Anyone associated with active duty, retired, and veterans of various military branches know that veterans deserve high levels of honor bestowed on them and more. The general public has no idea what it is like to be on foreign soil while someone tries to shoot them or blow up their bodies. From the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan more than 1500 returned home as amputees. Approximately 1.1 million soldiers have died for our country in all the wars.
Veterans went through rigid training physically. They are expected to know everything about their weapons. They must know military protocol. Even those in the reserve must keep a go bag ready for any time they are called to duty. The go bag contains their uniforms and equipment. This puts pressure on the family as well since they never know when the military member will be called to duty. In regard to active duty, in some cases the soldier could unexpectedly be sent to a new field of action.
As we look at the life of a veteran, we need to realize that the number of them in the year 2020 was 37,252 who were homeless. Even though this is down from a previous year, it is still totally unacceptable that some of our most honorable people in the community are in these dire predicaments while being ignored by the general public. Illegal immigrants are housed in New York City’s luxury hotels while our homeless veterans sleep on the streets.
In addition, in the same year 6,146 soldiers committed suicide. Just this year of 2023 I received word that in the unit where I last served 17 warriors committed suicide in a matter of months. This is not only unacceptable, but also horrible! In some cases, homelessness and suicide events occur because our defense force returns home with posttraumatic stress syndrome. A report stated that 5.2 million of our Armed Forces struggle with behavioral health issues. We still have 81,000 soldiers that are missing in action.
Veterans Day is not just a holiday. It is recognizing those among us who have dedicated their lives for our safety and well-being. It is to show our appreciation to everyone in uniform regardless of their branch of service. It is a sad case that very few of those in Congress have served in the military. I ask how they can relate to the needs of the military if they have no idea what that lifestyle is like. Not just on Veterans Day but every day and every time you meet someone in uniform, thank them. Just a pat on the back would be gratefully received. We could extend this also to our police and firefighters. Where would we be without all those in uniform serving to protect us?
Christian Writer 