Home but forgotten: The war our veterans face off the battlefield
Formerly known as Armistice Day, Veterans Day is a holiday created to honor the end of World War I on Nov. 11, 1918.
Formalized by Congress exactly 20 years after that date, a statement from President Harry S. Truman expressed that Nov. 11 was dedicated to the cause of world peace.
However, soon after the end of World War I, other wars, such as World War II and the Korean War, followed.
The previous legislation passed in 1938 was amended to cover not just soldiers of World War I, but to all service members and veterans who had dutifully and honorably served in any action.
This is what changed the name from “armistice” and replaced it with what we know it to be, “veterans.”
In a letter to Harvey V. Higley, the Veterans Day National Committee chairman, President Dwight D. Eisenhower said he hoped “all veterans, their organizations, and the entire citizenry will join hands to insure proper and widespread observance of this day. I have every confidence that our Nation will respond wholeheartedly in the appropriate observance of Veterans Day.”
Another interesting note about Veterans Day is the lack of an apostrophe in the name “Veterans.”
As explained by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, “Veterans Day is not a day that belongs to veterans, it is a day for honoring all veterans.”
While the holiday serves as a reminder of the heroes who bravely fought to protect the freedoms we bear as American citizens, there’s a darker side to the remembrance of the unsung heroes our nation has born.
An unfortunate characteristic of the veteran population in the U.S. is the suicide rate amongst those who have so selflessly served. Unable to access the resources necessary to address mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety and, more infamously, PTSD, veterans are more often than average relegated to the despairs of homelessness, alcoholism and suicide.
According to the September 2021 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, more than one in every four veterans turns to suicide, whereas fewer than one in five non-veteran Americans commit suicide every year.
Where the national suicide rate has only slightly increased from 15% to 18%, the veteran suicide rate has skyrocketed from 17% to 30% since 2001 after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Regarding means of suicide, veterans are also 50% more likely to use a firearm than non-veteran Americans.
Another saddening fact about the U.S. veteran population is the rate at which veterans turn to drugs and alcohol as a means to cope.
According to American Addiction Centers, over 22% of veterans suffer from SUDs, or Substance Use Disorders, whereas only 6% of the rest of the country suffers from these same addictions. Whether it be alcohol, illicit drugs, narcotics or smoking, veterans are across the board more likely to suffer from addiction.
The rate of homelessness follows the suicide and addiction rates in the veteran community.
According to the Military Times, veteran homelessness increased 50% between 2001 and 2019. More concerning, however, is that while veterans only make up 6% of the country’s population, they constitute 8% of the country’s homeless population.
For Maddie Shreve, a sophomore at USU, these statistics are astonishing for her. Her patriotic personality and respect for veterans makes it hard to believe more isn’t being done to give back.
“I think that the research shows that clearly mental health issues follow participation in the military. It shouldn’t be so hard to get help,” she said. “They risked their lives for our country and dedicated all their time for our freedom and because of their sacrifice it has resulted in hardship. Just out of respect, they should be the last ones on the street.”
Each of these issues would presumably be handled at least in part by the Department of Defense’s Veterans Affairs administration, but inefficiencies and lack of resources have made the VA ineffective at its job, as publicly scrutinized by the veteran community.
Not only do veterans have to fill out a 23-page form to apply for disability, but they also have to prove their injuries and disabilities are combat-related. Failure to do so results in rejection, but, with over 400,000 claims filed since 2003, it often takes several months for veterans to learn of their application status, meaning veterans have to find their own ways to cope, often with drugs and alcohol or suicide.
Without the resources they need to reassimilate into civilian lifestyle, our retired service members might be remembered this Veterans Day, but many of them are still forgotten.
-Michael.Popa@usu.edu