Story highlights Sean Barney floored Trump answered vet's gift of Purple Heart: I always wanted Purple Heart. "This was much easier"

Barney nearly died when shot in neck in Iraq; was awarded Purple Heart: "No one should ever 'want' to get a Purple Heart

Barney: With his slam of Gold Star parents of slain soldier, Trump shows he lacks character to be commander in chief

Sean Barney is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Delaware and a combat-wounded Marine and Iraq War veteran. He previously served as policy director to Delaware Gov. Jack Markell and senior aide to Delaware Sen. Tom Carper. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) Last Tuesday, a veteran supporter handed Donald Trump a Purple Heart medal. Trump's flippant response: "I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier."

As a veteran, I was quite simply astonished.

I fought for our country in Iraq. I was wounded, and was awarded a Purple Heart. I can tell you, no one should ever "want" to get a Purple Heart.

Sean Barney

I enlisted in the Marines after September 11, 2001. I did not want others to be sent to fight in my place in Afghanistan. I am proud of my service, and beyond proud of those I served with, even though I was ultimately sent to fight not in Afghanistan, but in our war in Iraq, a war this country never should have fought.

In May 2006, on a combat patrol in Falluja, I was shot through the neck by an enemy sniper. I survived because I was lucky: The bullet severed my carotid artery but the heat of the round cauterized my artery to my jugular vein. I survived because I served with Marines and a Navy corpsman who are honest-to-God heroes.