What's So Special About Veterans?
by M. Wayne Sullivan
on Nov 10, 2022
Veterans Day is upon us! What’s so special about veterans? Why do they get a special holiday like Veterans Day? It seems that some people have been asking these questions for years, which doesn’t surprise me. So, today's question is, "What’s so special about veterans?"
We are going to examine that question in this article. I am confident this is a conversation that needs to be had. We need to have it in our homes, with our kids, in our churches, among our peers, and everywhere else we can. Stay tuned till the end, I am going to give you ten ways that you can honor veterans.
So are you ready to dive in?
Let’s get our zealous on!
What’s So Special About Veterans?
A Dangerous Misconception
As I said, people are wondering why veterans are special. Many are asking questions like the one in an opinion piece published on Tuesday, November 8th, in the StarTribune. In the opinion piece, Mr. Ron Way asked the following questions?
“Why do veterans get such generous medical benefits and other special benefits — plus a bundle of discounts and courtesies from an admiring public — while we who served our country in other ways get the usual pension, and maybe an "atta boy"?”1
Ron Way
I am not a veteran of military conflict or service, but I also have an opinion about this particular question. To a degree, I concur with a sentiment that Mr. Way presents toward the end of his opinion piece where he said,
“...it's also true that in any "of, by, and for" democracy like ours, every citizen maintains freedoms simply by practicing them. Freedom protectors include public workers at every level, construction workers, those in elected office, judges, hospital workers, teachers and parents...All law-abiding, socially tolerant citizens are freedom foot-soldiers who share in making ours "a more perfect union."2
Ron Way
Yet, I think the kind of thought that would seek to equate public service with military service is dangerously detrimental to our society. Yes, we all have a part to play in maintaining freedom and creating “a more perfect union.” But at what cost?
If we replace one word in Mr. Way’s understanding with a two-word phrase, we'll see the difference much more clearly. He argued above, “...while we who served our country in other ways.” If we replace the word “served” with the phrase “sacrificed for,” then we begin to see a peculiar difference. Then we begin to see what makes veterans special to us. We can’t say that we have “sacrificed for” our country in other ways. We simply can’t. Served, yes. Sacrificed for, no. Last month, NFL Quarterback Tom Brady learned this distinction the hard way. Brady sparked controversy by comparing his NFL season with a military deployment. The 45-year-old Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback was speaking out about his work-life balance on his SiriusXM show, Let's Go! with Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald, and Jim Gray.3 Brady said on his show: “I almost look at like a football season like you're going away on deployment in the military, and it's like, man, here I go again.”4 Brady’s comments prompted an angry response on social media. Had Brady better understood veterans and military service, he could have avoided such controversy. He knows that now, but the damage has already been done. A month later, Brady changed his tune. On a recent, Let’s Go Show, the 45-year-old Brady said, “The commitment the soldiers make for us is truly remarkable. For them and their families. There should be a salute for their service every day.”5 The quarterback also admitted on the show that soldiers make the ultimate sacrifice for the people. President Theodore Roosevelt understood what makes our veterans special. He said, A great debt is owing from the public to the men of the army and navy. They should be so treated as to enable them to reach the highest point of efficiency, so that they may be able to respond instantly to any demand made upon them to sustain the interests of the nation and the honor of the flag. The individual American enlisted man is probably on the whole a more formidable fighting man than the regular of any other army. Every consideration should be shown him, and in return the highest standard of usefulness should be exacted from him.6 Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations defines a veteran as “a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.”7 By definition, a veteran is someone who honorably served in the U.S. Armed Forces. But, veterans are more than former soldiers, they are men and women that chose to defend our nation; they chose to defend our liberty no matter the risks. Veterans are special because they were willing to sacrifice all, not for benefits, but because they stand for freedom. They were willing to make the greatest sacrifice without having a $39,000,000 contract to lean upon. Our nation honors our veterans by providing them with ongoing support. They are awarded special incentives and discount programs. They have special banking and insurance privileges. Veterans are afforded special medical care for life through the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. There are many other ways that our nation honors our veterans as well. In my opinion, they deserve every single one of these benefits and more. Our nation honors our veterans in another way too. We honor them through a special holiday called Veterans Day. In the United States, Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11th each year. November 11th was the day that the World War I hostilities came to an end in 1918. The war ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. The holiday was known as Armistice Day. Later, President Dwight D. Eisenhower renamed it Veterans Day in 1954. Unlike Memorial Day, which is a holiday to remember those who gave their lives for our country. Veterans Day honors all those who have served our nation in war or peace — dead or alive. It is a day of remembrance and honoring! According to the US Census Bureau, there are currently around 18 million veterans in the United States.8 Many of these veterans are living healthy and productive lives. Sadly, some, haunted by the terror of war, have become dependent on narcotics to cope with their PTSD. Others were wounded during their service. They will live the rest of their lives with disabilities. Veterans are people. Yet they are people that we should make every effort to honor. The Bible teaches us to honor all people and to pray for all people. Why not let us start with our veterans? On Veterans Day, stop and thank God for those whom He raised up to be willing sacrifices so that you can have the freedom to maintain. Does it not follow that we're all healthier and happier; more able to live free and productive lives because freedom-protecting American veterans were willing to sacrifice all for our good? Just sayin. Thank a veteran, then remember to thank God for raising them up. What's so special about veterans? They are veterans! Until next time, #bezealous #stayzealous #livezealouslyforchristTo Serve or To Sacrifice for?
Tom Brady’s Hard Lesson
Teddy Knew the Value of Veterans
Who is a Veteran?
How Does Our Nation Honor Veterans?
The History of Veterans Day.
How Can We Honor Our Veterans?
Ten Ways We Can Honor Veterans
Bibliography
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