Veteran’s Day is always a difficult one for me. I know most people mean well, but I have a hard time with all the platitudes in a time when veterans benefits seem to be first on the chopping block, the GI Bill is being gutted, a horrifying number of Vets are disabled, homeless, seeing their families need foodstamps to put food on the table even while on active duty, and falling through an increasingly frayed safety net. So, may I ask those who of you who are posting Support Our Troops memes on Facebook, to take an extra step and write or email your Congressperson and demand we honor our heroes with more than words.
Otherwise, I’ll hold the rant and just introduce you to my late father — West Point graduate (Class of ’51), veteran of two wars (Korea and several tours in Viet Nam), Bronze Star recipient, career Army man and, by act of Congress, an officer and a gentleman.
Oh, and in the last years of his life, he helped his beloved Boston Red Sox break the Curse of the Bambino and win their first World Series in 86 years.
That’s a hell of a lot of service to country.
My Dad was a career Navy man, Annapolis graduate, class of 1934. I don’t think he helped the Red Sox, but he helped almost everyone else he ever met. Great guy! I’m so with you on treating our military and our veterans with respect and helping the ones in need.
P.S. Beat Army! 😀
Lisa, I always love your posts about your dad. They are so full of clear-eyed love and admiration. I remember one where he gave you advice on a possible career with the CIA (don’t do it), and another where you talk about his love for the Boston Red Sox. His West Point portrait is not just handsome but reflects the honor and courage of the cadet/graduates.
Sometimes it seems as if so many people of our generation spend a great deal of time ranting about the angst they bear against their parents. Not you. You have such a good relationship and memories of your dad. It’s beautiful to read your stories. Thanks for sharing him with us.
And thank you so much for reminding your readers of the current climate for military members, their families, and for veterans. The fight continues, and it is not going to improve any time soon. Tricare and Tricare Prime, the insurance for service members and veterans reimburses physicians at the same rate (or lower) than Medicare and Medicaid, which means very few physicians accept Tricare. This, in turn makes it very difficult for Tricare users to find physicians. Factor in a family with a member who may have special medical needs, and it gets even harder to find care. Tricare premiums are on the rise, and Congress continues to consider making Tricare for veterans of working age go away altogether. And no, not all veterans can access the Veterans Administration healthcare network.
Sorry to have hijacked your comments. I’m going to step down now from my soapbox. Write those Congress members. Lisa is right: “Support for the Troops” is much more than a bumper sticker.
Hee Hee, Zoomie. I toyed with the idea of closing the post with Beat Navy. But then decided not to. Although, at the West Point chapel, the homily usually ends that way.
Go Navy! Written to honor my dad, gone now 13 years, a graduate in 1948 of the US Naval Academy (often incorrectly referred to as “Annapolis”, but that’s just the town it’s in…) agree with all you’ve written about terrible treatment of our nation’s vets, and most publicly recently, putting up barriers to Hero Flights for WW II veterans and blocking their access to the WWII memorial in DC. Good thing they all had stormed worse than orange cones.
Well, Pam. West Point is not even a town. It’s the area the U.S. Military Academy is in. But like Annapolis, it’s an affectionate shorthand for the place.
BEAT NAVY!
That is such a nice portrait with beautiful colors.
Anchors Aweigh! (Married to a 30 year Navy man–retired Command Master Chief. Never was a Navy wife, but honoring the retired Navy. Haze grey and underway!). Beat Army!
Lovely post. He has kindly, intelligent face; indeed, and officer and a gentleman. my dad was a Scandinvian immigrant who put himself through medical school, When Pearl Harbor happened he enlisted, even though he was too old for active duty.. He put his medical practice on hold, packed up his wife and infant son and spent the war as an Army surgeon at Letterman Hospital in the Presidio. Our Django is going through therapy dog training with Pet Partners and we hope to take him to the VA hospital. According to his “rescuers” many SFTs are trained as service dogs for vets with PTSD (at lest in Nevada). Sounds good to me…and Django, too!