At the same political rally where young recruit Joseph Pryor lost his chance to be a Marine (discussed here last week), an unidentified older man in a Korean War Veterans Association uniform was filmed shoving and taunting a young black woman.
Shiya Nwanguma, a student at the University of Louisville, was there to protest candidate Donald Trump. The man got in her face. "Get out of here! We don't want you here!"
Various news outlets have said the man is 75 years old, but Military.com's reporting points out that would make him nine years old when the conflict began in 1950.
So, we've got a situation. Maybe it's a case of sloppy reporting and we've got a remarkably spry 85-year-old veteran yelling at a woman almost young enough to be his great-granddaughter. Or we'vc possibly got a guy who's pretending to be a Korea War veteran acting out in public.
And it's the acting out in public that's the issue. Check out the code of conduct posted on the Korean War Veterans website:
KOREAN WAR VETERANS ASSOCIATION
CODE OF CONDUCT
I will uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States.
I will adhere to the National Bylaws of the KWVA, my Department, and my Chapter.
I will not engage in any unlawful or unethical conduct, nor attempt to deceive in any manner, my Chapter, my Department or the National KWVA.
I will fulfill my obligations and will be responsible for my actions to the Chapter, Department, and National Organization of the KWVA.
I will render service and comfort to bereaved families of fellow Veterans, in time of need, to the best of my ability.
I will respect the rights of others in regard to politics, sex, race, religion, and ethnic background.
I will hold an open mind to the thoughts and opinions of others in any discussion or problem.
I will at all times conduct myself with proper decorum and dignity and, while a member of the KWVA, will commit no act or actions that would dishonor the KWVA, our Flag or our Country.
So, here's the question: do veterans owe the military a certain level of behavior in public when their clothing or uniform identifies their connection to the armed forces? Does this kind of behavior make veterans look bad? Should this guy have to explain himself? Sound off!