Veterans Day

I'm a Cold War veteran. I grew up in a Navy family. My mother lost her closest friend, her brother, at Pearl Harbor. Consequently Veterans Day was a major holiday in my family growing up.

It's still a major holiday to me but not usually in my immediate environment. Rather it's one of those official holidays given lip service but little more. There aren't many Veteran Day parades any more.

In my view, we betray our veterans as often as we honor them. Particularly the young men we send to war, who then return as damaged goods mentally and/or physically, without jobs and without the kind of unequivocal VA support that they deserve because they've earned it. The institution created to support them too often fights them for benefits they deserve. It's a disgrace.

This betrayal always comes to mind during Veterans Day, as well as memories of my family remembrances during this significant holiday.