Democrats Once Again Show Veterans Come Last
In celebration of Women Veterans Day, June 12, 2020, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) paid tribute to female Soldiers, past and present who have supported the group’s mission. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Alexis Washburn-Jasinski)
The way a nation treats its veterans says more than any slogan or speech ever could. And right now, in the middle of a government shutdown, Democrats in Washington are showing once again where their priorities lie. Instead of ensuring that our troops receive their pay on time, they’re blocking a clean Republican funding bill—holding our service members hostage to push for subsidies and benefits for illegal immigrants.
Sadly, this isn’t a new pattern. Throughout American history, those who have sacrificed the most have too often been forgotten or betrayed.
That truth was brought to light recently by Sapphire Dingler, a graduate student in public history, who uncovered disturbing testimony buried in newly digitized U.S. archives. The documents reveal unspeakable crimes committed by Japanese doctors during World War II against Allied prisoners of war—including Americans.
Among the names in those records was Dr. Hisakichi Tokuda, who took inspiration from the notorious Unit 731. He and others carried out gruesome experiments on Allied POWs, including injecting soy milk directly into their veins. Many victims suffered seizures, collapsed, and died in agony.
The horrors didn’t end there. In 1945, Italian officer Ernesto Saxida was subjected to repeated injections before dying a torturous death. American POWs at Kyushu Imperial University were experimented on as well—their murders later disguised in records as “atomic bomb casualties.” Testimony at the Yokohama War Crimes Trials confirmed what had long been hidden: Western prisoners were dissected alive, their suffering erased from history’s pages.
For decades, these truths were buried—first by the brutality of war, and then by political silence. Groups like Pacific Atrocities Education are now working to expose this forgotten chapter of history, ensuring that these men are finally remembered for their sacrifice.
But these revelations also remind us of something deeper and far more troubling: that our government has not always stood up for its veterans. During World War II, Franklin Roosevelt’s administration downplayed Japanese atrocities for political convenience. After the war, many of the perpetrators were shielded from justice because Washington valued their biological warfare data more than accountability.
That same disregard for veterans is echoing today in Washington. The House of Representatives—under Republican leadership—passed a clean continuing resolution to keep the government open until November 21. The bill included no policy riders, no cuts—just a guarantee that our troops would be paid while Congress continued negotiations. Democrats in the Senate have now rejected that bill seven times.
History has already shown us what happens when politics comes before patriots. From the POWs who suffered in secret laboratories, to the veterans today waiting for paychecks while politicians play games, the lesson is the same: when leaders forget those who served, the nation loses its moral compass.
Republicans are fighting to break that cycle—to put veterans first and honor their sacrifices not just with words, but with action.
If you have a World War II veteran story to share, or wish to help preserve the memories of those who fought and suffered, visit the Pacific Atrocities Education website and fill out their submission form.
Because honoring veterans isn’t about politics—it’s about keeping faith with the heroes who gave everything for our freedom.
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