After the parade

I attended two local events to honor veterans this week.  At the parade I saw some veterans who had come out or been brought out in wheelchairs from the nearby VA hospital and veterans' home.  So I would like to offer thanks and remembrance to all the veterans who were in hospitals rather than parades this Veterans Day, and all the men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, far from the applause.  My local library had a Veterans Day book display, with books about WWII, WWI, the Civil War, Vietnam, and the Korean War.  The display changed as books were checked out, but I saw no books about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan displayed.  There are plenty of biographies coming out, of course, but for a wider view I recommend two oral histories: Heart of War: Soldier's Voices from the Front Lines in Iraq (Damon Di Marco, editor, NY: Citadel, 2007), and What Was Asked of Us: An Oral History of the Iraq War by the Soldiers who Fought It (edited by Trish Wood, NY: Little Brown, 2006).  I have not seen an equivalent for Afghanistan, or anything more recent.

Notice must be taken

Thank you, King County, Washington, and the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs for sponsoring the conference "Serving Returning Veterans: A Community Response to Trauma."  (King County has a levy to provide funds for veteran services.  May other counties follow their excellent lead.)  The conference, held in Seatac, Washington on October 28th and 29th, was a wonderful opportunity to hear about the experiences of veterans and their needs.  Several speakers reminded us that when we as a nation send men and women off to war, we assume a permanent obligation to provide support when they return.  I have noticed many articles lately about how the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were largely ignored during the recent election campaign, and are receiving less public attention in general.  If we who have not served in the military owe a duty to those who do, perhaps the first part of this debt is our attention.  We can take the time to look for news about Iraq and Afghanistan, and about veterans here at home.  IAVA, the Iraq/Afghanistan veterans group, provides a daily news brief on their website and via email which collects relevant stories from a variety of news sources. 

Thoughts on Holidays

I've been reading a lot about troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, and returning from deployments.   A common theme seems to be the loss of relationships due to long or multiple deployments and the way war and separation change people.

So I wonder if the Thanksgiving to Christmas holiday season will be particularly hard for many soldiers and veterans.  In my experience these holidays tend to focus on family, and this can make single people feel out of place.  When everyone else at the table is part of a couple, you stand out. Being surrounded by family can be strangely lonely.  The holidays are also hard on people struggling with depression.

I wonder if community organizations such as churches could help by offering non-family focused holiday gatherings for local veterans.   A chance to eat a good meal and be a sociable as is comfortable with others who may share some of your experience might be more relaxing than trying to fit back into your old role in your own family, or the guest role in the family of some compassionate neighbor.