How hard it is to find a man willing to brave the storm, to stand when most everyone else bends the knee. We are drawn to the stories of those who do so for two reasons. First, we admire in others the fortitude that is so lacking among most of humanity. That cheer becomes a form of vicarious living through the bold few. Second, the Davids willing to face Goliaths are rare. Their scarcity makes them stand out on society’s canvas as a Michelangelo does among Jackson Pollocks. We live in strange times when simply speaking the truth makes one stand out. In today’s military, unfortunately, such moral distinction tends to come from living by Constitutional principle, the rule of law, and basic morality.

Yesterday, former U.S. Army Lieutenant Mark Bashaw was pardoned by President Donald Trump. Bashaw commanded the Army Public Health Center’s headquarters company at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland when the Department of Defense issued its illegal vaccine mandate in 2022. Holding fast to his oath as a military officer—and his duty as a public health professional—he rightly refused to participate in the performative rituals of masking, unnecessary and invasive testing repeatedly imposed on service members, and coercion to be part of mass medical experimentation under the guise of "you knew what you were signing up for." Beyond that, Bashaw warned of dangers associated with the rushed-to-market gene therapy shot. In the military, we are trained that when you see a hazard, you have a duty to report it. As with the few others who offered similar warnings, Bashaw was dismissed.

Then came the hammer. Rather than address the concerns raised, Bashaw’s chain of command decided to court-martial him. The prosecuting attorney? Eugene Vindman—brother of Alexander Vindman, known for his role in impeachment hearings during the first Trump Administration. The Ukrainian-born Vindman brothers, likely sensing the twilight of their military careers, sought relevance in national partisan drama. Alex rose to prominence by testifying against the president before Congress in full military dress, demanding to be addressed by his military rank. Eugene took another path—one that arguably worked out better. He prosecuted the Army’s first COVID-related court-martial, the case against Bashaw. 

Typically, military prosecutors don’t turn their wins into personal publicity campaigns. Justice—not celebrity—is supposed to be the aim. But Eugene Vindman was different. He took to social media to celebrate a gross miscarriage of justice, spiking the football of Bashaw’s conviction in public as if political points were more important than constitutional principles.

Proud of the prosecution team at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Secured a first in the nation conviction at court-martial of a lieutenant who failed to obey lawful orders re COVID mitigation measures. Guilty on all 3 counts. #orderanddiscipline

— Eugene Vindman (@YVindman) April 29, 2022

Vindman leveraged the moment to his advantage, soon thereafter retiring, relocating to Virginia, and launching a successful campaign for Congress in the state’s blue 7th District. From that perch, he responded to the pardons by declaring that Trump and his buddies “never met a criminal in a red hat that they didn’t like.”

In one corner, we have a man who stood firm to his military oath and professional obligation as a military medical service officer. Both the military and medical complexes closed in against those like him who held to the truth. Bashaw refused to be moved, and was kicked out of the Army after 17 years of honorable service. In the other corner is a career Army attorney who sacrificed honor for ambition and sought power through an immoral prosecution. One man embraced injustice for personal gain. The other embraced principle at great personal cost. The former will be remembered as part of a tyrant’s machine. The latter, as a man who stood for freedom. 

I am grateful for Mark’s pardon. It should not have come to that. The Army should have course-corrected and made efforts toward amends for Bashaw on its own. The military’s unwillingness to do so, and continued antipathy toward those kicked out over the illegal shot mandate, demonstrate that there is still much work to do in restoring honor to our armed forces. Yet in this moment, I pause, remember, and give thanks that though our meetings with Lady Justice are infrequent, they are not entirely a thing of the past.

Long live the men and women of honor. The passage of time will never dull their legacy’s flame.

Joe Biden, Anthony Fauci and Co.’s response to COVID was one of the biggest unconstitutional power grabs of all time.  

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