Appreciating Veterans
Veterans Day is on the 11th and I want to try to acknowledge and honor it. I will admit that this feels like an awkward topic for me, possibly for a lot of people. I feel like this is a topic that not very many people talk about. I believe one possible reason for this is because we don’t like to address difficult topics or feel awkward. I suspect that unless you are a veteran you can never understand what it is like and that is a difficult bridge to cross. In no uncertain terms do I believe that I am capable of bridging the gap, I do believe that often times taking that first step is scary and the most important step. So today I will try to start the conversation.
Who is a Veteran
What is a veteran? According to the dictionary a veteran is ”a person who has had long experience in a particular field” or “a person who has served in the military”. One could argue that these are kind of the same thing. According to VA.org a veteran is a person who has served in any branch of the armed forces. The only exception to this is anyone that was dishonorably discharged. To me, this means that no matter what a military personnel’s experience, they are a veteran. I suspect that there are many veterans that don’t consider themselves veterans because their experience wasn’t as bad/terrifying/traumatic/historical as other veterans. I imagine this is similar to people suffering depression or anxiety, some believe that because someone else has it worse than them they don’t deserve to feel the way they do.
Veteran’s Day History
Here is a little history on Veteran’s Day. The armistice of World War I went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, this was considered by many as the end of the war to end all wars. The Treaty of Versailles was actually signed seven months later on June 28, 1919. The following November President Wilson announced that November 11th would be the first commemoration of Armistice Day saying, “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…" An act in 1938 made November 11th a legal holiday, and then in 1954 it was modified to honor veterans of all wars. In 1968 the Uniform Holiday Bill was signed to ensure that all federal employees would have a 3 day weekend in hopes of stimulating the economy. In 1971, the first Veterans Day under the new law was celebrated on October 25. This lead to confusion and frustration as November 11th had significant historical value. President Ford signed into law the return of Veterans Day to November 11th and it went into effect in 1978, and Veterans Day has been celebrated on November 11th since then. November 11th preserves and reminds us of the historical significance of the date. It helps maintain the focus on Veterans, “A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.”
Are We Failing Our Veterans
According to the US Census Bureau, in 2018 only 7% of the population was veterans. Take into consideration that approximately 10% of the population is left handed or that approximately 18% of the population can drive stick shift. Why would I give such random statistics? People are always so excited when they realize that someone is left-handed, like they have met a unicorn. My point is that Veterans while rare aren’t as rare as one initially thinks. If you start looking closer you’ll realize that they are all around. However, just like left-handed people find their own little inconveniences in the world Veterans will come across them as well. However the inconveniences that Veterans might encounter are probably going to be much more than the simple inconvenience of smearing your artwork across your paper or having a hard time finding a left-handed baseball glove. Veterans represent approximately 11% of the homeless population. Of that number roughly 70% experience substance abuse and 50% suffer from mental illness, including PTSD. This tells me that we are not doing a great job of addressing Veteran’s needs. While we may never understand the experiences that a Veteran experiences, unless we are a veteran, that does not mean that we should not try to assist in any way that we can. How can we help make a positive impact in the lives of Veterans? We can help by acknowledging and appreciating their service, we can volunteer and donate to organizations that help improve their lives, and help support their mental health as well as physical health.
Acknowledging Veterans
One of the easiest ways that we can bring positivity to a Veteran’s day or life is acknowledging and appreciating them. One of the easiest ways to acknowledge and appreciate a Veteran is simply to thank them for their service and genuinely mean it. If you happen to live near a VA hospital you can visit and lend an ear. During times of a pandemic it might be better to write cards or letters of appreciation, here is a good place to get information on sending letters: https://supportourtroops.org/cards-letters.
Volunteering
There are many organizations that support Veterans that need volunteers. They help can help Veterans with transportation needs (https://www.dav.org/learn-more/about-dav/). There are organizations that help with homelessness and home repairs (https://www.nchv.org/ and https://www.hfotusa.org/ ). Organizations can also use help within their offices with administrative duties. Volunteering is always a great way to help with any organization, money may not always be available but most organizations are always looking for volunteers to help get through operations.
Mental Health
Mental health is an important part of supporting Veterans. Having a strong mental support program can help minimize some of the other factors that Veterans are prone to having to deal with. An organization that helps support mental health in Veterans is https://www.uso.org/programs/operation-phone-home. This organization helps military phone home to their loved ones. Another type of mental health support that we can support and do for our Veterans are therapy animals, sometimes it’s hard to verbally process our emotions and problems, service animals can do a lot to comfort our Veterans and help them cope.
Listen
The bottom line is that we should be kind and listen; we won’t know someone’s story until we hear it. That doesn’t mean that anyone owes us their story it simply means that we should give everyone the benefit of the doubt and lend a listening caring ear. If someone shares their story, listen and thank them for sharing and all that they’ve done. Don’t be afraid to feel awkward, the feeling usually doesn’t last. Remember,
Stay positive and share positivity. Much Love
Additional Resources:
https://va.org/what-is-a-veteran-the-legal-definition/
https://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp
https://nvf.org/support-veterans-make-difference/
https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-veterans
https://supportourtroops.org/cards-letters
This post has resonated with a lot of people. As a result we have had a couple organizations reach out with information about their services. You can find out more at their websites listed below. These organizations are not sponsored, they have just volunteered their information to better serve the community. Please reach out with any questions, comments or concerns.
Volunteered Resources:
https://www.pleuralmesothelioma.com/cancer/types
https://www.mesotheliomalawyercenter.org/veterans/frequently-asked-questions