Veterans Day
I’m just listing an assortment of various articles I’ve read so far this morning. Thank a veteran today for their service.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – “For decades, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery has drawn crowds to honor unidentified service members who died in U.S. wars. But for the first time in nearly a century, the public was briefly allowed to walk on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Plaza and place flowers near the memorial.”
Families of service members struggle during the pandemic – “More than 27 million Americans say they don’t have enough food to eat. But the problem has become especially bad for military families.”
Dog Tags – Found in a variety of ways in a variety of places, several people are on a mission to return lost dog tags to families of fallen service members.
“Chinese American WWII vets were ‘forgotten, ignored and excluded.’ That’s no longer the case” – “World War II changed the lives of all Chinese-Americans,” said Montgomery Hom, a Chinese American historian and filmmaker. “The war was a monumental event that was the impetus that forever changed the Chinese community.”
“Veterans exposed to burn pits will get expanded health care support, White House says” – The Biden administration on Veterans Day announced a series of new support options for veterans who had been exposed to “contaminants and environmental hazards,” such as burn pits, while serving.
“Legislation targets historic GI Bill racial inequities” – “For Veterans Day, a group of Democratic lawmakers is reviving an effort to pay the families of Black service members who fought on behalf of the nation during World War II for benefits they were denied or prevented from taking full advantage of when they returned home from war.”
“Is it OK to say ‘Happy Veterans Day’ or ‘thank you for your service’? Here’s what veterans say” – “Veterans Day may look different again this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but knowing the right things to say to a veteran on the national holiday is the same.
On Thursday, veterans across the country and globe will be celebrated in a holiday dating back over 100 years after an agreement was signed to end World War I hostilities.”
Thank you to all who served. Special personal thanks to my sister, who served 25 years in the USAF and retired as a Senior Master Sergeant.
@DiscoDollyDeb: Please thank her for her service from me.
Jayne, this morning I read the USA Today article about what we should say to veterans. Even knowing that every veteran reacts differently, I thought it was a most helpful guide for being respectful while acknowledging someone’s service, as well as the importance of listening to them. Your other links are great also. Thank you.
@Darlynne: You’re welcome. I went with a mix of positive and “we can do better” links. For years I worked with a guy who was on active duty or in the reserves for over 30 years. Every year, I’d thank him for his service. It was sad the number of years he’d say that I was the only one who thanked him.
@Jayne: Thank you for these articles [email protected]DiscoDollyDeb: If this is ok I would like to thank your sister for her service as well.
My oldest son was in the Army in Iraq. His father and I were petrified his entire deployment, and however hard I thought it was for us I know it was much, much harder for him. He was attached to a medical unit as a mental health counselor, came back to the US, got an MSW in part through the GI Bill, and now is a social worker specializing in trauma. Not all of his clients are ex-military, but it helps that when those who are ex-military say he doesn’t know what it was like to be deployed, he can say that he in fact does know. He’s one of my heroes.
@Susan/DC: Congratulations to your son on his MSW. I have tremendous respect for social workers who see some of the worst that humanity can do and then try and help fix it. Please thank him from me for his service.
Thank you, @Susan/DC and @DDD, for sharing about your family members. Best wishes to them and you!