PD Editorial: Veterans deserve better from America

It was supposed to be “the war to end all wars.”

Hostilities in the ?Great War officially ended at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. That day became Armistice Day, a time for Americans to honor their veterans from that war.

But that Great War begat another great war. The conflicts would become known as World War I and World War II. Then came the Korean War, after which Congress changed Armistice Day to the Veterans Day that we celebrate today.

Today’s observance marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. Our veterans of that war are gone, but their service is not forgotten. The unending global peace they hoped for was not to be. Today’s veterans have served in conflicts around the globe, from World War II to America’s ongoing war in Afghanistan.

As a nation, we have gone ?from appreciating our troops in ?WW I and WW II to almost ignoring them after Korea, to disparaging the veterans of Vietnam and finally returning to our senses and honoring all our military men and women, regardless of when and where they served.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Tet Offensive, mounted by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces. Thus, it is fitting that Vietnam veterans Terry Park and Ken Vabkar are grand marshals today for the Veterans Day Parade in Petaluma.

Vietnam-era veterans make up more than 40 percent of the approximately 29,000 veterans in Sonoma County. All deserve our appreciation, respect and support.

Yet time and again, that support has amounted to mere lip service. The crisis in health care and management of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has been well-documented. The corollary crisis in homelessness among veterans remains self-evident. The health effects of Agent Orange, widely used as a defoliant in Vietnam, are now known to last for generations. The psychological scars of war are gradually being understood.

And the challenges of returning to civilian life often remain unmet.

It is good to thank veterans for their service. But we also must invest in their having good lives after their military service. Lives where their commitment to teamwork is valued and utilized in new job opportunities. Lives where shelter and food are not a worry. Lives where PTSD, depression and anxiety are fully treated, as are their physical injuries. Lives where they are encouraged to tell their stories when their wish, and their silence is respected when they do not.

Too many veterans have seen no future for themselves. Some have died by suicide. Some, including the alleged gunman in horrific massacre last week in Thousand Oaks, took the lives of others. As a society, we grieve as we wonder how to effectively help these veterans beforehand. As a society, we must wipe away the stigma that persists about seeking help - by anyone, not only veterans.

The veterans of World War I came home to public accolades but few government benefits. On this 100th anniversary of that war’s end, let us commit to fully serving our veterans as they have served us - honorably, courageously and faithfully.