Tomorrow is Veterans Day in the United States and Armistice Day in many other countries,
This holiday was originally to mark the end of World War I (the 11th
hour of the 11th day of the 11th month) but, now, we honor veterans of
all wars.
Tomorrow, as I do on all Veterans Days, I will think of my late father.
My late father suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) during his World War II
(non-combat) service, and lived with seizures and other side effects
for the rest of his life. After he came back from war he found it near
impossible to find employment, a fate that too many veterans of our
modern wars suffer. For a time, he ran a newsstand with another
veteran. Finally, he found a civil service job but was never able to
rise too high in the ranks, due to his disability (we are, after all, talking of the 1950's and 1960's).
When I visit a city or town, I tend to gravitate to the war memorials. For some reason, I feel like I am in touch with
my father.
I've written several posts about veterans and war over the years, many Civil War oriented. Here are some.
Blood chits.
Fighting the Civil War at a VA hospital
Veterans Day and Andersonville
Veterans Day
Which bring us to "Thank you for your service". I've always been uncomfortable with this phrase, and I am not the only one.
I'll never know what my Dad thought about it. He died over 30 years ago, before this became common.
But I am uncomfortable with it for the same reason that I always point out that my Dad did not serve in combat. Not because my Dad's role as a support person (a mechanic, which led to the injury that caused the TBI) was unimportant and possibly dangerous. But because a person in combat experiences things that change him or her forever. They may be here physically, but in spirit is a whole other thing. They pay a price that only other combat veterans, and those civilians who have suffered in war, can understand. I know several mothers of combat veterans, and it gives one a whole new perspective into how lives can change forever.
I would say "Don't just thank them for their service. Do something that helps them or their family - not charity, which they don't want, but offer them a role, a purpose, in their lives after their military service. Let them know they are thanked, not just with several ritualistic words"
Tomorrow, let us pause and remember.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
4 comments:
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We know so much more about PTSD and other things that negatively affect veterans, yet we do so little for them. It’s an embarrassment.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your fathers service. My husband also served (Marines) in a non combat role. As far as I am concerned, any service member is entitled to the word Veteran and a thank you should be year around. We were just discussing this while touring Hornell's field of flags, it is a sad reminder the sacrifices that these men, women and families make. Each year, the list of the flags grows...
ReplyDeleteI can't say those words, either. I'm not sure why. My father feels uncomfortable with them, or so he said. Like your father, he served in a support position during Vietnam.
ReplyDeletePTSD has came a long ways. One of my clients suffer from PTSD from abusive relationships in past.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on