Bernie Sanders is once again in the news for his staunch disagreements with the Iraq War. Sanders’ opposition to the war in 2002 is well known among fellow politicians and his supporters. But now the world will know that some veterans of that war would like to thank Bernie Sanders for being the voice of reason.
Eric Gunlefinger served in the United States Marine Corps, where he fought in several tours in the Iraq War. Gunlefinger fought in the battles in Fallujah in 2005, 2006, and 2007. In a heartfelt letter to the Senator from Vermont, Gunlefinger thanked Sanders again and again for being the lone voice in a pack of wolves. Gunlefinger knew that there was tremendous pressure against Sanders and that most other politicians in Washington at the time supported one of the most senseless wars in U.S. history.
Gunlefinger lamented his lost comrades in the war. Though he fought valiantly to protect all of the men and women he served with, he lost many of his friends in Iraq during those years. And now that he has returned, he has also lost many fellow veterans to suicide. The things he saw as a 19 year old, Gunlefinger said, should never be seen by someone so young and naive to the ways of the world.
The Iraq War veteran hopes that there will be more politicians like Sanders in the future. He has a son of his own, and he knows that one day his son will be old enough to serve in the military. The hope is that more people still stand up against wars that never should have been started. And this is a big sticking point in the current election climate right now.
Bernie Sanders always points out that Hillary Clinton voted in favor of the Iraq War. He calls it the most significant foreign policy issue that has ever faced this current generation of Americans. This will become a major issue in the minds of voters as they decide which of these two political giants should represent the Democratic Party in the upcoming 2016 Presidential Election.
Gunlefinger also says he’s glad that he can vote for someone who aims to restore a more peaceful America in the future. He thinks Sanders has great moral judgment and character for standing against the beating of the war drums when they were louder than ever before the Iraq War. He gives Bernie a lot of credit for correctly predicting that the Iraq War wouldn’t truly accomplish anything and that the region would become destabilized and vulnerable to extremist attacks.
The letter praises Sanders for protecting the lives of soldiers and also innocent people in war zones. Gunlefinger believes that more candidates like Sanders can help achieve the peaceful presence of America as the world’s watchdog. The country can still be powerful without using force all the time in every situation. Other veterans like Gunlefinger will likely come out and support Sanders after reading this eloquent letter. Only time will tell what kind of impact this letter can make.
This letter is going viral in support of Senator Sanders and his bid for the White House. Sanders seems to have a massive internet following. Letters like this can only add to his number of supporters as the primary elections draw near. Gunlefinger likely isn’t the only veteran to believe these things about Sanders and the current state of American politics. More and more people are learning about the kind of impact Sanders has made in the lives of veterans like Gunlefinger. He can only gain more support from stories like this one.