What’s the best way to honor returning veterans?

Thank them and their family personally.

As when their loved one was deployed, offer to help babysit, mow lawns, shovel snow, shop for them, etc. Be there for them when they need it.

Help them network if they are in need of a job.

@John

“Only the dead have seen the end of war”.

Plato

@ John

There’s definitely truth in that, and the politicians who like to use disabled veterans as political stepping stones never mention it. On the other hand, if there’s anything that gives a guy a justifiable reason to feel a sense of entitlement, being shot at for the government has to be near the top of the list. Any short-term solution in terms of cutting off promised benefits, even if the promises ended up being excessive, would be morally wrong. Also, probably for every two vets working hard to game the system and get benefits for injuries that weren’t really service-related, there is at least one who is so far out of the system, living under a bridge or in a trailer in the woods as far as possible from everyone, who isn’t using any benefits at all despite being legitimately entitled to them. Looking at veterans benefits as a budgetary issue is a lot like looking at the proverbial “welfare mothers” who allegedly just have babies as fast as possible in order to increase their welfare checks. Yes, there probably are a few, but no they really aren’t what’s breaking the budget.

The best way to avoid paying out so much in veterans’ benefits is to avoid having so many veterans, which means having a smaller military force and fewer wars. Do you think we could manage that? Wouldn’t it be sufficient to merely have the largest and most deadly military force in the known history of the universe? Is it really necessary for it to be several times larger and more deadly than the next several forces combined, most of which belong to our friends? Surely there’s a point at which we can say “this is enough”, isn’t there?

I volunteer to read books with primary aged kids at a local school. After reading two chapters of Charlotte’s Web last week, I told a 3rd grade girl that she could tell her family that she had done a great job reading with Mr. G. today.

” My brother was in the war and died. I can’t tell him.”, she said without any prompting on my part.

I was dumbstruck and could only mutter, “I’m sorry, Honey.”

She quickly picked up her books and went on with her life.

I will honor her big brother, who didn’t come home by reading with his little sister one day a week.

A job would be nice. I landed a job as soon as I left the Army. I consider that very fortunate, and it helped to launch my career.

Boy, that’s a toughie. According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs’ website, Veterans Day, celebrated on November 11 of each calendar year is supposed to be the day we Americans have a national celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. Even though we’ve had soldiers returning from war in Iraq and Afghanistan, I’m not aware of a large national speech or reflection of them on that day. Maybe it happened, but I don’t remember it. The more celebrated Memorial Day, according to another US gov website is supposed to be the day Americans remember those who died while serving this country. Yet, over the years, that day has simultaneously come to symbolize the coming of summer in addition to an ode to the fallen in battle. Although we may debate about whether the troops should or shouldn’t have gone to the Middle East, the troops themselves had little choice in the matter; thus, it would seem appropriate to give them a large measure of respect and gratitude.