Veterans deserve honor on every day of the year
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
Men, women who sacrificed for us are being shortchanged.
In 1926, Congress chose this day - the anniversary of the last day of World War I - to remember the horrors of that "war to end all wars."
In 1954, after World War II and the Korean War, Congress amended the 1926 act to make this day a time to honor American men and women who gave of themselves to defend our nation from its enemies in all wars.
Today, unfortunately, it seems as though most Americans - including some members of Congress and the president - have decided that this one day is enough to thank millions of members of the armed services.
It's not. Not by a long shot.
As a nation, we asked these men and women to sacrifice their time, their youthfulness and, all too often, their lives so the vast majority of us could continue to exist in peace and prosperity. It's patently unfair to ask them to continue to sacrifice once they leave the military. But, in effect, that's what we're doing.
Hospitals. According to U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas, 60,000 veterans are waiting six months or more just to see a doctor at a Veterans Affairs hospital.
When these men and women agreed to serve their country, they were told they would be taken care of - and this is the best we can offer? We can do better, and we must.
Disabled pay. About 500,000 veterans don't receive their full military retiree pay benefits because they were disabled while in the military. Instead of full pay, their retirement benefits are curtailed by $1 for every dollar they receive in disability compensation.
This makes no sense and needs to end immediately. In October, House Republicans announced a bill - after considerable pressure - that would allow for disabled veterans to get some of the money they deserve. It's a start, but it's not good enough. They should get the full amount.
Current military. Tomorrow's veterans also deserve better treatment from today's political leaders. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, coupled with the continuing military presence in the Balkans and elsewhere, have stretched U.S. forces thinner than they've been in years. As a result, families of the military and the National Guard and reserves are facing considerable financial hardships.
If the government expects people to continue to volunteer for military service, it needs to take steps to show those individuals it will take care of them.
Our earlier leaders understood that fact. Long ago, George Washington said: "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceived veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by our nation."
It's too bad today's leaders can't see that problem as clearly.
Source: Courier Post Online
Source Link: http://www.southjerseynews.com/issues/november/o111103a.htm
