It was called the Great War because it dwarfed every previous war to that date. So many nations, so many troops, so much cost, so much destroyed, and so much death. It was a war that could have been avoided since three of the monarchs involved; King George V, Czar Nicholas II, and Kaiser Wilhelm II were related to each other through Queen Victoria. None of them wanted to see the destruction of the others. None of them thought it was the only way to resolve international issues. But nationalistic tendencies, petty grudges, interlocking treaties, and a presumption that any war would be quickly concluded led to general support for the war from almost all of the combatant nations in July and August 1914.
Four blood-soaked years passed that claimed nearly 10 million lives, not including civilian casualties, and it was officially declared at an end 100 years ago today. It became known as Armistice Day and in the U.S. it eventually evolved into Veterans Day. The world is still grappling with the war’s fallout because no one had ever witnessed such destruction. It still deserves our attention, our deep study, our reverence, and our commitment to finding a better, nobler, and more lasting peace with those whom we share space on this small planet.
But today’s commemoration has one giant flaw.
I object to the United States being represented by Donald Trump at the anniversary ceremonies being held in Paris, France. What a disgrace to have this bone-spur-addled criminal traitor standing in for the American troops and their sacrifice for such a somber event as the end of the Great War. It became known as World War I after an even bigger and bloodier war 21 years later that was the direct result of the Great War. But Trump doesn’t even know THAT!
Trump travelled to Paris to join other world leaders for the memorial events. What reverence did he show? Did he have the slightest interest in honoring the grave sites of U.S. servicemen killed in that war? No. A light shower on Saturday kept him from a planned visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, the final resting place of many of the 1,800 Americans killed in the battle of Belleau Wood. His no-show prompted a chorus of scorn and derision. Those men died on a horrific battleground, surrounded by unimaginable noise, constant terror, exploding shells, and bullets stinging the air around them. But a light sprinkle of rain was all it took to keep Trump huddled far away from this sacred ground. Maybe it was good that Trump made up a bone spur in his foot because his cowardice on a Vietnamese battlefield might have cost an even greater number of U.S. dead there.
The White House issued a lie, that is, a statement citing “scheduling and logistical difficulties caused by the weather” for Trump’s decision to ignore American war dead from the fighting at Belleau Wood. It was unclear how the weather impeded Trump’s plans. Maybe he didn’t want to figure out the open and close mechanism of an umbrella again.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel made the trip by car. British Parliament member Nicholas Soames ― a grandson of Winston Churchill ― reacted to Trump’s absence by calling the U.S. president “pathetic.” Did Trump offer any thoughts on the sacrifice of our allies prior to our official entry on April 6, 1917, a sobering speech about how the U.S. became involved, how many Americans were already serving in the French Foreign Legion, the Ambulance Corp, the Lafayette Escadrille, and the Royal Flying Corp? Of course not. Trump couldn’t even tell you where Belleau Wood is.
Trump doesn’t care how the avoidance makes him look. He isn’t interested in respecting the American dead. He isn’t making any money off of it so why should he bother going? The closest Trump came to acknowledging anything about the Great War was the North Korean-like parade he demanded down Pennsylvania Avenue, originally slated for today that fortunately got cancelled because the Pentagon revealed what it would cost. It wasn’t to pay tribute to the end of the war, to U.S. losses in the war, or as a way to honor our veterans or our armed forces. It was a way to stroke Trump’s massive ego. The parade was meant to be about HIM!
Compounding his ignorance, he tweeted a debunked story about General John Pershing in the Philippines following the Spanish-American War. 
Trump has no idea what the Great War was about. He doesn’t know when it started, who it involved, nor how many Americans died. He has no concept of serving his country. When he could have in the 1960s and early 1970s, he dodged the draft by making up a fake ailment in his foot to avoid the military. Now he thinks he should stand in for Americans who DID serve? It would have made more sense for General Joseph Dunford or General Jim Mattis to represent us.
Having Trump represent the United States, especially on the anniversary of the end of the Great War, makes as much sense as having Olive Garden represent Italy.
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