By Staff
Veterans' Day, originally known as Armistice Day, was created to recognize veterans and celebrate the signing of the treaty of Versailles marking the end of WWI and beginning of peace. Today, four major armed conflicts later, we find ourselves in the midst of war with many families divided while their loved ones serve overseas.
Similar to the conflicts of previous years, our veterans are making sacrifices unimaginable to most. To the public eye many of the greater and more significant sacrifices are visible. These include leaving loved ones, risking lives in battle, losing limbs or body parts, and even making the ultimate sacrifice. To these veterans and their families we owe everything. We especially have the duty of fulfilling the promise that we will not forget the sacrifices they have made.
There are also many sacrifices veterans make and hardships they face which don't typically appear in the public eye that we must also not forget. These are hardships that have been faced by generations of soldiers, sailors, and marines; hardships that our current veterans are facing today.
One difficulty many returning vets face is receiving the medical benefits to which they are entitled. Whether they are being treated by Tricare and the military hospitals or by the Veterans Administration, the reality is that those who are serving this country overseas return home to a bureaucracy that causes stresses sometimes more difficult to cope with than the injury itself. Tragically, many of the veterans by this point are either forgotten or ignored, becoming simply a number or statistic.
Yet, other veterans face a different reality, one of lost reunification. Countless veterans return home to broken families, wives or husbands that have left their spouses, or even families missing a member due to sickness or death. Combined with the recent stresses of war and the inability to reunite with their closest loved ones, the reintegration process into everyday society is painstakingly difficult. Even more problematic is that many veterans must travel through this difficult period alone attempting to put their lives back together without the support of the lost family member(s).
For our Reservists and National Guard, they confront other issues such as returning to their places of employment only to learn that their employers haven't followed the strict guidelines created by our Congress. While many of these issues can easily be resolved, all it takes for the veteran to feel abandoned is one short moment when they are told that they have lost their job due to their military absence.
The reality returning vets face is a nation that doesn't support the war in Iraq but claims to "support the troops." Even in the most liberal of communities one can see what has seemingly become a fad, a yellow ribbon on the back of a car or an American flag decal on a window. However, long gone are the days of true acts of support such as parades welcoming home the local heroes. The difficulty many face is distinguishing the criticism of the war from the usurped words of compassion and encouragement.
For the veterans of every war, what is important is not that they receive these words of appreciation every time they walk down the street or a pat on the back when they turn the corner. What is most critical is that our nation's appreciation is shown through the provisions of care and support which was promised as a condition of their service.
As Abraham Lincoln stated in his second inaugural address, "with malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan-to do all which may achieve and cherish, a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."
Veterans' Day is a holiday created to remember those who have served and celebrate the coming of peace. It is one day when every individual who has worn a uniform can feel proud. In the spirit of Veterans' Day, if we can embark upon a course of permanent physical, moral, financial, and emotional support where we show those who have served our true appreciation. Then, maybe, the yellow ribbon can be something more than just a decal.