As we fly our flags and barbecue our meat-fest this Memorial Day Weekend, it might be fair to remember the people that this three-day beach vacation is honoring. So before you fire up that grill and slather on your sunscreen, take a moment to remember the real life problems that thousands of our veterans are still facing every day. Many of them are not enjoying this weekend at all, in fact, 66 of them will take their own lives by Tuesday morning..
This country has a long history going back to the Revolutionary War of denying benefits and failing to take care of a group of people, who let's face it, are really the only group of people, that have facilitated our ability to enjoy this weekend in the first place. Revolutionary War veterans were notoriously denied payment and even supplies during and after the war. The Civil War left many veterans homeless and without benefits long after they helped to keep the Union together. WWI vets were denied their badly needed bonus pay during the Great Depression until 1936. We then have the more recent wars, starting with WW2, which leaves us today with a whopping 21.8 million veterans. And true to history, many of these heroes are still left behind.
Today, 50,000 veterans are homeless. 356,000 veterans are still waiting in line to receive their VA health benefits, they take an average of 131 days to be processed and 53 a day die waiting to receive them. There are 270,000 Vietnam vets who suffer from PTSD, and 1 in 5 soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer this same affliction. Only recently, this nation has become aware of the epidemic of sexual assault and harassment in the military, a crime committed against 25% and 80% of women respectively.
I am aware that many soldiers will be celebrated this weekend, with festivals, parades and charity drives. But as a Nation, we are sorely lacking in at least our mental support and conversations about these issues, which is the only real way to begin to drive some change. So say a few words somewhere, post this article or create your own. If you own a business, hire a veteran. This weekend is about them, and as a citizen who has reaped the benefits that they have bestowed, you should be fighting for them too.