Memorial Day is more than a day off, more than steak on the grill, more than the Indianapolis 500. This Memorial Day, the President will place a reef at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Parades will do the landscape of many towns across America. TNT or Spike will rerun a Band of Brothers and many who gave their lives will be remembered by loved, young and old.
In a blog past titled, “No One Dies Alone,” I Last wrote of a homeless veteran who passed. In year following my original blog, little has changed for Veterans. Allison Hickey, Undersecretary for Benefits, recently stated, “Too many veterans still have to wait too long to get the compensation benefits they earn, and that is unacceptable to us.”
First time Veterans filing claims will wait nearly a year for benefits, with some stretching years. However, over a million claims were filed in 2012. Let me repeat that, one million claims were filed for benefits. Having filed a claim myself, I found filing a claim to be as challenging as filing a complex income tax return.
Most Veterans serve well and often suffer well. Healing the wounds of war is extremely difficult, as the psychological scars last for decades. We must help Veterans diffuse the weapons inside them. They are the karmic seeds of pain and anger. We must never turn away from the pain and suffering of Veterans. We must face the pain, we must diminish pain, overcome the hatred within. All of are responsible for the suffering Veteran. Each of us, in some way, asks the Veteran to perform, to stand for our country and make the ultimate sacrifice.
All of us must help Veterans return to the present moment, to proudly serve the community at larger and we must simply refuse allowing these men of honor to suffer, to wait and to continue to sacrifice well past that requested.
We need them, as they need us.
Many have fought for this nation. Many have lost sons and daughters. They have given the “last full measure,” no different from any other. Do not forget those who have given so much for us. Take time during Memorial to remember those who have served.
That night, I thanked God for seeing me through that day of days and prayed I would make it through D plus 1. I also promised that if some way I could get home again, I would find a nice peaceful town and spend the rest of my life in peace.
~~ Dick Winters~~
Let’s all live in peace … to do so gives honor to all who fell.