A Few Words On Veteran's Day

I don’t say this to brag or for people to thank me for my service.  So, please don’t take it that way.

I am a veteran.

I served for 3 years as an active duty soldier in the US Army.  I was stationed in Germany for 2 years.  I was honorably discharged in 1990 and missed going to Iraq War #1 by about a week.  I have used my benefits to buy two houses.  I do not regret my enlistment.  I learned many lessons during my time in the military.  I was blessed and fortunate that I was not asked to lay my life down for my country like so many who came before and after me.

I know Veteran’s Day means a lot of different things to people.  But there’s some inescapable thoughts for me every year.  They are mostly political in nature and revolve around our government (and American people) being perfect willing to sacrifice the lives (and family lives) of our troops over and over again for bad policy.

American troops have been getting the shaft.  They are over-deployed, over-extended and pushed far beyond what is reasonable to the breaking point.  It makes me angry to the core of my being.

Even worse – U.S. troops are sadly taking their own lives in record numbers. They survive multiple deployments only to return home with PTSD and commit suicide. In fact…

“From the invasion of Afghanistan until last summer, the U.S. military had lost 761 soldiers in combat there. But a higher number in the service — 817 — had taken their own lives over the same period.” (from Time.com)

That is a heartbreaking statistic.

My friend Brad thanks a solider every time he sees one.  I love that.  It’s convicting for me and going forward I’m going to do the same.

Happy Veteran’s Day?  Not for many vets and their families.  Please join me in taking some time to think about these fine people and what they are facing. Pray for them. Thank them. Consider donating to one of the following fantastic organizations who are doing what they can to help.  I made a donation today and I think that is a great tradition to start on this national “holiday” to honor our troops.

Iraq And Afghanistan Veterans Of America
IAVA is the first and largest non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to bettering the lives of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families. 

Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund Veterans Charity focuses on providing financial help to family members of soldiers who have returned home extremely wounded or disabled. This group, which received an “A+” from the veterans charities watchdog group, makes sure 100% of its donations go to support veterans families.

Fisher House
Fisher House provides homes for families to stay at if they are visiting veterans receiving care at VA hospitals or military medical centers. This is extremely important, both for the veteran and for the family, because it eases the financial burden of visiting. Often, soldiers want nothing more than to see their family when they return home, and bridging that gap with houses for visiting families is a good cause.