Politics - News Analysis

Every President Since Reagan Received a Farewell Ceremony from the Pentagon — Until Trump

It turns out that when one wages cold war, and briefly – hot war, against one’s own country, the military itself doesn’t necessarily feel all warm and sentimental when one leaves. Yes, we’re sure that there are all too many enlisted men and women, as well as a frightening number in the officer corps that are MAGA’d down through their black boots. But the people that make the decisions, the seasoned professionals with lots of stars on their shoulders are not fooled and want no part of him.

It is highly likely that many of those same people with stars bristled the first time they heard Trump talk about “my generals,” as if they serve him, Trump, personally. Given all we’ve learned, Trump surely did believe that those admirals and generals served him personally, no different than the attorney general. But no soldier ever died with the name of a president on their shoulder. No one, not even a president says, “my military,” or “my generals,” or even “my button.” A president (or anyone else) says, “Our military,” “Our generals,” “Our button,” because the infrastructure, the equipment, and the people, belong to a nation. That’s why we as a nation celebrate them and care for them when they come home.

So the leaders of “our” military are not going to be sending off this president, who never wanted to be “our” president, just a MAGA president. According to Defense One:

The Pentagon, in a break with recent tradition, will not host an Armed Forces Farewell Tribute to President Donald Trump.

On Wednesday, the White House announced that this weekend Vice President Mike Pence “will deliver remarks to sailors on the Trump Administration’s historic foreign policy achievements at Naval Air Station Lemoore,” and then to the 10th Mountain Division, in Fort Drum, New York. Two senior defense officials confirmed to Defense One on Thursday that no military farewell is being planned for the commander in chief.

Fitting.

Whatever else one might say about Mike Pence (and there is a lot one can say: “conversion therapy”?) whatever else one might say, when his nation called on Pence to do his duty, even in the face of a threat, Mike Pence honored his oath and held firm in allegiance to the United States Constitution. Given that each soldier swears roughly the same oath, it is best they hear from a man who is one of them.

Just because, this was 4 years ago:

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Peace, y’all
Jason
[email protected] and on Twitter @JasonMiciak

meet the author

Jason Miciak is a political writer, features writer, author, and attorney. He is originally from Canada but grew up in the Pacific Northwest. He now enjoys life as a single dad raising a ridiculously-loved young girl on the beaches of the Gulf Coast. He is very much the dreamy mystic, a day without learning is a day not lived. He is passionate about his flower pots and studies philosophical science, religion, and non-mathematical principles of theoretical physics. Dogs, pizza, and love are proof that God exists. "Above all else, love one another."

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