Trump recently received a Purple Heart medal from Lieutenant Colonel Louis Dorfman. The soldier stated that he had "so much confidence" in the candidate that he was willing to give him his decoration, earned for being injured in combat. Trump seemed touched by the gesture, but his subsequent remarks made one veteran angry enough to start a GoFundMe petition.
The offhand remark came a few days after the Republican candidate was accused of verbally attacking the family of a fallen Muslim soldier. Trump was criticized for being disrespectful to those of the Islamic faith as well as being callous toward the sacrifice of the deceased soldier and his parents.
Decorated Army veteran Cameron Kerr, who was seriously injured in the Afghanistan War, judged that a few days in a war zone would help the real estate speculator understand the price of military honour and the reality behind it.
"As with seemingly everything else in his life, Mr Trump got one handed to him instead of earning it," Kerr wrote.
"That being said, as a Purple Heart recipient who earned one the old-fashioned way by returning from Afghanistan one leg lighter, I fully endorse his desire to earn one and would happily oblige his interest in doing so, by being one of the first to chip in to fly him to the conflict zone of his choosing. After all, you're never too old to follow your dreams."
Although tens of thousands dollars have been collected through the petition, Kerr is fully aware that the move is unlikely to cause Trump to understand the realities and consequences of combat. Nevertheless, he hopes to turn Trump's "bigotry into something positive."
The International Rescue Committee, the Syrian American Medical Society and Refugees Welcome International were listed among organizations that will benefit from the effort.
Social network users immediately took to their favorite platforms to support the initiative, using the #PurpleTrumpsOrange hashtag.
The veteran behind this fundraiser found a perfect way to mock Trump while doing a lot of good. #PurpleTrumpsOrange. https://t.co/h4GW5xCINS
— Matthew Desmond (@AddictingMatt) August 6, 2016
Dorfman, however, insisted that Trump's comments were taken out of context and noted that the mogul acknowledged the honor backstage.
"I think he would make a good commander in chief," Dorfman said, cited by Fox News. "I was very proud to give him that medal, not just for myself… this is about all the veterans that are carrying the wounds of these wars that we're in and past wars.
