National Veterans Foundation

Is it human nature to be indifferent to that which does not directly impact us, to ignore that which we don’t understand and to delude ourselves into believing false truths to avoid feelings of shame? Or perhaps, it is human nature to care, to empathize and display acts of compassion, but we feel helpless, do not know how to help, and as a result we feel too embarrassed to ask for direction. I hope, no in fact, I pray it is the latter. We just celebrated the 5^th Anniversary of the War in Iraq. For five years we have sent our young men and women in harms way, and asked them to sacrifice their life, their liberty to protect our privileges and our pursuit of happiness. So I ask you, in the course of these five years, what have you done in return?

It is not my intent to point fingers, to invoke feelings of shame or frustration. I merely offer one perspective, and pray you continue to read. I want everyone to consider: when your home is being burglarized or you fall victim to some unfortunate crime, whom do you call? The police. Though driving down the highway the last person you want to see in your rear view mirror is a police officer, you realize their value when that which you care about is threatened, and you need protection from the “bad” that exists in this world. But mankind is not our only threat, Mother Nature poses dangers too. When you or someone you love fall ill, are in desperate need of medical attention, the five to ten minutes it takes for paramedics to arrive seem like an eternity, but they save lives everyday. Of course, we cannot forget the firemen, who risk their lives going toward the danger, to save lives and property- sentimental memories we possess. We recognize their bravery, we think it unconscionable when the budget reforms try to cut from police officers’ or firemen’s pay, yet we forget one last group of individuals that do all of the above for us at home and abroad, against domestic or foreign dangers posed to us- the men and women of our military. We know a police officer, a firemen, a paramedic, are always on duty, can always save life, then why do we forget our men and women of the military when they take off their uniform? They are still hypervigilant, they are still our guardians. So I ask why? Why do we not notice their second class treatment when the uniform comes off, why do we not scream of the unconscionable treatment of our silent, yet proud heroes?

Surely, it cannot be because you disagree with the war and thus blame the warrior. The soldier is solely performing his duty, to follow the commander in chief’s orders. If you are against the war, then you are against the politicians who declared the war, called for the war, and continue to wage the war. These politicians are voted into office by fellow Americans. Thus, if you are looking to put blame on someone for being in disagreement with our foreign policy, then blame the voters for choosing weak leaders, and blame the leaders who are abusing the use of the military by implementing bad foreign policy. However, never blame the military, the young men and woman, who trust their country will take care of them and not place them unnecessarily in harms way, while they risk everything - the comforts of home, the love of their family and friends, and their life - to keep you and me safe. They deserve our respect, they deserve to be in our thoughts everyday, and they deserve for us to fight for their rights over here as they fight for our privileges over there.

Imagine when you enter into an employment contract with your employer, where you are promised a 401K plan. Each month you invest a portion of your money into the plan, counting on the fact that when you retire, you will have that money matched by your employer and have made a nice little nest egg for yourself. Now imagine, upon your retirement, you find out you cannot get the money. The money your employer was also supposed to invest and give to you upon the fulfillment of your duties, was simply not done, and what you were promised you simply are denied.  Would you not be frustrated, would you not feel betrayed, would you not feel disillusioned by the system? This is what is being done to our veterans. When they take their uniform off, when they are done serving their country, when they come home and request their benefits, they are denied the benefits they were promised in return for their service. They face an uphill battle to simply get what they were originally promised, to have their employer, the US government, fulfill their end of the deal.  No veteran should be homeless, no veteran should be denied education, no veteran should be denied proper health care, and no veteran should be treated as a second class citizen by anyone. They fulfill their obligations under the contract, they do their duty when they put on their uniform and go fight, then when they come home and take that uniform off, it is time we acknowledge their courage and bravery by doing our duty, by simply holding our end of the deal. It is nothing more than the fulfillment of the contract they seek. Don’t you think it is fair you get your investment in the 401K plan back? Why do you think soldiers should simply accept being denied what they are entitled to?

Five years we have been waging this war, 4000 men and women of our military are dead, thousands more are struggling to live without limbs, with post-traumatic stress disorder, with the knowledge that “Support the Troops” is but lip service, because when they come home they are being treated as second class citizens. So I ask you, what have you done for your neighbors, your fellow American citizens, to show your support in the five years, in the last month, today?

Don’t know how to help? Here pick one of these organizations:

1. Financial donations- If you can only afford One Dollar ($1)—you will be helping. Donate $1 and get your friends to donate $1 too. You don’t feel the pinch and you just donated more than a veteran has and an amount a veteran could surely use. You don’t know who to make it out to:

   1. National Veterans Foundation www.nvf.org

   2. 911 Helping America

   3. USO

   4. DAV

   5. IAVA

   6. Or just google.

2. Call VA hospitals, see if they need volunteers to read to men and women of the military recovering from being wounded in action. Many lose one, two or three limbs.

   1. You can find the nearest VA hostpital to you here.

3. Say thank you to soldiers when you meet them.

4. For those still serving abroad: you can go to www.anysoldier.com and click on where to send and send items we take for granted everyday (toothbrush/toothpaste/ socks/ deodorant/ hand sanitizer/ feminine hygiene products/ shaving cream/ etc…) and write a letter.

Just try, anything is better than nothing. A little goes further than you could imagine. Just do something, just don’t ignore them. They deserve more, they’ve earned more with their blood, their sweat and their silent bravery.