Canvassing in York County today I said hello to a veteran wearing a cap with Vietnam service and campaign ribbons. Since my canvassing list was only democrats, I assumed he was a Republican. I said hello because we were the only two people outside for as far as I could see on the very straight street.
We talked civilly for a few minutes. He told me he enlisted in the Army reserve in 1970, served six years in the United States and left the military. "I should've stayed," he said. I told him I enlisted in 1972 and served until 1985, getting out and re-enlisting twice, then re-enlisted once more in 2007 and went to Iraq.
I told him I never got closer to Vietnam than Utah during the war. He made clear he was a Vietnam-era veteran.
Shortly after he asked if I lived in the neighborhood. I said no. I live in Lancaster and was canvassing for Janelle Stelson for Congress. He said, "Don't try to tell me to vote for a democrat! I'll never vote for a democrat."
I told him I was only going to democrats and just said hello because we were both veterans. He then went from smoldering anger (I assume a usual state given his demeanor.) to lecture mode. "Stelson doesn't live here. Perry does. I'm voting for Perry. And Harris let in all those migrants. The country is overrun."
I waved and wished him a nice day. "We won't have a country if Harris wins. Too woke!" he said to my back.
When I told another veteran about the encounter he knew right away what was wrong. Both of us served during the Vietnam War but not in the war. We are careful to say that. The grumpy veteran's hat said something very different. It says Vietnam service. Of course, inflating one's service record is as common as fisherman talking about "the one that got away." When I was first in the military, lying was stunning.
For me, another effect of Trump was to make draft dodging and this sort of mendacity normal. Fifty years ago, that veteran would have been ashamed to claim war service. Honor would have prevented him.
Dishonor is the default when a bragging coward like Trump is the head of a party.
In 2016 I saw draft dodgers become defiant now that they had a coward who bragged about draft dodging as their leader.
