Veterans Day

Veterans Day, November 11, is one week from today. I can’t help but think about the hundreds of veterans I see at the VA Hospital in Durham whenever we go there. Last month was no different. When we looked around it was easy to notice that most of these men and woman probably served during Vietnam. According to the U.S. Census Bureau there are 7.8 million Vietnam veterans alive who served from 1964-1975.

Another group of veterans that you see there in more numbers than you would like to think there should be are the Veterans from the Gulf War. More than five million Veterans have seen service in the Gulf War. Not surprisingly 34% of the men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, where deployed multiple times.

I can’t help but think how often they test fate by going back into a combat zone time after time. Yet they do it with the conviction that in one way is necessary in order to help them to survive. They look forward to serving their country. They remind me of the men I served with in Vietnam.

Last fall, while in Durham, I ran into a young soldier from Fort Bragg. He was seeing a heart surgeon to be cleared to go back with his unit to Iraq. The doctors at Fort Bragg would not or could not clear him, but he wanted to be with the men and women he trained with.

Last month, while I was sitting at the entrance of the VA hospital I saw a young woman come into the hospital with two prosthetic arms. For me it was difficult to see. I am not a chauvinist, but to see a woman with two arms gone hit me harder than I thought it would. It also reminded me of all the men and women from every war that pay a heavier price than most of us. According to the census bureau there are 3.4 million veterans who have service connected disabilities. There are an additional 2.1 million veterans with other disabilities.

With all these statistics that I continually use I sometime get lost in the numbers and forget that these are real people. It is some of these people I am reminded of whenever I go to the VA. There they are more than a number they are men and women from all ranks and all branches of service. There is the former Admiral, sitting in a wheel chair with his head hung over from illness and barely able to hear, waiting to get a blood test. A former Army Sergeant sitting with his wife who, like many spouses and family members go to the hospital with their loved ones. There is the Vietnam vet who has a gym bag of clothing with him because, as he said, “I never know when they are going to keep me overnight.”

They all have one thing in common they are part of those statistics that I love to use. When you see them you realize they are more than a number. Much like when I saw the woman vet with two prosthetic arms. I have seen that on television before but now she was walking right past me and every step registered in my mind.

Now not only do you see men and women with prosthetic arms and legs go in and out of the VA, but after they receive their new or leg you also hear of them rejoining their unit to continue the fight.

While serving in Vietnam I worked for a Colonel who took over command and control of a mission he was instrumental in planning they called it Harvest Moon. The colonel was flying in an armed a HU-1E helicopter. When asked why he was doing it over the battle area and not back in the command and control center at the base, that was made for the same purpose, he supposedly said, “Because this way I can make things happen much faster and with a clearer picture.”

Col. Michael R. Yunck paid a heavy price for that clearer picture so he could do a better job for the Marines and South Vietnamese troops involved in the operation. He took a 50 caliber round in the left leg and lost the leg. As he was being treated he told the men and the doctors that he would be back. After he recovered and was fit with a prosthetic leg he did go back and even did some flying; he was what we refer to as a Marines Marine.

You hear of more and more men and women who do the same thing. Undoubtedly they have families who wish they wouldn’t go back and put themselves in harm’s way, but they have a louder voice in them that drives them to be a active warrior as long as possible.

These man and women live life with two families. One is known as a band of brothers, the other is their biological family. For some this may be a difficult balance, for most it is a matter of priorities. How safe can your biological family be if you do not have the ‘Band of Brothers’ safe guarding their freedom.

Sadly, as long as there are people in this world who feel that your freedom is a hindrance to their way of life you will need men and women ready to pay the price to insure that you can stay free. Sadly the price for the battles to stay free has to be paid over and over by the men and women of each generation. Each generation will have it’s warriors ready and willing to insure the freedom of that generation.

The price of freedom is not only paid while the warriors are doing their duty, but it also has to be paid when they return home. In comparison it is a very small price that the rest of the country is asked to pay, but the bill must be paid. For some warriors the bill comes due the minute they get home, for others it comes due many years later. For all it is part of what we tell our young men and women we are willing to pay for them being our warriors standing at the gates of freedom insuring that no one can enter to take it away from us.

It is why like the men and women who die in battle the men and women who return must be recognized and thanked. I thank this generation of men and women who are willing to pay the price. As a veteran I say to future veterans it is worth the price. As a father and husband I remind my son and step kids that they should be proud to pay such a small price for their way of life.

 I am proud to be an American and just as proud to be a Veteran.