I wanted to share this story written by an AP reporter named Tara Copp. She wrote an account about her travels to Sainte-Mère-Église, France, with General Mark Milley. This will give you a window into the character of the man who was tested like no previous American military officer ever had by the commander in chief.
Because of the sacrifice of Americans . . . my mother was liberated from Auschwitz and my father was able to walk out of a Hungarian labor camp. They emigrated to the US were forever grateful to this country and unwaveringly respectful of the our constitution and leadership. Being victims of fascism they would be watching what is playing our in America in abject horror.
I was fortunate to travel to Normandy this past spring and to stand in that very church courtyard. I went to Normandy to honor my father who participated in Operation Overlord. His ship, the USS Corry sank at 0630 that day. I was completely unprepared for the level of emotion I would experience as I looked out over the beaches and read the plaque that indicated where Dad's ship went down. I was also unprepared but touched and humbled at the level of gratitude people expressed for my Father's service all these many years later. He survived D-Day, went on to serve in the Pacific and, incredibly, survived a second sinking. To hear today's GOP disparage our service men and women is more than I can bear. I'm glad he didn't live to witness it.
This a very moving piece Steve. I couldn’t help as I read it to think about what real leadership is. And, Mark Milley exhibits it to the highest degree- courage, compassion, empathy, and selflessness. He’s a true leader and we’ve been so fortunate that Providence placed him as COJCOS at this watershed point in our history. In this position he was required to, and chose for our sake as a nation, to use his selflessness and courage to protect us, civilians, servicemen, and servicewomen alike, from his evil antithesis Fonald Trump who had crawled into a position of leadership he was unfit for and tried to use only for personal gain. I thank God that General Mark Milley stood in the gap for us to protect us from this cowardly fascist populist demagogue named Donald Trump. We all owe General Milley a debt of gratitude. He saw for all of us what a threat to democracy Trump is and prevented Trump from using the military against Americans and against our Constitution. God bless Mark Milley. I also pray his successors are as equal to the task as Milley clearly was.
Watching men die fighting for their country daily in Ukraine makes me appreciate getting to know, first Biden, and now Miley. Away from the noise, bright lights and cameras, Americans are not lining up to shake hands with their warriors or the geriatric leader who saved them from the jaws of MAGA in 2020. We will be consumed by worries over next year’s most consequential elections. For me, the principles they live by and the essence of who they are make me very proud that they are Americans.
We are as far removed from World War II as the participants in that war were removed from the Civil War. As I noted in my last book, "Clean Sweep: VIII Fighter Command Against The Luftwaffe 1942-45", every one of the people in the book who is quoted first hand was someone I was privileged to know over the years, and the last one - other than Bud Anderson, now 102 - "flew west" in 2016.
Brings tears to my eyes. I had the opportunity , w/ my son and husband to visit and pay respects in Normandy. Looking outward over the beach...the bravery and sacrifice is humbling. I pray we step up and step forward to overcome the forces at hand.
Damn. Made me cry. And also remember some of the things I miss about being in the military. One of the things I despise about today’s environment is that it has made me very cautious about even revealing I was in the military. To a certain extent, in a weird way, it’s even taken the American flag away from me as a point of pride, since if I see a car in traffic with a flag emblem or a yard in the neighborhood with a flag in it, I assume the people in the car or living in the house are likely MAGA whack jobs who I want nothing to do with and would never want anyone thinking I supported them.
I follow "The Lincoln Project". In one email, they said that we must not let the MAGA's take OUR flag away from us! Since that article, I have my flag out 24/7! I even got a solar light to shine on it at night!
We are ALL Americans, and just as the Capital is OUR house too, we must stand up to these freedom haters, who are abusing the symbols of our democracy!
Carey, be very proud of being a veteran! You protected our democracy and our Constitution! You are the TRUE patriot, not like these thugs that took that word too! Thank you, for your service!
Tara Copp's story of her recent time with General Milley was inspired..Thank you for putting it out perhaps further than the AP reaches these days..Along with the recent CNN revelations of General Kelly, I sent it to Vincent Oshana..via his website..I felt he might benefit from hearing more truth from his brothers in arms..
There are times we join hands with the past before we look to the future. What happened on DDay was, and is still our willingness to sacrifice for freedom. We are being called again, as we look toward the future of a need to sacrifice for freedom. It may not take the same shape as it did in France, but the resolve must be the same. May we be as forthright and fearless as we were in June 1944.
When my husband and I lived in the UK for a few years back in 1999-2001, my first priority was to invite my Dad, A US Air Force veteran of Korea and Vietnam, to come with us on a trip across the Channel via ferry to Cherbourg and on to Normandy. My Dad, who has since passed said it was one of the most profound experiences of his life. What I didn't expect was to experience the overwhelming emotion of that place myself, overlooking the beaches of DDay, unlike that day, now peaceful, calm, and incredibly beautiful. I wish all Americans could have that experience... I've no doubt it would be life changing.
Only because of luck did my maternal grandfather leave Europe after his last sibling did and he, the oldest, came to the US with his mother, my great-grandmother. Or they would have been gone from Pogroms or the Holocaust. My father, z"l, served in France and was silent about it all except to praise Gen. Bradley under whom he served, as a mensch. Gen. Milley too is a mensch. The relief he must feel now, or perhaps the fear we feel at the prospect of what may occur (spit spit) in 2024 must be great.
@TCinLA writes that we are so far removed from WWII. Yet, as we watch lots of British TV ("QI" as one) and they 'joke' about Nazis, I have come to realize that they who are on the show are children or grandchildren of those who suffered during the War. They are not so far removed. Survivors, their descendants, we who had parents who served, soon many more will be even farther removed.
@May Ng, yes, the horror of Ukraine make me realize how people will truly defend democracy while here, many work to dismantle it.
I rejoice in your post, Steve Schmidt, and I find fear in the prospect of what could continue.
It breaks my heart on how The Party of Trump has disrespected our veterans, our military; well, you name it, they disrespect it!
I never would have believed that we would ever come to this shameful part of our history!
My dad was a WWII veteran, my mom was a social worker in the Red Cross, during the war. I was taught to respect our country, our constitution, our flag, our military, our veterans! My dad would proudly tell me the reason why we celebrate Veterans' Day on November 11th. My dad loved his country! I am so glad that he and my mom are not here today to see the horrible mess America is in now!
I was taught to respect our government leaders, even if we disagreed with their views! However, I never could respect Trump and his gang in Congress, and I never will! What that one man has done to our country , I can never forget or forgive! If he is not punished here on earth, he will be in the end.
I am watching the once GOP falling apart! The GOP that my dad loved and supported until he died. I am not a fan of McCarthy; but who will they vote to replace him-Matt Gaetz, MTG, Jim Jordan? If one of those crazies becomes Speaker of the House, they will throw a red carpet out on the Capital steps for Trump to walk on! Can our country ever recover? As the days pass, as the nightmare continues with its twists and turns, I wonder if America and its people can recover. God help us all!
I think there are just barely enough sane Republicans in that chamber that would not allow Matt Gaetz or any of the "freedom caucus" to be elected Speaker.
21 Republicans voted with Democrats to fund the government for the next 45 days. It's a very slim majority, but they're the only GOP with an ounce of sanity amongst them. I'd never bet on a Republican to do the right thing, but I can hope and pray they see the wisdom in keeping anyone in the "freedom caucus" out of the Speaker's chair.
Such profound words from General Milley, and a great article. How do you get people who have gone so far down the rabbit hole, to gravitate to normal reading, or just any reading outside their echo chamber. I can only think back to your recent podcast, to see the anger spewed by the MAGA Trumper as the video he is demanding you watch captures the real January 6 “non-insurrection.”
Unfortunately for us, democracy won’t be fought with a bang, but it end with a whimper. We will be caught from behind, and it will lost before we know it.
Our next civil war is already being fought at the voting booth and in the courts. Democrats are slowly losing, even though we continue to win most of the battles. The religious fanatics, and kleptocrats have taken over a major party, control more than 25 state legislatures and governorships, and have managed to pass draconian laws, while the outcry only lasts for days or weeks before we all go back to normal.
Look at the erosion of democracy in Europe. It’s the rise of the far right, the erosion of civil rights and liberties in places like Hungary and Turkey. Italy, Germany and France have seen these far right-groups gain influence and more power every election, while authoritarians scheme to take over their country’s, and then destroy the country as it descends into darkness.
That’s our fate if Trump or another Trump 2.0 gains power. And after each election, they’re closer to victory than we think! Does anyone actually think of Trump loses in 24’, that he and his minions will admit defeat?
I couldn't "heart" what you wrote, @Robert Jaffee. I do thank you because it is my fear and what makes my stomach knot. [And as I write this, the flash: McCarthy ousted as Speaker.]
"Noble"..in Webster's, surely means " not for self but for others"...and who needs to look in Webster's to be sure?
Hitler and Fascism were easy for the average grunt to comprehend as being evil and thus were compelling for them to die fighting against.
I loved a WWII 40 year old grunt when I was in grammar school, and when I asked him what WWII was like, he told me just one detail: " One day I bent over for some reason and I felt hot wind from bullets whizzing over my buttocks". He smiled at me with a wonderful smile, and I was struck dumb, unable to think..
Who Will fight against today's Hitler equivalent, the madman, Trump?
Because of the sacrifice of Americans . . . my mother was liberated from Auschwitz and my father was able to walk out of a Hungarian labor camp. They emigrated to the US were forever grateful to this country and unwaveringly respectful of the our constitution and leadership. Being victims of fascism they would be watching what is playing our in America in abject horror.
I was fortunate to travel to Normandy this past spring and to stand in that very church courtyard. I went to Normandy to honor my father who participated in Operation Overlord. His ship, the USS Corry sank at 0630 that day. I was completely unprepared for the level of emotion I would experience as I looked out over the beaches and read the plaque that indicated where Dad's ship went down. I was also unprepared but touched and humbled at the level of gratitude people expressed for my Father's service all these many years later. He survived D-Day, went on to serve in the Pacific and, incredibly, survived a second sinking. To hear today's GOP disparage our service men and women is more than I can bear. I'm glad he didn't live to witness it.
This a very moving piece Steve. I couldn’t help as I read it to think about what real leadership is. And, Mark Milley exhibits it to the highest degree- courage, compassion, empathy, and selflessness. He’s a true leader and we’ve been so fortunate that Providence placed him as COJCOS at this watershed point in our history. In this position he was required to, and chose for our sake as a nation, to use his selflessness and courage to protect us, civilians, servicemen, and servicewomen alike, from his evil antithesis Fonald Trump who had crawled into a position of leadership he was unfit for and tried to use only for personal gain. I thank God that General Mark Milley stood in the gap for us to protect us from this cowardly fascist populist demagogue named Donald Trump. We all owe General Milley a debt of gratitude. He saw for all of us what a threat to democracy Trump is and prevented Trump from using the military against Americans and against our Constitution. God bless Mark Milley. I also pray his successors are as equal to the task as Milley clearly was.
www.tomthedemocratist.com
Watching men die fighting for their country daily in Ukraine makes me appreciate getting to know, first Biden, and now Miley. Away from the noise, bright lights and cameras, Americans are not lining up to shake hands with their warriors or the geriatric leader who saved them from the jaws of MAGA in 2020. We will be consumed by worries over next year’s most consequential elections. For me, the principles they live by and the essence of who they are make me very proud that they are Americans.
We are as far removed from World War II as the participants in that war were removed from the Civil War. As I noted in my last book, "Clean Sweep: VIII Fighter Command Against The Luftwaffe 1942-45", every one of the people in the book who is quoted first hand was someone I was privileged to know over the years, and the last one - other than Bud Anderson, now 102 - "flew west" in 2016.
Brings tears to my eyes. I had the opportunity , w/ my son and husband to visit and pay respects in Normandy. Looking outward over the beach...the bravery and sacrifice is humbling. I pray we step up and step forward to overcome the forces at hand.
Damn. Made me cry. And also remember some of the things I miss about being in the military. One of the things I despise about today’s environment is that it has made me very cautious about even revealing I was in the military. To a certain extent, in a weird way, it’s even taken the American flag away from me as a point of pride, since if I see a car in traffic with a flag emblem or a yard in the neighborhood with a flag in it, I assume the people in the car or living in the house are likely MAGA whack jobs who I want nothing to do with and would never want anyone thinking I supported them.
I follow "The Lincoln Project". In one email, they said that we must not let the MAGA's take OUR flag away from us! Since that article, I have my flag out 24/7! I even got a solar light to shine on it at night!
We are ALL Americans, and just as the Capital is OUR house too, we must stand up to these freedom haters, who are abusing the symbols of our democracy!
Carey, be very proud of being a veteran! You protected our democracy and our Constitution! You are the TRUE patriot, not like these thugs that took that word too! Thank you, for your service!
Right On! I'm glad you expressed this so powerfully here, Donna. Let's all take back our flag and our pride and respect for our military members.
Carey, Thank you for your service to our country and to our Democracy. I 100% Agree with
Donna's reply to you here.
"Hollyanne Milley put her arm around my shoulder, and she and the chairman and I bowed our heads, and prayed over Terry’s white cross.
And then Milley coined him."
...from TARA COPP's "Traveling with Milley" Associated Press story. Thank you so much.
https://apnews.com/article/mark-milley-chairman-dday-coin-07e77553722f4db8fac50e4d07f63eaa
Tara Copp's story of her recent time with General Milley was inspired..Thank you for putting it out perhaps further than the AP reaches these days..Along with the recent CNN revelations of General Kelly, I sent it to Vincent Oshana..via his website..I felt he might benefit from hearing more truth from his brothers in arms..
There are times we join hands with the past before we look to the future. What happened on DDay was, and is still our willingness to sacrifice for freedom. We are being called again, as we look toward the future of a need to sacrifice for freedom. It may not take the same shape as it did in France, but the resolve must be the same. May we be as forthright and fearless as we were in June 1944.
When my husband and I lived in the UK for a few years back in 1999-2001, my first priority was to invite my Dad, A US Air Force veteran of Korea and Vietnam, to come with us on a trip across the Channel via ferry to Cherbourg and on to Normandy. My Dad, who has since passed said it was one of the most profound experiences of his life. What I didn't expect was to experience the overwhelming emotion of that place myself, overlooking the beaches of DDay, unlike that day, now peaceful, calm, and incredibly beautiful. I wish all Americans could have that experience... I've no doubt it would be life changing.
Would a pilgrimage to Normandy change maga hearts and minds?
Only because of luck did my maternal grandfather leave Europe after his last sibling did and he, the oldest, came to the US with his mother, my great-grandmother. Or they would have been gone from Pogroms or the Holocaust. My father, z"l, served in France and was silent about it all except to praise Gen. Bradley under whom he served, as a mensch. Gen. Milley too is a mensch. The relief he must feel now, or perhaps the fear we feel at the prospect of what may occur (spit spit) in 2024 must be great.
@TCinLA writes that we are so far removed from WWII. Yet, as we watch lots of British TV ("QI" as one) and they 'joke' about Nazis, I have come to realize that they who are on the show are children or grandchildren of those who suffered during the War. They are not so far removed. Survivors, their descendants, we who had parents who served, soon many more will be even farther removed.
@May Ng, yes, the horror of Ukraine make me realize how people will truly defend democracy while here, many work to dismantle it.
I rejoice in your post, Steve Schmidt, and I find fear in the prospect of what could continue.
It breaks my heart on how The Party of Trump has disrespected our veterans, our military; well, you name it, they disrespect it!
I never would have believed that we would ever come to this shameful part of our history!
My dad was a WWII veteran, my mom was a social worker in the Red Cross, during the war. I was taught to respect our country, our constitution, our flag, our military, our veterans! My dad would proudly tell me the reason why we celebrate Veterans' Day on November 11th. My dad loved his country! I am so glad that he and my mom are not here today to see the horrible mess America is in now!
I was taught to respect our government leaders, even if we disagreed with their views! However, I never could respect Trump and his gang in Congress, and I never will! What that one man has done to our country , I can never forget or forgive! If he is not punished here on earth, he will be in the end.
I am watching the once GOP falling apart! The GOP that my dad loved and supported until he died. I am not a fan of McCarthy; but who will they vote to replace him-Matt Gaetz, MTG, Jim Jordan? If one of those crazies becomes Speaker of the House, they will throw a red carpet out on the Capital steps for Trump to walk on! Can our country ever recover? As the days pass, as the nightmare continues with its twists and turns, I wonder if America and its people can recover. God help us all!
I think there are just barely enough sane Republicans in that chamber that would not allow Matt Gaetz or any of the "freedom caucus" to be elected Speaker.
Oh, I hope that you are right!
21 Republicans voted with Democrats to fund the government for the next 45 days. It's a very slim majority, but they're the only GOP with an ounce of sanity amongst them. I'd never bet on a Republican to do the right thing, but I can hope and pray they see the wisdom in keeping anyone in the "freedom caucus" out of the Speaker's chair.
Such profound words from General Milley, and a great article. How do you get people who have gone so far down the rabbit hole, to gravitate to normal reading, or just any reading outside their echo chamber. I can only think back to your recent podcast, to see the anger spewed by the MAGA Trumper as the video he is demanding you watch captures the real January 6 “non-insurrection.”
Unfortunately for us, democracy won’t be fought with a bang, but it end with a whimper. We will be caught from behind, and it will lost before we know it.
Our next civil war is already being fought at the voting booth and in the courts. Democrats are slowly losing, even though we continue to win most of the battles. The religious fanatics, and kleptocrats have taken over a major party, control more than 25 state legislatures and governorships, and have managed to pass draconian laws, while the outcry only lasts for days or weeks before we all go back to normal.
Look at the erosion of democracy in Europe. It’s the rise of the far right, the erosion of civil rights and liberties in places like Hungary and Turkey. Italy, Germany and France have seen these far right-groups gain influence and more power every election, while authoritarians scheme to take over their country’s, and then destroy the country as it descends into darkness.
That’s our fate if Trump or another Trump 2.0 gains power. And after each election, they’re closer to victory than we think! Does anyone actually think of Trump loses in 24’, that he and his minions will admit defeat?
I couldn't "heart" what you wrote, @Robert Jaffee. I do thank you because it is my fear and what makes my stomach knot. [And as I write this, the flash: McCarthy ousted as Speaker.]
I know. I could barely write it as well, but so thought it needed to be said. I hope I’m wrong, but all evidence points to the contrary.
"Noble"..in Webster's, surely means " not for self but for others"...and who needs to look in Webster's to be sure?
Hitler and Fascism were easy for the average grunt to comprehend as being evil and thus were compelling for them to die fighting against.
I loved a WWII 40 year old grunt when I was in grammar school, and when I asked him what WWII was like, he told me just one detail: " One day I bent over for some reason and I felt hot wind from bullets whizzing over my buttocks". He smiled at me with a wonderful smile, and I was struck dumb, unable to think..
Who Will fight against today's Hitler equivalent, the madman, Trump?