Every year we thank people for their military "service" and perhaps pay some homage to the many people who've died but we insist on not really reflecting on what all of this tells us about ourselves. We still seem to want to glorify going to battle, despite the fact that there hasn't been a "necessary" war since WWII , and even that one might have been avoided had the Armistice agreement not been so punitive toward Germany. My mother lived through the German occupation of Holland and struggled through the hunger winter, while my father spend WWII in a Japanese prison camp for civilians in Indonesia. My personal irony is that I'm here because the Americans entered the fight. Both my parents probably would have died had that not happened, before they met and way before I was born. Both parents taught me about the horrors of war, not because they talked much about it, but more in how they were both scarred by it. We still lie to young people about how honorable it is to "serve" in this capacity, while the war mongers enrich themselves through the bloodshed they cause. I would never ask anyone to be exploited in this way. I resent my tax dollars being used in this way. I am sickened at how we insist on valuing some lives over others. We need a national Peace Day where we can perhaps commit to finding non-military solutions to problems. So, for me, this day is a reminder of how much farther we have to go.
I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS BLOG FROM A FRIEND. I JOINED BECAUSE I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE VETERANS DAY POSTING. ALSO, I HAVE BEEN A FAN OF DAN RATHER'S WORK FOR MANY YEARS. ( I AM 76 YEARS OLD )
I served as a COMBAT INFANTRYMAN in VIETNAM from April 1968 to March 1969. It is INCREDIBLE to me that THOUSANDS of VETERANS SUPPORT A DISGRACEFUL. DRAFT DODGER WHO SEEMS DETERMINED TO DESTROY THE DEMOCRACY THAT WE FOUGHT FOR, AND THOUSANDS DIED FOR!
I just joined this BLOG because I was very impressed with the content of this VETERANS DAY POSTING. Just last week we celebrated the 40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMPLETION AND DEDICATION OF OUR NATIONAL VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL IN WASHINGTON, D.C. I was there with group of friends who are also VIETNAM VETERANS at the DEDICATION IN 1982. We came home inspired, and determined to create our own VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL for DELAWARE COUNTY in MUNCIE, INDIANA. The cost in 1986 was $50,000.00 and required a lot of support from the community. We are very proud that the black granite"TOWER"clearly displays the "THE ROLL OF HONOR", and the statement, "LET NO ONE FORGET"!
I find it very ironic that the civilian population seems free to divide and spew misinformation, yet today's military since day one of my enlistment in 2015 has been the first exposure to supporting gay rights, right to choose, antidiscrimination, anti-extremism, antisexism, etc. I sometimes think this is part of what they sarcastically call a new "woke" military... but then I do a lot of volunteering projects with former vets, and they tell me theyve done these trainings in the 80s/90s. Ive been on deployments when so called Trump supporters were making goofy ass impressions of Trump and knifehanding eachother... deep down we all saw him as a clown too. Especially when we were deployed overseas during covid, and some of our families back home were dieing of covid back home while our president was dicking around telling us it wasnt real. Those phonecalls back home were real. The AFN TVs on deployments only play fox news, so i i.agine thats where the radicalism we see on tv and jan 06 starts. Really it seems to me the older Gen X and boomers in higher officer ranks who seem to hate liberal ideals. And outwardly younger vets follow in suit on the surface... but we know we truly share a bond with our brothers and sisters from Gambia gaining their hard earned US citizenship, and women around us who take combat MOSs to break glass cielings. IMO. there is hope for todays younger veterans. Novrmber midterms younger voter turnout reaffirms this fact. For the rest of the civilian population, I hope we can all take notes from this truly great institution.
We must reduce what we give away to contractors and spend it on our warriors for there service to keeping our country free. Some politicians seem to think freedom is free it is not free clearly they've never served.
My Father a world war II veteran died of alcoholism. One family story soon after was some time in Bellevue hospital in New York. He did become a sociology professor from the GI bill. I remember him with his scotch telling me stories. From my experience with my Father; veteran’s don’t leave the War behind them, they just move on. The aftermath and their pain should be born by all of us. So many generations and pain in families from War.
I recall my 96 year old neighbor who took his last ambulance ride to the hospital a year ago. There in the driveway he asked the techs to get his veteran’s cap. I saluted him.
Annette, and yet the care that is given to the Veterans and Active Duty Service Members goes above and beyond anything available elsewhere. Please don’t deny or denigrate that.
Veterans Day, to me, is a time of reflecting, remembering, honoring, those that served in all wars, and conflicts, protecting us, or rights, and our democracy. I say a special prayer for the fallen as well as those that survived their tours of duty.
Many of our returning veterans are neglected. Many are homeless. Many have committed suicide, or permanently maimed themselves from attempting suicide. And many are so hooked on drugs it isn’t funny.
My question is simple. Why?
Why do we have veterans in this condition?
Why do we have politicians in Washington DC, and our state capitals turning a deaf ear to the needs of our veterans?
Why do we have an entire political party , Republicans, make it their effort to fight hiving assistance to our veterans?
Why do our veterans have to fight for good medical care?
Why does the Veterans Administration not stand up more for our veterans?
Why does the Veterans Hospitals not have the best doctors, nurses, equipment, programs, everything they need to treat our veterans better, without fighting for every penny the government decides to give to them?
When we send our men and women into an active combat zone, or to an area of conflict anywhere in this world, or we have our men snd women sign up and serve to protect us, this country, our Democracy, they are fighting, and protecting us. They are nit black, white, green, purple, or pink. They are not republican’s, democrat’s, libertarian’s, or whatever. They are SOLDIERS! Period.
Our politicians need to get off their asses, quit arguing across the aisle, and provide the needs of ALL of our veterans.
"They stood guard against a world that despised our diversity and our freedoms. This is the legacy we honor today." As always, Mr. Rather, your words ring so true! Thank you!
Beware a different version of the story.
Beware a different version of the story.
The Library of Congress American Folklife Center solicits volunteers to conduct interviews of veterans.
Every year we thank people for their military "service" and perhaps pay some homage to the many people who've died but we insist on not really reflecting on what all of this tells us about ourselves. We still seem to want to glorify going to battle, despite the fact that there hasn't been a "necessary" war since WWII , and even that one might have been avoided had the Armistice agreement not been so punitive toward Germany. My mother lived through the German occupation of Holland and struggled through the hunger winter, while my father spend WWII in a Japanese prison camp for civilians in Indonesia. My personal irony is that I'm here because the Americans entered the fight. Both my parents probably would have died had that not happened, before they met and way before I was born. Both parents taught me about the horrors of war, not because they talked much about it, but more in how they were both scarred by it. We still lie to young people about how honorable it is to "serve" in this capacity, while the war mongers enrich themselves through the bloodshed they cause. I would never ask anyone to be exploited in this way. I resent my tax dollars being used in this way. I am sickened at how we insist on valuing some lives over others. We need a national Peace Day where we can perhaps commit to finding non-military solutions to problems. So, for me, this day is a reminder of how much farther we have to go.
I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS BLOG FROM A FRIEND. I JOINED BECAUSE I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE VETERANS DAY POSTING. ALSO, I HAVE BEEN A FAN OF DAN RATHER'S WORK FOR MANY YEARS. ( I AM 76 YEARS OLD )
I served as a COMBAT INFANTRYMAN in VIETNAM from April 1968 to March 1969. It is INCREDIBLE to me that THOUSANDS of VETERANS SUPPORT A DISGRACEFUL. DRAFT DODGER WHO SEEMS DETERMINED TO DESTROY THE DEMOCRACY THAT WE FOUGHT FOR, AND THOUSANDS DIED FOR!
I just joined this BLOG because I was very impressed with the content of this VETERANS DAY POSTING. Just last week we celebrated the 40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMPLETION AND DEDICATION OF OUR NATIONAL VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL IN WASHINGTON, D.C. I was there with group of friends who are also VIETNAM VETERANS at the DEDICATION IN 1982. We came home inspired, and determined to create our own VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL for DELAWARE COUNTY in MUNCIE, INDIANA. The cost in 1986 was $50,000.00 and required a lot of support from the community. We are very proud that the black granite"TOWER"clearly displays the "THE ROLL OF HONOR", and the statement, "LET NO ONE FORGET"!
I find it very ironic that the civilian population seems free to divide and spew misinformation, yet today's military since day one of my enlistment in 2015 has been the first exposure to supporting gay rights, right to choose, antidiscrimination, anti-extremism, antisexism, etc. I sometimes think this is part of what they sarcastically call a new "woke" military... but then I do a lot of volunteering projects with former vets, and they tell me theyve done these trainings in the 80s/90s. Ive been on deployments when so called Trump supporters were making goofy ass impressions of Trump and knifehanding eachother... deep down we all saw him as a clown too. Especially when we were deployed overseas during covid, and some of our families back home were dieing of covid back home while our president was dicking around telling us it wasnt real. Those phonecalls back home were real. The AFN TVs on deployments only play fox news, so i i.agine thats where the radicalism we see on tv and jan 06 starts. Really it seems to me the older Gen X and boomers in higher officer ranks who seem to hate liberal ideals. And outwardly younger vets follow in suit on the surface... but we know we truly share a bond with our brothers and sisters from Gambia gaining their hard earned US citizenship, and women around us who take combat MOSs to break glass cielings. IMO. there is hope for todays younger veterans. Novrmber midterms younger voter turnout reaffirms this fact. For the rest of the civilian population, I hope we can all take notes from this truly great institution.
We must reduce what we give away to contractors and spend it on our warriors for there service to keeping our country free. Some politicians seem to think freedom is free it is not free clearly they've never served.
I agree and I did not mean to suggest otherwise. Yes to reparations. 400 years is more than too much.
Enjoyed this immensely
My late father served during the Korean War and is, I’m sure, watching what is going on in this country with horror.
My Father a world war II veteran died of alcoholism. One family story soon after was some time in Bellevue hospital in New York. He did become a sociology professor from the GI bill. I remember him with his scotch telling me stories. From my experience with my Father; veteran’s don’t leave the War behind them, they just move on. The aftermath and their pain should be born by all of us. So many generations and pain in families from War.
I recall my 96 year old neighbor who took his last ambulance ride to the hospital a year ago. There in the driveway he asked the techs to get his veteran’s cap. I saluted him.
Annette, and yet the care that is given to the Veterans and Active Duty Service Members goes above and beyond anything available elsewhere. Please don’t deny or denigrate that.
Sometimes.
Veterans Day, to me, is a time of reflecting, remembering, honoring, those that served in all wars, and conflicts, protecting us, or rights, and our democracy. I say a special prayer for the fallen as well as those that survived their tours of duty.
Many of our returning veterans are neglected. Many are homeless. Many have committed suicide, or permanently maimed themselves from attempting suicide. And many are so hooked on drugs it isn’t funny.
My question is simple. Why?
Why do we have veterans in this condition?
Why do we have politicians in Washington DC, and our state capitals turning a deaf ear to the needs of our veterans?
Why do we have an entire political party , Republicans, make it their effort to fight hiving assistance to our veterans?
Why do our veterans have to fight for good medical care?
Why does the Veterans Administration not stand up more for our veterans?
Why does the Veterans Hospitals not have the best doctors, nurses, equipment, programs, everything they need to treat our veterans better, without fighting for every penny the government decides to give to them?
When we send our men and women into an active combat zone, or to an area of conflict anywhere in this world, or we have our men snd women sign up and serve to protect us, this country, our Democracy, they are fighting, and protecting us. They are nit black, white, green, purple, or pink. They are not republican’s, democrat’s, libertarian’s, or whatever. They are SOLDIERS! Period.
Our politicians need to get off their asses, quit arguing across the aisle, and provide the needs of ALL of our veterans.
Enough said!
God Bless our veterans!
Special Thanks to our Veterans!
"They stood guard against a world that despised our diversity and our freedoms. This is the legacy we honor today." As always, Mr. Rather, your words ring so true! Thank you!