Let’s look at the character of Robert Mueller and Donald Trump during one critical period of their lives, the Vietnam era.

Mueller: Marine rifle platoon commander in Vietnam. In 1969 he received an enemy gunshot wound in the thigh, recovered and returned to lead his platoon. His military decorations and awards include Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V” for heroism, Purple Heart, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals with Combat “V,” Combat Action Ribbon, Vietnam Service Medal and Campaign Medal.

The citation for his Bronze Star with Valor read: “For courage, aggressive initiative, and unwavering devotion to duty,” and went on to say, “Second Lieutenant Mueller fearlessly moved from one position to another. With complete disregard for his own safety, he then skillfully supervised the evacuation of casualties from the hazardous area and, on one occasion, personally led a fire team across the fire-swept area terrain to recover a mortally wounded Marine who had fallen in a position forward on the friendly lines.”

Trump: Got multiple student draft deferments and a medical deferment. Before graduation his exam said: Fit for service. After graduation (with no student deferment) he had another exam and suddenly became unfit for service with a medical deferment.

Meanwhile, men like John McCain were being tortured as POW’s, but Trump has said that is “dishonorable.” “He’s not a war hero,” Trump said of McCain: “He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured, OK?”

According to Trump, there were no heroes in POW camps. Trump also said that danger he faced from sexually transmitted diseases was his own “personal Vietnam.” How insulting to veterans.

Who would you believe between these two on any subject? If anyone is going to bring law and order to the chaos and muck in Washington today, it’s a Marine.

— David Brown

Salisbury