Veterans Day

“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 perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.”

George Washington

I do not believe American history is generally in accord with Washington’s remarks. From the Revolution through the War on Terror, a peek deeper than parades and speeches shows that we have treated our veterans shabbily.

The treatment of the Bonus Army in 1932 comes immediately to mind. Gen. Douglas McArthur, acting on orders from the President, used troops and tanks to drive the WWI vets out of Washington D. C. and set fire to the shacks they lived in with their families. Then came Pearl Harbor, and multitudes of young people lined up to enlist.

In the immediate aftermath of September 11, 2001, approximately 181,000 Americans enlisted in the military. Undoubtedly, a number of these people were the children of those who spit on veterans returning from Vietnam. I was shocked to read a few years ago that the Department of Veterans Affairs considered a 30% satisfaction rate at their hospitals a success.

I’m not complaining. I don’t expect people who did not serve to understand those who did. I don’t really understand why people say, “Thank you for your service,” nor do I know how to reply. It’s not like I did something special. My service was not some altruistic sacrifice or glorious adventure. For me, it was simply the right thing to do at the time. I’m a sucker for answering needs. My head knows better than to volunteer, but while it’s debating options, my hand goes into the air. My enlisting in military service may have no higher meaning than that.

I like to think there’s a lot of that in most people who served. That’s why no matter how poorly treated or unappreciated we seem to be, most would do it all again. I think Washington was right in a way that was later expressed by President Kennedy, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” Show a veteran that what they served for still matters, and they will feel appreciated in a way parades and speeches cannot deliver.