AS LEADER OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST veterans organization, I often have the privilege of meeting some important people. No, I am not referring to our elected officials, business leaders or celebrities. I am speaking of the members of the U.S. military.
Can any CEO or distinguished Ivy League graduate truly claim to be under more pressure than the 21-year-old squad leader walking a patrol in Baghdad? Do they really have more responsibility than the young commander of a nuclear-powered submarine? Do they have as much on the line as the mechanic fixing a $2 billion Stealth bomber?
“Nothing in our lives will ever be as important as this,” said Lt.Col Henry Mucci, in the 2005 true-to-life film “The Great Raid.”
Sadly, their deeds are frequently unappreciated.
In an essay early this year, Army Sgt. Eddie Jeffers wrote, “Even thousands of miles away, in Ramadi, Iraq, the cries and screams and complaints of the ungrateful reach me. In a year, I will be thrust back into society from a life and mentality that doesn’t fit your average man.And then, I will be alone.And then, I will walk down the streets of America, and see the yellow ribbon stickers on the cars of the same people who compare our President to Hitler.”
Unfortunately, Sgt. Jeffers won’t get to walk down the streets of America in a year. On Sept. 19, he was killed in Iraq. He was 23.
Fortunately, when a soldier walks into an American Legion post, he is given the thanks of a grateful organization. If we put soldiers in boots, and we put those boots in harm’s way, The American Legion family knows it must support them in every way.
We are committed to finding good jobs for Sgt. Jeffer’s comrades by hosting career fairs and urging Congress to maintain a strong veterans preference program for federal employment. Companies understand that it’s smart business to hire veterans, and when members of the Guard and Reserves deploy, it is America’s business to ensure that their civilian careers do not suffer.
We must not forget the unique needs of women veterans. Women are major contributors to our military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan and many have given their lives in the War on Terror. VA must be prepared to adequately treat the special needs of our female veterans.
It is tragic that the men and women who allow us to be safe in our homes are often without homes themselves when they shed their uniforms. An estimated 23 percent of America’s homeless are veterans. Of these homeless Americans, 89 percent were honorably discharged and 47 percent served during the Vietnam War. Too often today’s tattered citizen of the street was yesterday’s toast-of-the-town in a crisp uniform with rows of shining medals.
But all is not grim. When my predecessor, Past National Commander Paul Morin, asked Americans to donate $50,000 so wounded warriors at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany could receive comfort items, The American Legion family and its friends responded in a big way - raising more than $300,000 for these heroes. Moreover, the quality of health care provided at most VA centers is consistently rated among the best in the world. Communities across our great country have recognized the value of military service, honoring heroes and their families with Blue Star salutes. And the American GI consistently tops public opinion polls and surveys as the most respected person in America.
Just as Colonel Mucci said, “Nothing in our lives will ever be this important” - likewise, nothing on a person’s lifetime resume¢ should trump past military service.
Pride in ones’ military service is a bond shared by nearly all who have served. This pride is on display on every obituary page in the country, where military service — regardless of how many decades have passed and subsequent achievements reached — is mentioned with the death notice of nearly every deceased veteran.
Although the successful businessman may have closed multi-million dollar deals and raised a wonderful family, what single accomplishment tops the decisive actions he took during the siege of Khe Sanh which saved the lives of several of his fellow Marines?
Fewer than 10 percent of Americans can claim the title “veteran.” And while Veterans Day is Nov. 11, we should thank our veterans everyday. It’s the least a grateful nation can do.
Marty Conatser of Champaign, Ill., is national commander of the 2.7 million-member American Legion, the nation’s largest wartime veterans organization. A high-resolution photo of Cmdr. Conatser can be downloaded at www.legion.org.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 12, 2007. Read the original PDF.