What if Donald Trump had fought in Vietnam?

[Osakadave]

Telling you right now as some one who was born in to a 1%er family and went out and was literally homeless on the street sleeping on benches after college... hardship and being poor (and going into the military would be similar) doesn't change your basic personality, this isnt a movie social experiment with Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphey, this is real how people are hardwired. By the time Trump is in West Point he is who he is, it will not change him. Trust me, the age is too late for change.

Agreed, to some extent. It'd have to be more than just simple military service. A good example would be how I treated Dick Cheney in the Selma Massacre. He ended up with severe PTSD, which was enough, IMHO, to put him on a different track.

 

[Francisco Cojuanco]

Vietnam service can butterfly everything. He won't be a teetotaler probably and he could end up being like his brother, who died young.

But assuming Trump goes to 'Nam and serves in an okay matter, I agree with the assessment he would build himself to be a war hero and such.

I presume he would start his political ambitions sooner, which ironically would likely result in failure, and having failed at politics, he'll focus on real-estate which made him and his father so much money.

Trump is Prez because of him being in the right time, right place. Nam changes that.

The teetotalism came from growing up in a rather strict Presbyterian family, such attitudes can be hard to get rid of. I wonder, atheists in foxholes aside, does the War make him more or less religious?

 

[Delta Force]

The teetotalism came from growing up in a rather strict Presbyterian family, such attitudes can be hard to get rid of. I wonder, atheists in foxholes aside, does the War make him more or less religious?

Donald Trump seems to be more against it because of what happened to his brother and his fear of possibly having the alcoholism gene, and that "if you don't start you're never going to have a problem, and if you do start you might have a problem."

Here's an interview he gave where he discusses his opposition to alcohol, drugs, and tobacco and implores the audience not to use them as well:

 

[yourworstnightmare]

With a Little luck his personality would have changed for the better, but that requires loads of luck.

 

[FlyingSquirrel]

He'd have built a wall at the North-South border and made the Viet Cong pay for it. Believe him.

 

[pattersonautobody]

The teetotalism came from growing up in a rather strict Presbyterian family, such attitudes can be hard to get rid of. I wonder, atheists in foxholes aside, does the War make him more or less religious?

Yeah, but no one went to Nam without doing some sort of drug, probably weed but sometimes heroin. So, he will no longer be a teetotaler.

 

[Falk]

The real question is how many medals would he have won?

 

[EMTSATX]

Considering the casualties rates of a a 2nd LT. On '68 or '69....

WESTERN UNION

Mr. Fred Trump, The Secretary of Defense regrets to inform you that your Son Donald John Trump (1st Lt. USA(Regular) was killied in action on November 7th in action while leading his men in heroic action against the enemy.

The East Room of the White House September 20, 1970.

A stooped aged man stands before the 37th President. "It is because of young men like Donald our Country will survive, will continue to be great. God knows what the future held for Donald John Trump. Instead he will sleep beneath Arlington. Mr. Secratery the citation...


" On November 7th, Lt. Trump led his platoon into a viscous firefight despite being wounded he insisted his men be evacuated. When it became apparent he would be overrun he ordered an airstrike upon himself. The President of the United States takes great pleasure in presenting him the Congressional Medal of Honor. "

 

[marathag]

More likely he would be on some Majors staff at MACV

 

[sloreck]

I'm going to skirt the edges here and say if Donald went to Nam in 69 or so, we could all hope for a lucky AK-47 round.

 

[M. Adolphe Thiers]

Yeah, but no one went to Nam without doing some sort of drug, probably weed but sometimes heroin. So, he will no longer be a teetotaler.

What? That's a pretty gross generalization of Vietnam Veterans. Are you seriously suggesting all Veterans did drugs?

 

[EMTSATX]

It is just the "Medal of Honor". Not Congressional.

You are of course correct.

 

[EMTSATX]

Yeah, but no one went to Nam without doing some sort of drug, probably weed but sometimes heroin. So, he will no longer be a teetotaler.

Pretty sure my father didn't do any Heroin or weed at Khe Sahn

 

[An Oklahoman]

He would have won all the medals. Soo many medals, let me tell you. He'd have all the best medals.

He would have won the medal of honor twice! And put these two guys to shame:

 

[sloreck]

is there a difference?

 

[thekingsguard]

He could go to Vietnam, or like my uncles, he could spend the entire war in Germany or stateside. Depends on his MOS.

 

[Peabody-Martini]

Trump goes to Vietnam and with his connections avoids a combat posting but this doesn't stop him from bragging about how much better he'd be in the field than actual field officers. The attitude he has towards enlisted men is considered particularly harsh but he sucks up to the Brass whenever the opportunity presents itself. His personal use of drugs and alcohol is noticed as well as his hypocrisy.

His time as the most hated REMF in SE Asia ends abruptly when a subordinate sets off a satchel charge under his bunk. During the investigation a dud grenade is found in wreckage of his tent as well as several 5.56 mm holes meaning there had been at least two other attempts on his life. The case remains unsolved because of the large number of suspects and the rare example of the actual culprit remaining silent.

Eventually this inspires an episode of the television series NCIS that resulted in a large number of complaints to CBS due to the unsatisfactory ending.

 

[pattersonautobody]

What? That's a pretty gross generalization of Vietnam Veterans. Are you seriously suggesting all Veterans did drugs?

Speak to a Vet, most that went there experimented with some sort of drug. I am not saying all became addicts. However, Trump is an OCD teetotaler that won't even taste alcohol. THis is unlikely if he serves as a soldier in Vietnam.

According to an Encyclopedia.com article:

At the height of the use of opiates, in 1971, almost half the army's enlisted men had tried them... Marijuana use was even more common; about two-thirds of these soldiers used it. The estimates come from an independent survey of a random sample of army enlisted men eight to twelve months after their return from Vietnam, after the great majority had been discharged (Robins et al., 1975).

Half used heroin for Pete's sake in the whole army. You better believe that the use of pot in Vietnam is much higher. Probably the only ones who abstained were the good ol' fashioned southern boys who went to church and all, and even they probably experimented in high numbers.

I know people are uncomfortable with so many "stereotypes" but we talking about a majority of soldiers according to studies, so the facts are the facts.

 

[Wendell]

Daddy was rich and influential, Donald wasnt going within a thousand miles of anywhere more dangerous than the local golf course.

Even Gore went to Nam, he just wasn't in a combat role.

 

[EMTSATX]

Gore was a combat photographer. John Kerry was in the brown water Navy.

Trump was a fortunate Son. Nice you wish him death from vc maybe just a crushing paralyzingly bad gun shot? Nice thing to wish upon an American Soldiers Death.

My dad volunteered for the Marines, unless you want to count Jack Daniels and Budweiser as a Drug...

You keep pointing a "platoon" or other Vietnam movies. Just please stop, really stop. Even Drafted men were not like that. @pattersonautobody you're a good poster don't do this.