We have a new generation of Veteran and even more of them will be here very soon. The men and women who have served in the battles of Iraq and Afghanistan have shown us that we have more heroes in our young people. They have given us part of their young lives and we need to remember all who have served and returned to us by giving them the chance to live happy productive lives. Yes we do remember those who gave their lives and those who did not come back to us without injuries. The fact is that we need to help all who came home. Many do continue to suffer in silence because they do not want the rest of us to know that they have hidden injuries. Many are not able to ask for help and some who have been ignored are in need of many things that include housing and medical care. It is something that we all need to think about all of the time.
I was looking at a blog that I wrote in 2009 and it reminded me that it is two years ago and most of us do not remember the events of November 5, 2009. That was the day that Fort Hood became the center of the evening news. When one soldier went on a rampage and killed 13 and wounded 29 other people who were not in combat or even in a war zone. They expected to go on with a normal life that day. Even if they were preparing to fight in the future that day they expected to be peaceful and we do need to remember all of them as war casualties. So let us spend a moment today remembering them and their families.
Every couple of years I like to take a little time to think about all the Veterans in our community and how they served the remaining people of our nation. Most of us who were in the service spent our time doing what we needed to do in the background without any thought of being recognized for our service. Some of the people who I know did spend time in combat and should be acknowledged for fighting to preserve our nation. Yes, some think that the Viet Nam war was not our best image. The fact is that we sent out best people to a miserable place and they did everything that they could to win a war that they did not want to fight. Look at View Nam today. It will slowly change and may eventually become the country that we thought we were trying to encourage then. Knowing both those who fought in the war and who lived in the country and I know that the war was not easy on either group. But today let us remember those who fought and were forgotten when they came home.
1 comment:
Thank you truly for this thoughtful post.
It reminds us that as a nation the best way we can say "Thanks" to our dedicated servicemen, most especially those who've seen combat and suffered wounds both visible and invisible, is to help make their readjustment to civilian life as smooth a transition as possible for them and their families.
And all vets should be encouraged/helped to seek out mental healthcare as needed with no stigma whatsoever implied or attached. Too often, the mental struggles (PTSD, depression, suicidal thoughts) of our returning servicemen go unnoticed (by others) or hidden by themselves (for fear of stigma or appearing "weak," but then that leads to the first problem of others not noticing) until it is far too late.
How can we ask our young men to risk their lives, train them to be strong ("Army strong"), or at least never to show weakness, and take lives (in these modern warfare days, not always just true and obvious enemy combatants) and then be surprised that they may well end up with serious debilitating mental health issues?
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