Honor A Veteran Today

Thank you for your service.

Veterans Day was established as Armistice Day to celebrate the end of World War I, the war to end all wars. Since 1954, we have observed it as a national holiday, Veterans Day, honoring the men and women willing to serve and defend America in the armed forces and dedicated to the cause of world peace. Veterans Day has come to represent those who did not come home. Now it is more.

After the war to end all wars our country has participated in World War II, the Korean Conflict, Viet Nam, Desert Storm, and, of course, current hostilities in Afghanistan and Iraq. Also, Garry has a Veterans Day post with a large amount of information regarding wars and casualties. At the end is a link to a time line of U.S. Military Operations. 

We honor more than those we lost in combat.  We must include the service men and women who have returned with disabilities and chronic conditions.  The number of disabled vets has jumped by 25% since 2001 to 2.9 million. Data from the Veterans Benefits Administration suggest that 11,000 died from injuries and illnesses contracted in the first Iraq war, and more than 256,000 have filed claims for veteran benefits. These figures exceed Viet Nam War statistics.

Having lived through the horrors of war on a daily basis, veterans often experience traumatic stress disorders.  Brain cancer and neurological conditions have been recognized by the government as being connected to that gulf war.  I have also read and corresponded with MSers who believe their MS originated in the gulf.  Yhe government is having a hard time denying that claim.  An unusually large number of gulf war veterans are developing MS.On this Veterans Day, let us honor all of our casualties.



Additional Links:
DAV Disabled American Veterans
PVA Paralyzed Veterans of America
Poor Magazine article
AP article 11/8
CBS article
Disabled but Not Forgotten
Watchdog site independent of VA