Next Monday is a solemn day for the United States and the world. It marks the 106 anniversary of the end of World War I, which was at the time “the war to end all wars”. Millions of civilians and military personnel were injured or killed, while countless more had their lives uprooted by the violence and bloodshed. In the United States, we have chosen this important occasion to honor the men and women who have offered everything for our country and returned home as heroes.
For most of the world, today is “Armistice Day” to solely celebrate the end of World War I. This was actually the case here in the United States at first too, as President Wilson proclaimed the first holiday in 1919 as “Armistice Day”. After World War II proved that war was far from over, veteran Raymond Weeks began lobbying for the holiday to celebrate all American Veterans rather than solely the end of World War I. Weeks’ lobbying proved successful when President Eisenhower signed a bill into law on June 1, 1952 changing the name to Veterans Day.
As we take time today to recognize the sacrifices made by our Veterans and all they have given us, we should also recognize what they will never get back. Many veterans suffer from PTSD post-service and have trouble transitioning back into civilian society; still feeling like the world is a battlefield because of the hyperactivity of the modern world and that the War on Terror was fought in city streets that are reminiscent of home. They missed important events in their lives, such as the birth of a child or the death of a loved one. Not only that, but they are also more likely to struggle with substance abuse and homelessness, and have trouble keeping a job because we as a society have not given them the necessary resources to recover and transition back. Programs such as the Homebase Project help fill the gap, but these measures still aren’t enough. In 2022, Congress passed the PACT Act with support from all the Democrats and a majority of Republicans in both chambers, which invested $797 billion into our Veterans who suffered from toxic burn pits over the next decade. Unfortunately, this bill was blocked until pressure from the public, led by TV personality Jon Stewart convinced several Senators to end their blockade of the bill. Though we cannot fix the systematic, societal neglect of our Veterans in one day, actions like these, and recognition and determination to fix the broken system by the general public help repay the debt we owe to them for fighting so valiantly for our freedom.
