Trump’s comments are an insult to those who served

If President Donald Trump considers our military members as suckers and losers, he has no clue about what it means to be American.

Like many veterans, I volunteered for military service with a sense of adventure and looking for greater purpose. I served in the Navy submarine service during the Cold War. Submarine service required spending months at a time submerged in the North Atlantic. The work was difficult in an environment considered to be among the most hazardous in the military. There were no days off, no holidays or weekends, and we worked for very little compensation. We had no internet news or communication with our families, whose service at home often goes unrecognized.

I found my purpose and continue to find ways to serve to this day. There is a bond between submariners earned through our shared experiences. Similarly, veterans of every branch of service have a common bond. President John F. Kennedy implored Americans to “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

Our wealth and status-centric President Trump will never understand what it is like to serve in the military, as a first responder, in non-profit organization, or in many of the other organizations that make America work. President Trump’s disparaging remarks are an insult to all veterans and their families who support them.

John Robinson, East Granby