The Empire Page

Turning Our Back on Heroes? Not On Our Watch           

 

            What is happening in this country to our returning veterans is an absolute disgrace. We should all be embarrassed. The way we treat our veterans, who have proudly and bravely served their country, in many cases putting themselves in harm’s way for multiple voluntary tours of duty, is shameful. The Federal government and New York State government has basically turned their collective backs on these veterans. For example, there are 1.2 million veterans in New York State and 25 percent of them are homeless. Disgraceful, and as patriots we should find this appalling.

          Over 40,000 New York State residents are currently on active duty. In the next few years many of these veterans will be returning home to reorient themselves to civilian life and with their families and friends. There experience has changed their life forever and they are not the same person who left to go to war a year or two earlier. Many will not have job to return to or will be returning with only a high school education and we all know how far that will get them in this economy.

          What has been happening is, we all greet them as they return and thank them for their service to their country, but 30 days after the hoopla fades away and the military pay ends, they find themselves without a job and in some cases homeless. So, in many cases, they go to the New York State Department of Labor (Unemployment Division) or to the Division of Veteran Affairs but they are not receiving any meaningful assistance in their search for a job. They are treated like anyone else that comes looking for a job. But these are people who may have been in combat risking their lives for their country. These are people who have put their entire lives on hold, missed the births of their children and the death of loved ones, and generally these veterans make extremely good, well disciplined employees.

          We cannot allow this to happen any longer!!! And we will not!!! Action is being taken by a group of dedicated veterans and patriotic civilians who I will not name here because it is not about them. It is about the real heroes in our society; veterans. A not-for-profit organization has been created to help returning vets and all vets who need assistance finding a job, getting an education or who need counseling to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder from their military experience.

          The organization is the NYS4VETS (www.NYS4VETS.org). I urge you to go to this website to see what they are all about. See who is involved in “veterans helping veterans”. I also strongly urge you to get involved. Don’t just sit back and let this happen. Volunteer to help the organization and if you can’t or don’t have time, make a monetary donation. These kids and men and women deserve it and, more importantly, have earned it. I salute each and every veteran that has ever served this great country for their sacrifices. The one true regret in my life is that I never serviced my country. I plan to make up for it now.

          I leave you with these quotes:

“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.”  - George Washington

 

“These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it Now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph.”

- Thomas Paine, The Crisis – December, 1776

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

~John Fitzgerald Kennedy
However horrible the incidents of war may be, the soldier who is called upon to offer and to give his life for his country is the noblest development of mankind.
     - Douglas MacArthur, 1880 – 1964

Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of the men who follow and of the man who leads that gains that victory.
     - George S. Patton, 1885 – 1945