I recall meeting Mr. Trump at The Citadel in South Carolina. I specifically wanted to talk with him for only a few minutes about Veterans issues. I was in Uniform. I did get a picture, and was then shuttled away. He could have cared less.
Compare this with the first time I met Sen Rand Paul, also at the Citadel, also in uniform. I had been released from the VA Hospital two days prior and still had the bandages on my wrist from a suicide attempt due to the VA mis-managing my medication. After Sen. Rand Paul gave his speech I waited in line to speak with him, again about problems facing Veterans. Sen. Paul noticed my bandages and asked what had happened. I told him. He then postponed a press conference for 20 minutes and walked me behind a curtain with his staffer to talk with me. He said to me, "Forget I am a Senator, I am also a doctor." He was concerned not only as a Senator and Doctor, but as a human being about what had happened, and what caused my attempt.
Before leaving, I gave him an idea for legislation to help Veterans. Two weeks later, he introduced my idea to the Senate as an amendment to the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act. Sen. Paul also had his staffer give me his personal cell number for me to call if I ever needed anything, or felt the way I did before I was hospitalized.
It’s easy to claim to stand for Veterans, to donate money when you have billions. It takes a different kind of person to put off press conferences, and to take action on behalf of Veterans and the Military.
