Once again, American families will spend the Veteran's Day holiday weekend enjoying the freedom to walk on the beach, hike in the mountains, picnic, take a drive in the country, watch a football game, relax in their home, secure in the knowledge they are relatively safe from the ravages of war in their homeland.
Yes, there will even be parades, with people marching, flags waving, and lots of military men and women waving at the crowd as they pass by. Some of them will be young, and perhaps not yet scarred from battle, and some will be old, having seen the worst that can be endured by a person and survived. Some will be wearing clothing with patches that signify battles that are from long ago, uniforms that you don’t recognize. Some will wear hats of organizations that signify they are veterans, a title they wear proudly, And some will wear clothing that seems strangely out of place, clothing with many patches sewn to the garments that signify their ties to brothers and sisters that may not have come home, or have died in some strange foreign land in the quest to keep your homeland free.
So, what is Veteran’s Day? As I look around, it appears so many Americans have forgotten what this day is really all about. It’s not just about the men and women who served in the Armed Forces of this great country. It’s about their sacrifices, heroism, dedication and unselfish dedication to the principles upon which this country was founded. It’s their willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice, if need be, for the ideals they hold so high, so that each and every American can enjoy a life of freedom from tyranny and hostility and live in peace. It’s about sacrificing life to save others you don’t even know, so they might live in freedom and democracy.
Some years ago I wrote about what I believe Veterans’ Day symbolizes to me, and some of the difficulties faced by our warriors, and maybe it’s well to repeat it again. This won’t ever give you a picture of what it’s really like to be there, but maybe it will help you think about how much these veterans, those now in service, and those who have served, sacrificed for each of us so we can enjoy not only this Veterans’ Day, but each day of the year:
It's about giving their all that others may have freedom. It's about fighting in the mountains, jungles and deserts in a foreign land, in the hope the same battles will never have to be fought in their homeland.
It's about fighting oppression to allow others the power to express their opinions and views, without fear of reprisal and sanction.
It's about vowing to "leave no one behind" and carrying a comrade in arms from the battlefield on your shoulders in the hopes he will live, but knowing that at the very least, he will be buried in his beloved country.
It's about enduring the horror of war in the hopes your children will never have to do the same.
It's about lying in the mud, or sand or in a hole, and praying that the shelling will end. And looking at your buddies alongside you, and whispering words of hope and encouragement.
It's about being dead tired and still finding the strength to go on, sometimes when the odds are so heavily against you that it almost appears hopeless.
It's about the doctors and nurses who endure hell with you and work tirelessly tending the wounded. It's about visiting a buddy in the hospital and reassuring him that he'll be OK.
It's about writing a letter home for someone who will never return home.
It's about writing that letter for yourself, just in case you are one of the unlucky ones, and putting it in your pack where it would be found.
It's about cursing and swearing and praying and hoping. It's about crying and smiling, sometimes at the same time.
It's about working and fighting side by side.
It's about a common goal, where personal wants and needs are forgotten.
It's about the sharing of a smoke or a candy bar, or cookies sent from home.
It's about the looks on the face of a serviceman when he sees death and carnage for the first time.
And it's about the face and smile of a child, who has been rescued from the ravages of war, even if only for a while.
It's about the fields of white crosses and rows of simple bronze markers in cemeteries throughout the country, marking the graves of brave men and women.
It's about the graves on foreign shores where many died in the name of freedom, but who never were able to come home.
It's for the veteran shedding a tear while remembering friends and comrades from long ago.
It's for the prisoners of war who endured the misery and torture of captivity in enemy hands.
It's for the Missing in Action whom we will never forget and will never stop waiting for their return.
It's for those who venture out in storms because the book says they have to, but the book doesn't say they have to return.
And it's for the families of those brave men and women, who fight a personal battle every day their loved ones are gone.
And, It’s for the family standing at the grave of the recently fallen veteran, or perhaps the veteran from another war, remembering the unsung hero he or she was, and always will be.
It’s for the tear running down the cheek of the elderly man or woman, remembering the son or daughter, father or mother, brother or other family member who gave their all so that they might live in freedom.
It’s for those of us visiting the Wall, remembering our lost friends, touching the Wall and feeling the kinship, and almost feeling them touching us back. Yes, the bond was, and is, that close.
It’s for the disabled veterans, who endure pain and suffering for their sacrifice, whether that sacrifice was yesterday or over 50 years ago, who go forward one day at a time, with a vision that tomorrow will be better than today, and never regret their service to their country.
It’s the camaraderie felt by those in our Armed Forces; The Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard, all coming together to defend and protect the country we love, knowing we will sacrifice to whatever degree necessary, to assure our country is safe from not only enemy aggression, but terrorism as well.
So when you enjoy the 2008 Veterans’ Day weekend, take time to reflect why we celebrate Veterans’ Day. It’s not just another day in time, or just another holiday. It truly is a day of freedom, a day to honor those men and women without whom your ability to enjoy doing what you love to do most, with those you love, would likely not be possible. Give them thanks for all they do and have done.
Showing posts with label military. Show all posts
Showing posts with label military. Show all posts
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Veterans On the Front Lines, Then On the Back Burner!
Somehow, America, yes, you read that right A-M-E-R-I-C-A, seems to forget that when you send men and women off to war, we owe them a debt, not only of gratitude, but much more than that. I didn't say we "ought to give them" or "it would be nice to give them" but it's a DEBT, just as big or bigger than any debt we now or will ever owe anyone. It's a debt owed for the freedom we enjoy every day, for the ability to open your eyes in the morning and be free of tyranny and oppression, to have what you have in this country. No matter how much, or how little you have, it's because of THEM that you have anything at all.
We owe them a standard of care, and if needed, a standard of living, commensurate with their sacrifice to this country. They didn't ask for their wounds, external, internal or mental that resulted in their disabilities, whether those disabilities can be seen or not. Many veterans return home from overseas without any signs of traumatic injury, and are seemingly fine for weeks, months, even years, and then the unthinkable occurs. What they were exposed to, be it toxic materials or the traumatic stresses of combat, or even exposures beyond what a human should endure, pours out and they start to fall apart. This can occur slowly or all at once and they have no support system in place. Many vets turn to alcohol or drugs to try and cope. Sadly, some commit suicide. The suicide rate among veterans is high, although this has been underplayed for years by government agencies. Frankly, they don't want you to know how poorly they handle the veterans problems when they return home.
The Veterans Administration is underfunded every year, and organizations that are pro-actively helping the vets, such as the Disabled American Veterans and American Legion, to name two, constantly fight to to push the congress and senate to appropriate needed funds. But it's an uphill battle to secure funding, when the politicians would rather pork barrel money for precious personal projects in their districts, than help those who have sacrificed so much for their country. The politicians constantly attach pork barrel spending to Department of Defense annual appropriations, and lump the Veterans Administration spending in with this, so that when they start to line item some spending out, and it goes to the White House, monies get cut out and the VA loses. Thus, the veterans lose while the pork remains in the budgets for pet projects that don't help the vets one iota!
What is happening is longer waits for veterans to receive benefits from the VA; sometimes years for those benefits to be received. In some cases, the veteran dies before benefits are granted. This is now getting worse as all the new veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are returning. Time to get a medical appointment is longer and the 30 day rule is being bent if not broken. Your visits to your primary care physician have changed from every three months to once every six months to once a year. Where you used to see a specialist every three months for a serious condition, the doctors' workloads have become so high that you're now lucky to see a specialist every six months. And, many of the doctors appear to be newbie residents who are not all that familiar with combat type injuries, although some are very good. You just don't know who'll you'll get as there is a big turnover as well. Don't even think about being referred to a cardiologist unless you're in the ER for a heart condition as they don't have enough in the system to refer you to. That's even if you have a heart condition, and that's from personal experience!
If a vet needs medications for a service related condition, the VA will provide the medication, but if the dosage is half what the VA formulary provides, he will have to split the pills in half, even if it results in an uneven dosage. Wonder how many times that results in medical problems in itself? But again, that saves the government money that can be better spent on political pork!
Americans need to DEMAND their government to appropriately fund the VA annually with a guaranteed budget, and DEMAND our veterans have an ombudsman to oversee their benefits are provided in a timely and fair manner. Every year, these valiant warriors who gave so much to defend your freedom, have to wonder and worry whether there will be funding to provide for them and their healthcare for another year.
Sometime, think of what would have happened in our history, where you and your family would be right now, if nobody had answered the call. If not one person had stepped forward to defend. From the revolution forward, if not one person had written that blank check to the United States Of America, placing their life on the payable to line, for the freedom of this country, and freeing others from oppression and tryanny.
Where would you be right now? .........
We owe them a standard of care, and if needed, a standard of living, commensurate with their sacrifice to this country. They didn't ask for their wounds, external, internal or mental that resulted in their disabilities, whether those disabilities can be seen or not. Many veterans return home from overseas without any signs of traumatic injury, and are seemingly fine for weeks, months, even years, and then the unthinkable occurs. What they were exposed to, be it toxic materials or the traumatic stresses of combat, or even exposures beyond what a human should endure, pours out and they start to fall apart. This can occur slowly or all at once and they have no support system in place. Many vets turn to alcohol or drugs to try and cope. Sadly, some commit suicide. The suicide rate among veterans is high, although this has been underplayed for years by government agencies. Frankly, they don't want you to know how poorly they handle the veterans problems when they return home.
The Veterans Administration is underfunded every year, and organizations that are pro-actively helping the vets, such as the Disabled American Veterans and American Legion, to name two, constantly fight to to push the congress and senate to appropriate needed funds. But it's an uphill battle to secure funding, when the politicians would rather pork barrel money for precious personal projects in their districts, than help those who have sacrificed so much for their country. The politicians constantly attach pork barrel spending to Department of Defense annual appropriations, and lump the Veterans Administration spending in with this, so that when they start to line item some spending out, and it goes to the White House, monies get cut out and the VA loses. Thus, the veterans lose while the pork remains in the budgets for pet projects that don't help the vets one iota!
What is happening is longer waits for veterans to receive benefits from the VA; sometimes years for those benefits to be received. In some cases, the veteran dies before benefits are granted. This is now getting worse as all the new veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are returning. Time to get a medical appointment is longer and the 30 day rule is being bent if not broken. Your visits to your primary care physician have changed from every three months to once every six months to once a year. Where you used to see a specialist every three months for a serious condition, the doctors' workloads have become so high that you're now lucky to see a specialist every six months. And, many of the doctors appear to be newbie residents who are not all that familiar with combat type injuries, although some are very good. You just don't know who'll you'll get as there is a big turnover as well. Don't even think about being referred to a cardiologist unless you're in the ER for a heart condition as they don't have enough in the system to refer you to. That's even if you have a heart condition, and that's from personal experience!
If a vet needs medications for a service related condition, the VA will provide the medication, but if the dosage is half what the VA formulary provides, he will have to split the pills in half, even if it results in an uneven dosage. Wonder how many times that results in medical problems in itself? But again, that saves the government money that can be better spent on political pork!
Americans need to DEMAND their government to appropriately fund the VA annually with a guaranteed budget, and DEMAND our veterans have an ombudsman to oversee their benefits are provided in a timely and fair manner. Every year, these valiant warriors who gave so much to defend your freedom, have to wonder and worry whether there will be funding to provide for them and their healthcare for another year.
Sometime, think of what would have happened in our history, where you and your family would be right now, if nobody had answered the call. If not one person had stepped forward to defend. From the revolution forward, if not one person had written that blank check to the United States Of America, placing their life on the payable to line, for the freedom of this country, and freeing others from oppression and tryanny.
Where would you be right now? .........
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Worshipping the Wrong Heroes?
Somehow, we've placed sports and Hollywood figures at the pinnacle of achievement and idolatry in this world, and found them to be worthy of every second of media coverage available. No matter how convoluted their lives are, kids long to emulate them as they grab the spotlight on Monday night, making the long run for the winning touchdown, hitting the game winning home run, or walking the red carpet at the Oscars.
Yet, the real heroes of this world are not playing sports. They don't make millions in salary and don't endorse designer clothes. They have to fight to get a decent raise in salary, fight for medical coverage following injuries sustained in the line of duty, work twenty or more years for a retirement persion, are often disabled and can't work within the first few years of their career.
These are the real hereoes of our society. Our armed forces, law enforcement, firefighters, EMS and first responders. They work for low pay in many cases and lay their lives on the line every day. The media doesn't arrive in time, nor take time to show them rushing into burning buildings to rescue a child or an elderly or handicapped person, nor are they there to see the split second decisions made by a police officer under fire. Yet they will second guess that officer over and over again, about whether he made the right decision to fire his weapon, even though they were never there.
Our military stands between us and oppression, tyranny and a world that would take away our freedom. Those of us who served to keep America free know firsthand what lies on the other side of that thin line of defense. Unfortunately, most don't have a clue, nor do they take the time to acknowledge the selfless acts of the men and women, who defend them and their way of living each and every day.
Sports are an important part of society and it's certainly not wrong to look up to a quality, clean living sports figure. But remember who the real heroes are. Running down the field against a group of men on Sunday afternoon in Chicago doesn't make you near the hero as running across a road with your men under fire in Baghdad to save a life of a fellow Marine or soldier, or maybe just to get to the other side to save all your lives.
Yet, the real heroes of this world are not playing sports. They don't make millions in salary and don't endorse designer clothes. They have to fight to get a decent raise in salary, fight for medical coverage following injuries sustained in the line of duty, work twenty or more years for a retirement persion, are often disabled and can't work within the first few years of their career.
These are the real hereoes of our society. Our armed forces, law enforcement, firefighters, EMS and first responders. They work for low pay in many cases and lay their lives on the line every day. The media doesn't arrive in time, nor take time to show them rushing into burning buildings to rescue a child or an elderly or handicapped person, nor are they there to see the split second decisions made by a police officer under fire. Yet they will second guess that officer over and over again, about whether he made the right decision to fire his weapon, even though they were never there.
Our military stands between us and oppression, tyranny and a world that would take away our freedom. Those of us who served to keep America free know firsthand what lies on the other side of that thin line of defense. Unfortunately, most don't have a clue, nor do they take the time to acknowledge the selfless acts of the men and women, who defend them and their way of living each and every day.
Sports are an important part of society and it's certainly not wrong to look up to a quality, clean living sports figure. But remember who the real heroes are. Running down the field against a group of men on Sunday afternoon in Chicago doesn't make you near the hero as running across a road with your men under fire in Baghdad to save a life of a fellow Marine or soldier, or maybe just to get to the other side to save all your lives.
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