Veteran’s Voice: John Nusbaum
The heroism demonstrated time and again by veterans is sometimes unnoticed by those of us who enjoy the security that their sacrifice has provided. One way we can show our gratitude for their service is by protecting American democracy and the freedoms provided in our Constitution.
Dark money and unlimited political spending continue to drown out the voices of American citizens, including those who fought for our freedoms. Among those veterans is John Nusbaum, a Silver Star combat veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a former mayor of De Pere, Wisconsin. In this video, John shares a special message created for an American Promise policy briefing hosted in October 2021 by the Rotary Club of Green Bay.
Good morning.
My name is John Nusbaum and I am sorry I cannot be with you all this morning. I am speaking to you today, not as a former mayor of De Pere, nor as the husband of another former mayor of De Pere, not even as a Silver Star combat veteran, but as a concerned American who believes that bipartisanship is not only possible, but it is essential for the future of this great nation.
But I fear, as long as the dark money buys the ever-more aggressive attack ads and the politicians can’t seem to run on positive messages, we as a nation will lose more and more of our voice in our own government.
Our Constitution is extremely important to me as a veteran. Many years ago, I elected to join the Airforce and become a Pararescue Technician. I trained with the Army’s Airborne and Ranger troops, I went to the Navy’s Underwater Swimmers School and completed multiple medical schools as well as survival schools. We all got along just fine. I graduated in a class of 13, which started out with more than 1,000 volunteers. For two years, I flew civilian rescue missions including overwatch of Air Force One on a flight to Europe and two NASA Space Capsule recovery missions. I then volunteered for Vietnam service and flew more than 100 combat missions, mostly medivacs and extractions of pilots who had been shot down. My unit received the Presidential Unit Citation and I personally received six individual combat decorations.
For the past nine years, I have been deeply involved in mentoring other Veterans in a Treatment Court here in Green Bay. My advocacy work for veterans led me to several opportunities to lobby Congress on behalf of my fellow service members. I have personally seen it work. There was a time when those elected leaders on the Hill would sit down and listen to constituent concerns. Then, they’d work across the aisle to ensure those concerns became policy.
But it saddens me that today, the polarization prevents these two sides from fulfilling their Constitutional duties and truly representing the will of We the People. It is my firm belief that if we can rescue them from this money-fueled mess, then they can go back to doing what they’re supposed to and we can get back to the civil society we all deserve.
Again, I want to thank each of you for being here today and hearing us out on this topic. This country is worth fighting for and I am glad to see you all are willing to join the fight.
