Friday, November 11, 2022
Today is a day to honor all of the men and women who served in the U.S. military. Veterans Day, originally known as Armistice Day, marked the end of World War I on November 11, 1918. It is about the approximately 19 million U.S. veterans who are still with us today and the millions who have preceded them since the American Revolution.
This is a special Veterans Day for me as I recently had the privilege and honor of helping my wife’s cousin receive his 100% VA disability 30 years after he saw action in the Gulf War. He followed his Vietnam War veteran dad and joined the U.S. Marine Corps at age 18. Shortly after Boot Camp he was transferred to Task Force Grizzly, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, Twentynine Palms. After a few weeks of training, he found himself Boots on Ground on February 27, 1991 as a 19 year old Platoon Leader of India Company, 2nd Platoon, in the middle of one of the most deadly battles of the Gulf War, the Battle of Kuwait International Airport. The battles “Reveille Engagement” was the biggest and fastest tank battle in United States Marine Corps history. His voice quivers when he tells me about two of his fellow Marines, 20 year old Lance Corporal Brian Lane and 20 year old Lance Corporal Christian Porter, who were killed in the smoke filled tank battle. Teddy had no physical injuries, serving in the military often leaves unseen injuries that are often more devastating.
Military service is not for the faint of heart. Most civilian jobs do not require risk to life or limb. No other occupation subjects employees to criminal charges for disobeying their boss. Unlike members of the military, civilians can live where they want and can quit whenever they want.
Transitional challenges, the stress of military life and feelings of isolation all factor into a suicide rate among veterans that is more than 50 percent higher than that of nonveteran adults.
The stigma of seeking help needs to end. If we are going to stop suicide, it is crucial that we look at this issue much differently than prior generations. If we wait for someone to make an attempt before we reach out, there is a very good chance that it will be too late.
Veterans value courage and it takes courage to ask for help. We must be pro-active. Ask and encourage veterans to seek help before they pass a point of no return. The bonds that we formed in the military are unlike any other.
Very few of us are trained counselors or mental health professionals. But we are capable of listening, referring and following up. The national crisis line still works, but now there is an even shorter number. It is 9-8-8, extension 1 for veteran. Most kindergartners know what 9-1-1 is for. It’s up to us to ensure that 9-8-8 becomes just as widely known. By calling 9-8-8 now, we can prevent a 9-1-1 call later.
Homelessness is another tragic outcome that is too often connected to military service. It is estimated that America has 60,000 veterans who are homeless. That is greater than the entire population of Poway. Though veterans comprise approximately 7 percent of the U.S. population they are 11 percent of our nation’s homeless.
The best way to prevent a veteran from becoming homeless is to hire one. It’s not only good policy but it’s smart business for an employer who values skill, discipline and patriotism.
It is fitting that Veterans Day be observed so close to Election Day. It is, after all, the veterans, who have preserved our constitutional rights for 246 years.
For many of them, this nation was worth enduring long separations from their families, missing the births of their children, freezing in sub-zero temperatures, sweating in the Sahara, sacrificing their health and, far too often, losing their lives.
When a politician laments the cost of a veterans program, it is up to us to remind them of the cost of being a veteran.
Whether it’s exposure to burn pits or other toxin, many veterans today continue to pay a high price for their military service. It is up to us to ensure that they always have access to high quality health care and benefits reflecting the thanks of a great nation.
One hundred and four years ago, on November 11, 1918, the guns of the world fell silent. An armistice was signed and the Great War was over. Unfortunately, World War I was not the “war to end all wars,” as many had hoped.
Veterans are not only responsible for defending this nation during time of war, but it is the imposing presence of our great military that has acted as a deterrent to would-be aggressors.
The veterans of the United States military have not only fought wars, they deserve our gratitude for preventing them.
And while today we rejoice and honor the service of America’s veterans, we also remember the wise words of Gen. Douglas MacArthur. “The soldier above all other people prays for peace.”
God bless you all for being here, God bless our veterans and God bless America.
Respectfully,
Arthur “Tony” Blain
CAPT MC USN
Tony Blain for Poway City Council District 2 