James Maxson

Minot

On November 11th we celebrated Veterans Day. Many take the day off, go shopping, or go hunting. We fly our flags and thank veterans for their service. This is all well and good.

“Thank you for your service,” however, has not translated into voting for veterans. Three Vietnam veterans have run for U.S. President. Their number of wins equal Minnesota Vikings Super Bowl victories. The last time North Dakota elected a veteran as Governor was in 1988, that being George Sinner. Sinner was an Air Force veteran who served stateside during the Korean War. The last time North Dakota elected a veteran to Congress was in 1978, that being Mark Andrews. In 1980, Andrews was elected to the Senate. Andrews had been a cadet at West Point for 2 years (1944-1946) before being discharged for a physical disability. Judge for yourself, what this all means.