Melania Trump sent a note to the mother of the only servicewoman who died fighting for her country since the President took office – when he failed to do so.
The First Lady sent the letter of condolence to Stephanie Gleason, the mother of Air Force Staff Sgt. Alexandria M. Morrow.
But Gleason received nothing from Donald Trump even though most families of men who died got either a phone call or a letter from him.
Gleason said she was disappointed because her daughter ‘died on his watch’.
DailyMail.com can also reveal that the President was about to finish a conversation with the father of another dead soldier when he said that he voted for him, and Trump decided to carry on for another 10 minutes.
Trump also gave him a private number to reach him on if he had any problems in the future.
Mixed response: DailyMail.com reveals how the president has not contacted some bereaved families- and in one case Melania Trump wrote to a Gold Star mother, but he did not reach out. But others told DailyMail.com that the president’s contact had been ‘above and beyond’
Trump this week thrust himself into the center of a row about how Presidents should offer their respects to service personnel who die serving their country.
He was accused of insensitively telling the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, who died on October 4th in an ambush in Niger, that he ‘knew what he signed up for’.
The President later denied he had said this.
Since Trump took office on January 20 some 26 servicemen and women have died fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries such as Yemen.
Four of them died in the Niger ambush and Trump took nearly two weeks to call them.
DailyMail.com attempted to get in touch with the remaining 22 Gold Star families and was able to speak to five of them.
The results disprove the President’s claim that he ‘called every family of someone who’s died’ as he told Brian Kilmeade of Fox News Radio.
The different approaches he took risk leaving some families feeling like they are getting worse treatment to others.
But some who got just a letter said that was enough for them – and that it was an important part of their healing process.
The most striking response from the White House was for Gleason, whose daughter Sgt Morrow died on March 22 in Jordan while loading bombs onto a plane.
Sgt Morrow, 25, who grew up in Dansville, upstate New York, sustained fatal injuries when something broke and a bomb slipped free, hitting her in the head. The married mother of two died of her injuries.
Loss: Air Force Staff Sgt Alexandria Morrow, 25, who grew up in Dansville, upstate New York, sustained fatal injuries when something broke and a bomb slipped free, hitting her in the head
Family: Sgt Morrow left behind her husband Brandon who is now bringing up their two daughters, Elysa Mae, four and Abigail Shae, two, without their mom.
Gleason said of Trump: ‘I got a letter from his wife and that was it. I didn’t get anything from him. The letter gave me her condolences.’
Gleason said that not being able to speak to Trump was a let down.
She described her daughter’s husband Brandon as being in a ‘dark place’ and said he was still struggling to cope with his loss.
He is now bringing up their two daughters, Elysa Mae, four and Abigail Shae, two, without their mom.
She said: ‘She (Sgt Morrow) died on his (Trump’s) watch.
‘It was disappointing but at the same time my family was going through so much it was at the back of my mind.’
Gleason said that officials in Dansville, New York, had been ‘amazing’ and that the military had been very supportive.
Gleason said that officials from Dansville and high ranking military officers were there when her daughter’s body arrived in Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
‘HE WAS WONDERFUL, HE PROVIDED HIS PRIVATE NUMBER’: PRAISE FROM FALLEN RANGER’S FATHER
Praise: Sgt Cameron Thomas’s father Andre and mother Heather were bereaved on April 27. The president’s ‘unscripted’ call was praised by Andre Thomas who said he went ‘above and beyond’
Sgt Cameron Thomas, 23, died on April 27 in Afghanistan during a raid when he was shot by what could have been friendly fire.
The deaths of Sgt Thomas – who was brought up in Kettering, Ohio – and another Ranger, Sgt Joshua Rodgers, 22, from Bloomington, Illinois, are still being investigated to see if they were accidentally shot by either Afghan or U.S. fire.
His father Andre said that the President did call him but he was not sure if he had sent a letter too.
Andre said that the President wanted to be at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware when his son’s coffin was brought back into the country but he was unable to do so due to scheduling commitments, so he sent Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen instead.
He said: ‘He spoke to my three children directly and said he has a son in the Marines. He was personable and down to earth.
‘I truly felt he was sincere and that it was an honor for him to do.’
Trump called Andre later and he described the conversation as ‘unscripted’ and that Trump went ‘above and beyond’ what he had expected.
Saluted at Dover: Vice president Mike Pence and his wife Karen were at the Delaware Air Force base for the repatriation of the coffins of Rangers Sgt Cameron Thomas and Sgt Joshua Rodgers
He said: ‘He was wonderful. We spoke for 10-15 minutes about Cameron. As we were getting ready to hang up I happened to tell him I voted for you. We had another 10 minutes more.
‘He provided his private number and said if you need anything or run into any problems to give me a call.
‘To have the President call you when your child is killed in action means a lot.
‘If there were lots of people being killed every day then it would be hard for the President to call everyone, but to get a call from him would help a family very much in the grieving process’.
Andre said that the President told him he was particularly struck with how much of an impression his son had made on his comrades.
He said: ‘He said when he read the letters and the paperwork from Cameron that he stood out.
‘Most of the paperwork says that the soldier was very well respected but Cameron’s said he was well respected and loved by his peers. He told me he was impressed with that’.
Andre, who supports the President, said that doing what Trump had done was ‘the right thing to do’.
He said: ‘Would President Obama have done it? I don’t think so, his priority wasn’t the military.’
AN OVAL OFFICE INVITATION FROM THE PRESIDENT WHO ‘REALLY LISTENED’ TO BEREAVED MOM – BUT HER EX-HUSBAND IS AT CENTER OF $25,000 PLEDGE
Killed in action: An Afghan National Army member opened fire on his U.S. allies on June 10 in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, killing Cpl Dillon Baldridge. His mom Tina Palmer praised the president’s response
The mother of Corporal Dillon Baldridge received a phone call, a letter and a personal invitation to the Oval Office from the President.
Cpl Baldridge, 22, of Youngsville, North Carolina, was killed along with two comrades when a member of the Afghan police opened fire on them in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan on June 10.
His mother Tina Palmer said she was impressed with the President’s response.
She said: ‘He called me, it was fantastic. He was very personable. He was very real, very genuine. I really appreciated it.
‘He spent about 10-15 minutes on the phone with me. It meant a lot to me’.
Palmer said that the President said he ‘appreciated my son and his service’ and ‘asked me my opinion about certain things’, which she gave him.
Palmer said that she ‘felt like he listened’, something she also appreciated.
Palmer said that the President had to reschedule the call because something important had come up, but he made it happen in the end.
She said: ‘I work with someone who had the same experience as me. His son was killed several years ago and he said that President Obama called him but it lasted about one and a half minutes. He could tell he was reading off a piece of paper the whole time. He said he was impressed by how different the conversation was (with Trump)’.
Cpl. Baker’s father Chris Baldridge told the Washington Post that Trump offered him a check for $25,000 when he said that his ex-wife would get his son’s $100,000 death gratuity.
Baldridge said that he was ‘just floored’ at the offer but when the letter of condolence eventually arrived from the White House there was no check inside.
The White House said in a statement that the check had been sent on Wednesday.
‘I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH THE LETTER’ SAYS FATHER OF CASUALTY IN IRAQ
‘He has a lot on his plate’: Duane Odiorne said that the letter he got from the president was gratefully received. Pfc Brian Odiorne was 21 when he died in Anbar, leaving his father and mom Sharon
The father of Pfc Brian Odiorne, 21, said that he got a letter from the President and that was enough for him.
Pfc Odiorne, 21, of Ware, Massachusetts, died on February 20 in Anbar province, Iraq.
Duane Odiorne said: ‘I was very happy with the letter. He is a very busy man and there’s more than one person who died over there.
‘The letter thanked me for having a son that served his country. I felt: ‘Wow’ that he was even talking to me. I have not received a phone call or anything like that but it’s OK. I know he’s got a lot on his plate’.
Duane said that Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker was ‘awesome’ and came to ‘every event’ to do with the death of his son.
He said: ‘He called me on his personal phone and took a lot of time to reach out’.
Pfc Odiorne’s grandmother Jeannie said that the only thing she got was a plaque from the White House about his death.
She also praised governor Baker and said that he attended the funeral and the wake of her son.
She said: ‘He was very kind and very sincere. He’s a wonderful man. I couldn’t fault him.’
NO CALL, BUT GRATEFUL WIDOW GOT LETTER FROM OVAL OFFICE
Fallen: Staff Sgt Austin Nieren died of suspected natural causes while on deployment in Syria on March 28. His widow Rachel was grateful for a letter from the president, a family member said
The widow of Staff Sgt Austin Bieren, 25, did not get a phone call from the President but she did get a letter from him.
Sgt Bieren, from Umatilla, Oregon, died of suspected natural causes while on deployment in Syria on March 28.
A close family member said that Rachel Bieren was ‘grateful’ that the President reached out at all.
The family member said: ‘Rachel feels that you should appreciate the phone call, email, letter whatever, and take it for what it is.
‘They reached out to you – no one really knows the right thing to say’.
Ms Bieren declined to comment.
‘KIND GENUINE AND SINCERE’: 101ST AIRBORNE HERO’S WIDOW PRAISES HIS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
Sgt William Bays, 29, of Barstow, California, was one of three 101st Airborne soldiers killed on June 10 by an Afghan national police officer who fired on them in Peka Valley, Nangarhar Province.
The widow of Sgt William Bays praised Trump for calling her personally and sending her a letter
Sgt Bays, 29, of Barstow, California, was one of three 101st Airborne soldiers killed on June 10 by an Afghan national police officer who fired on them in Peka Valley, Nangarhar Province.
Two other members of the 101st died in the attack. Sgt Eric Houck, 25, of Baltimore, Maryland and Cpl. Dillon Baldridge, 22, whose story is featured above.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
Sgt bays’ widow Jasmin, the mother of their three young daughters, said in a statement: ‘I have been asked for comment by several media organizations about my private phone conversation I had with the President after my husband made the ultimate sacrifice for this great nation.
‘The President’s words to me were kind, genuine and sincere. His words helped me heal during my time of grief.
‘I am honored that he took the time out of his busy schedule to reach out to me, and I know my husband is looking down smiling knowing his ultimate sacrifice did not go unnoticed by the Commander-in-Chief.
‘The phone conversation, and condolence letters sent to me are private.’