Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Our readersMay 17, 2019
Photo by Specna Arms on Unsplash

One hundred percent of respondents personally know someone who has served in the military.

Readers referred to parents, husbands, sisters, brothers, siblings-in-law, aunts, uncles, cousins, co-workers and priests. “My parish priest was in the Air Force,” said Lisa Gramlich of San Francisco, Calif. “My grandfather was a colonel in World War II and the Korean War.”

Several readers served in the military themselves. “I’m a vet myself,” wrote Joe Offer of Applegate, Calif., “and I know several vets in my parish. Now that my dad is dead, I’m the only vet I know of in my family.”

Asked if they take military experience into consideration when thinking about candidates for public office, our readers were divided. See graphic.

“I tend not to trust pro-war politicians if they have not served in the military,” said Mr. Offer, who indicated that he takes military experience into consideration and it is important to him.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

A Reflection for Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time, by Tim Reidy
The neverending delight of “Good for you!”
Joe PagettaJune 13, 2025
Protesters gather at the U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons after federal immigration authorities conducted an operation on Friday, June 6, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
My Jewish family was sheltered in a Christian village in Nazi-occupied France. Now I am a naturalized American citizen, but can I count on similar courage and good will from my neighbors?
Pierre SauvageJune 13, 2025
You might think an Obama-era film would lose some relevance. But, tragically, “Us vs. Them” is evergreen.
John DoughertyJune 13, 2025