Fortunate Son

As most people know, Trump was a wealthy draft dodger during the Vietnam War. His sudden onset of bone spurs was diagnosed by Dr. Larry Braunstein, a podiatrist who rented his office from Trump's father, Fred Trump. This “medical favor” got The Donald out of his obligation of military service. As a member of the Vietnam draft era, I saw several “fortunate sons” of wealthy parents skip their military obligation with similar convenient ailments. I ended up serving four years in the Navy. As a friend said of his time in the military, I wouldn’t do it again for all the money in the world, but I wouldn’t trade the experience for that same amount.

It would seem that the Army’s official rock band (who knew?), Downrange, has a sense of humor. In their setlist for the recent Trump parade, was a song with special meaning for President “Bone Spurs” Trump. Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son,” a song about wealthy draft dodgers, was played during his military themed birthday celebration.

Fortunate Son was written by John Fogerty (pictured from my shot at the 2014 Jazzfest in New Orleans), and the irony is that it was all about the Donald Trumps of the period. Fogerty was condemning those who used their power, wealth, and privilege to dodge military service. John Fogerty wrote in his memoir:

“You’d hear about the son of this senator or that congressman who was given a deferment from the military or a choice position in the military. They seemed privileged and whether they liked it or not, these people were symbolic in the sense that they weren’t being touched by what their parents were doing. They weren’t being affected like the rest of us.”

Here are some excerpts from the lyrics:

And when the band plays "Hail to the chief"

Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord

It ain't me, it ain't me

I ain't no senator's son, son

Some folks are born silver spoon in hand

Lord, don't they help themselves, Lord?

I ain't no millionaire's son, no, no

It ain't me, it ain't me

Trump did, in his defense, suffer the trials and tribulations of his own “personal Vietnam” as he called it in a 1997 interview with Howard Stern. He claimed during that exchange that he felt like “a great and very brave soldier” by avoiding STD’s while sleeping with so many women in the ‘90s and that this was his “personal Vietnam.” Clueless statements such as these are indicative of the true nature of the man. While serving now as the “Commander-in-Chief” of our military, he is the very antithesis of the spirit of those who sacrificed and proudly served in our military.

Kudos to Downrange for their CCR song selection. Trump can’t blame them as he had the same song played at his campaign rallies. He remains clueless and still considers dodging the draft as one of his personal victories. His reference that American soldiers who died in combat were "losers" and "suckers" would seem to indicate that he really was unfit for military service, just as he is unfit now to serve as its chief.