越战退伍军人协会主席汤姆·伯克周四表示，他在该组织加入一份支持唐纳德·特朗普总统计划建造拱门的法律简报前，收到了错误信息。这座高250英尺的拱门是特朗普为纪念美国建国250周年而制定计划的一部分。伯克表示，该组织并未就拱门是否应建造表态。他的言论是在一些退伍军人质疑该组织支持该项目的决定后发表的。
Tom Burke, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America, said on Thursday that he was given wrong information before the group joined a legal brief supporting President Donald Trump’s planned arch. The 250-foot-tall arch is part of Trump’s plan to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. Burke said the group has not taken a position on whether the arch should be built. His comments came after some veterans questioned the group’s decision to support the project.
协会主席的表态据一份与《华盛顿邮报》共享的电子邮件显示，越战退伍军人协会主席汤姆·伯克告诉成员，他收到了“不准确的信息”。他表示，该简报“超出了我预料或意图的范围”。
What the group’s president saidTom Burke, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America, told members that he was given “inaccurate information,” according to an email shared with The Washington Post. He said the brief “went further than I anticipated or intended.”“Let me be clear: National VVA has not adopted a position supporting or opposing construction of the proposed arch or its design,” Burke wrote.
“让我明确一点：全国越战退伍军人协会并未采取支持或反对拟建拱门或其设计的立场，”伯克写道。他表示，该组织在该项目上保持中立。
“这使组织置身于一个复杂、敏感的局势正中央，但我们对中立的全国性承诺依然坚定。”
He said the group stays neutral on the project.“This puts the organization squarely in the middle of a complex, sensitive situation, but our national commitment to neutrality remains firm.”
简报内容及白宫的角色据《华盛顿邮报》报道，该简报于周三提交。它请求一名联邦法官允许特朗普的项目推进。简报还辩称，起诉阻止拱门建设的三名越战老兵不代表其他退伍军人，不应拥有提起诉讼的法律权利。
Mike Lawler, two-time New York Congressman, faces tough contest against Democrat Cait Conley in 17th district's midterms raceWhat the brief said and the White House roleAccording to The Washington Post, the brief was filed on Wednesday. It asked a federal judge to allow Trump’s project to move forward. It also argued that the three Vietnam War veterans who sued to stop the arch do not represent other veterans and should not have the legal right to bring the case.
六个退伍军人组织联名签署了这份法庭之友简报，其中包括朝鲜战争退伍军人协会和紫心勋章军事勋位会。简报称：“绝大多数[这些组织]来自其退伍军人会员的反馈对拱门持支持态度。”简报补充道：“反对者孤立无援，往往只代表一小部分少数派，令人遗憾的是，他们试图将本应超越党派、获得支持的事情政治化。”
Six veterans’ groups joined the brief, including the Korean War Veterans Association and the Military Order of the Purple Heart. The brief stated: “The vast majority of [the groups’] feedback on the arch from their veteran members has been supportive.”It added: “Those who oppose it are isolated, often speak only for a small minority, and sadly seek to politicize something that should be supported regardless of political party.”
据《华盛顿邮报》报道，有三名知情人士透露，白宫鼓励这些组织签署简报。两名知情人士表示，越战退伍军人协会的领导人担心惹恼特朗普，损害与其政府的关系。该组织称拥有超过9万名会员。公开的游说文件显示，该组织一直在就退伍军人福利、心理健康支持及其他议题向政府施压。
Three people familiar with the plans told The Washington Post that the White House encouraged the groups to sign the brief. Two people said leaders of the Vietnam Veterans of America were concerned about angering Trump and damaging their relationship with his administration. The group says it has more than 90,000 members. Public lobbying documents show that it has been pressing the administration on veterans’ benefits, mental health support and other issues.
特朗普解释为何取消中期选举前周末的爱荷华州和堪萨斯州集会：“我感觉完美无缺”退伍军人反击据《华盛顿邮报》报道，这份简报让一些退伍军人组织的高层领导感到意外。
Trump explains why he is canceling Iowa and Kansas rallies the weekend before midterms: ‘I feel perfect’Veterans push backAs per The Washington Post, the brief surprised some senior leaders at the veterans groups.
该组织北弗吉尼亚分会会长杰伊·卡尔纳表示，他和许多其他领导人及会员反对建拱门。他说，全国各地的分会和州级领导人在全国组织签署简报前并未被征询意见。
Jay Kalner, president of the group’s Northern Virginia chapter, said he and many other leaders and members oppose the arch. He said chapter and state leaders across the country were not asked before the national group signed the brief.
大卫·皮克特曾任朝鲜战争退伍军人协会会长，直到6月卸任，目前仍在其董事会任职。他表示反对该组织支持拱门的决定，因为该议题从未在领导层或会员中讨论过。“这从未在谈话中被提及，”他说。他最初表示未看到拱门的“内在价值”，但后来在短信中表示，他将支持任何旨在向退伍军人致敬的努力。
David Pickett was president of the Korean War Veterans Association until June and is still on its board. He said he opposed the group’s decision to back the arch because the topic had not been discussed by its leaders or members. “It’s never come up in conversation,” he said. He first said he did not see the “intrinsic value” of the arch, but later said in a text that he would support any effort to honor veterans.
该组织现任会长哈罗德·特里伯告诉《华盛顿邮报》，是他做出了该决定。“我代表协会，我认为应该建造这座拱门，”他说。
Harold Trieber, the group’s current president, told the Washington Post he made the decision. “I represent the association, and I believe it should be built,” he said.
越战老兵约翰·威克斯的兄弟也曾服役并在战争中阵亡，他表示，该组织暗示所有退伍军人都同意这一做法，这让他感到沮丧。他居住在弗吉尼亚州北部，经常探访军人公墓，并反对建造拱门。他担心这会破坏探访该地点时的宁静感。
John Weeks, a Vietnam War veteran whose brother also served and was killed in the war, said he was frustrated that the group suggested veterans all agree. He lives in Northern Virginia, visits the military cemetery often, and opposes the arch. He worries it will disrupt the quiet feeling of visiting the site.“It should be enough to just simply say that we Vietnam and other war vets want no diminishment of ‘our hallowed ground.’ A giant Arch will do just that,” Weeks wrote in an email.
“坦率地说，我们越战及其他战争的退伍军人只希望‘我们神圣的土地’不受任何削弱，这就足够了。一座巨大的拱门恰恰会做到这一点，”威克斯在一封电子邮件中写道。“它绝不能以任何方式提升我们的圣地，也对我们退伍军人毫无用处。”法庭听证地区法官塔尼娅·S·楚特坎将于周五就能否允许按计划建造这座高250英尺的拱门举行辩论。特朗普曾称其为纪念建国250周年的优先事项。政府希望最早于11月5日开工建设。
“It in no way enhances our ground and it serves no purpose for us veterans.”Court hearingDistrict Judge Tanya S Chutkan will hear arguments on Friday on whether to let construction go ahead on the planned 250-foot-tall arch. Trump has called it a priority to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary. The administration hopes to start building as soon as November 5.
据《华盛顿邮报》报道，白宫已请求楚特坎法官驳回此案。司法部周三提交的法庭文件未提及提起诉讼的人中有退伍军人。文件将此案比作一名女子提起的诉讼，该女子辩称特朗普的白宫舞厅会影响她对该建筑的享用。8月，最高法院裁定她不太可能证明自己受到了损害。政府希望该裁决也能助其赢得拱门案。
According to The Washington Post, the White House has asked Judge Chutkan to dismiss the case. In a court filing on Wednesday, the Justice Department did not mention that any of the people who filed the lawsuit were veterans. It compared their case to a lawsuit filed by a woman who argued that Trump's White House ballroom would affect her enjoyment of the building. In August, the Supreme Court ruled that she was unlikely to prove that she had been harmed. The administration hopes the ruling will help it win the case over the arch as well.