D-Day was a rebuke to fascism, not an invitation for Pete Hegseth, JD Vance, and Donald Trump to recycle the politics of fear, grievance, and exclusion.
A righteous rant was called for after the MAGA attack on a day that should be celebrated around the world - and you did us all proud with your great words. Permit me to share some of my thoughts and remembrances about June sixth, 1944, when I was a young West Texas farm boy who would turn five just two weeks later. I had uncles, cousins, husbands of aunts and neighbors who had gone off to fight the war, and too many didn’t return alive. But me and my imaginary friend Hector fought many battles that I had gleaned from the radio and discussions from family. My two older brothers, who were still at home, would develop doomsday scenarios off of mine and Hector’s heroic tales but I always had a magic out. If in their telling a Japanese Zero or German fighter was about to shoot us out of the air, they’d ask “what did you and Hector do then?” My answer was always “we went fishing!” When Trump and his companion’s actions are about to drive me crazy I need to remember the peace of going fishing.
Hegseth and Vance are simply practicing the Nazi strategy of telling The Big Lie, just another tactic. The Hitler-Goering-Himmler-Stephen Miller playbook is being executed with despicable purpose.
To every family who folded a flag and wept, to every soul who served and sacrificed: we remember. Because the insult isn’t just in the past—it’s ongoing. It's in every excuse, every lie, every desecration of honor from a man who has never served anything but himself.
We honor the fallen by refusing to stay silent. Especially when the greatest threat to democracy is strutting around in a blue suit, red tie, and spray tan, calling himself a patriot while mocking those who actually paid the price for freedom.
Jay, You have a way with words to rival Mary's. I see a pithy campaign riff unfolding along the lines of "Electing my (Republican) opponent is to put in office a man who will slavishly serve a man who has never served ANYthing but himself."
One account of the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest, an attempt to break into Germany after D Day, 18,000 front line men were supported by a million and a half. Those 18,000 did the fighting on the shoulders of the others and did not come home. They were sacrificed. So, this fighting rhetoric is all fine and good, but it has a context. Every military family should know this story. And that women were back home making the tech those million and a half moved for those 18,000. But, please, let’s flip it around. It would was the same for the Germans, if not worse. There are countless crimes on that side, but most soldiers in the Wehrmacht were not the Nazis celebrated in Saving Private Ryan or Inglorious Bastards. They served a terrible regime, but most as normal humans, as fearful and dutiful as most. Let’s not idealize them. The serving members of the US Armed Forces deserve that respect, not more fight club mythology. Not more brutalizations.
The public comments by Vance and Hegseth described by Mary in this piece should be setting off alarm bells across the world.
The Trmp regime is becoming ever bolder, ever more public and ever more explicit in their racist rhetoric. This type of language is a clear escalation from prior to 2025 when these types of comments were more tempered, softened with a veil of moderation, hedged between plausible deniability and the ‘just asking questions’ defence.
This is how it happens….one comment slightly more provocative than the last, slowly but methodically eroding our sense of outrage, desensitizing us to the absolute moral indignity of each word they utter until their truly and deeply racist agenda has been justified, legitimized and made public.
This was a very well written piece of history of our alliances and our soldiers who died for the good of the world.
Thank you Mary, and thank you dear subscribers who make it possible for those of us who are not able to subscribe monthly, but need to keep in the loop of truth in these hard times. Trying to make sense of what this president and his administration are doing to us and our allies. Thank you all.
A righteous rant was called for after the MAGA attack on a day that should be celebrated around the world - and you did us all proud with your great words. Permit me to share some of my thoughts and remembrances about June sixth, 1944, when I was a young West Texas farm boy who would turn five just two weeks later. I had uncles, cousins, husbands of aunts and neighbors who had gone off to fight the war, and too many didn’t return alive. But me and my imaginary friend Hector fought many battles that I had gleaned from the radio and discussions from family. My two older brothers, who were still at home, would develop doomsday scenarios off of mine and Hector’s heroic tales but I always had a magic out. If in their telling a Japanese Zero or German fighter was about to shoot us out of the air, they’d ask “what did you and Hector do then?” My answer was always “we went fishing!” When Trump and his companion’s actions are about to drive me crazy I need to remember the peace of going fishing.
I just adore the idea of ‘going fishing’. Going forward, when this world gets me down, I will be ‘going fishing’. 😊
Hegseth and Vance are simply practicing the Nazi strategy of telling The Big Lie, just another tactic. The Hitler-Goering-Himmler-Stephen Miller playbook is being executed with despicable purpose.
Remember Trump's "Losers and Suckers" comment?
To every family who folded a flag and wept, to every soul who served and sacrificed: we remember. Because the insult isn’t just in the past—it’s ongoing. It's in every excuse, every lie, every desecration of honor from a man who has never served anything but himself.
We honor the fallen by refusing to stay silent. Especially when the greatest threat to democracy is strutting around in a blue suit, red tie, and spray tan, calling himself a patriot while mocking those who actually paid the price for freedom.
Jay, You have a way with words to rival Mary's. I see a pithy campaign riff unfolding along the lines of "Electing my (Republican) opponent is to put in office a man who will slavishly serve a man who has never served ANYthing but himself."
Also, take pride in your succinct delivery.
thanks! check out jaywilson1.substack.com
In a
One account of the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest, an attempt to break into Germany after D Day, 18,000 front line men were supported by a million and a half. Those 18,000 did the fighting on the shoulders of the others and did not come home. They were sacrificed. So, this fighting rhetoric is all fine and good, but it has a context. Every military family should know this story. And that women were back home making the tech those million and a half moved for those 18,000. But, please, let’s flip it around. It would was the same for the Germans, if not worse. There are countless crimes on that side, but most soldiers in the Wehrmacht were not the Nazis celebrated in Saving Private Ryan or Inglorious Bastards. They served a terrible regime, but most as normal humans, as fearful and dutiful as most. Let’s not idealize them. The serving members of the US Armed Forces deserve that respect, not more fight club mythology. Not more brutalizations.
Thank you for ranting!! I rant in my head constantly. I’m beginning to feel depression knocking on my brain. I need an outlet and don’t have one.
thank you, Mary, for your extremely articulate and appropriate anger.
The public comments by Vance and Hegseth described by Mary in this piece should be setting off alarm bells across the world.
The Trmp regime is becoming ever bolder, ever more public and ever more explicit in their racist rhetoric. This type of language is a clear escalation from prior to 2025 when these types of comments were more tempered, softened with a veil of moderation, hedged between plausible deniability and the ‘just asking questions’ defence.
This is how it happens….one comment slightly more provocative than the last, slowly but methodically eroding our sense of outrage, desensitizing us to the absolute moral indignity of each word they utter until their truly and deeply racist agenda has been justified, legitimized and made public.
Be outraged!
Hello Mary,
This was a very well written piece of history of our alliances and our soldiers who died for the good of the world.
Thank you Mary, and thank you dear subscribers who make it possible for those of us who are not able to subscribe monthly, but need to keep in the loop of truth in these hard times. Trying to make sense of what this president and his administration are doing to us and our allies. Thank you all.