative staffing, elimination of transition assistance, and no longer the outreach programs that are critical to veterans and their families' welfare. 

We are condemning this nation to death when we treat our veterans like disposable waste, which will have serious repercussions on how we attract those in the future who consider honorable service in our armed forces and whose decisions will be made to proceed based upon the track record of the nation. 

We are in for a truly dangerous future that will see the demise of the greatest armed services the world has ever known, and a decimation of our national security. Wake up America! 

I dedicate this to my 5th Great Grandfather Charles Tyler, a veteran of the NY Regiment of the Levies during the Revolutionary War; Great Great Grandfather Jacob F. Katz, a veteran of the Sixth Regiment at Gettysburg serving with the Grand Army of the Republic during our Civil War; and my Great Aunt Mabel V. Taylor, LTJG, USNR, a veteran of WWII who served in the South Pacific who wanted me to go to Annapolis. 

Finally, to my Grandfather Edward L. Freeman, a veteran of the PA National Guard who, as President of the Katz Underwear Company along with hundreds of true patriots on the homefront in Honesdale, PA, made sure our forces had the garments they needed during the World War II on the pathway to victory I honor his first cousin Robert F. Katz, Sr., LT. USA, a bombardier on a B-17 shutdown over Nazi Germany who was interned as a POW and became a master forger of documents for those attempting to escape; the duty of all POWs…and to every veteran who went selfishly into harm's way and those who have fallen whose last full measure of devotion to this nation gave me the freedom to write this post. 

My heroes all!

Ned Sader has more than two decades of public affairs experience working for corporations and nonprofits, with a specialty in the development of public/private partnerships. He has served on numerous regional boards and is a lifelong resident of Wayne County, PA.  You can find more of his writing here.