During President Trump's first term in office, he tried and tried again to hold a military parade. Not one that would honor the troops – but one that would honor him.
He wanted helicopters flying, tanks rolling through the streets, and members of the military saluting as they passed an observation deck where he'd sit and smile as they marched by.
This from a man who secured multiple deferments when his country called on him to serve.
As you know, I was an infantryman in Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines. We fought in Anbar, Iraq. They called us “Lucky Lima” because we didn’t have a single casualty in the first two months of our deployment.
Our luck didn’t hold though. By the time our deployment was over, we had more casualties than any unit in the Iraq War.
I joined the Marines to serve my country, but I ran for Senate for the guys I served with. They’ve been let down too many times, and I ran to change that.
And a parade that will cost significant money at a time Trump wants to cut veterans' health care and housing programs is even more abhorrent.
I would like to try to stop this parade – or at least let my colleagues know what a mistake it is. And I would like you to join me in that effort – so when they ask, I can tell them it's not just me, it's people everywhere who oppose this parade.
A military parade honoring our president is not something we do here – it's something that happens in Moscow or Pyongyang.
Thank you for speaking up,
Ruben Gallego
Paid For By Gallego for Arizona
Use of military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform do not imply endorsement by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.
This email was sent to [email protected]. Emails like this are a critical tool for our campaign's fundraising and organizing efforts. If you'd like to receive only the most important emails going forward, tell us at this link. Or, if you need to, you can unsubscribe here. If you would like to support Ruben's campaign for Senate, please consider making a donation today.