Friday, November 11, 2011

Veterans Day reflections : what does this holiday mean to you?

             Good Morning Humboldt County!

C’mon in and have a cup of hot steaming coffee with me this chilly Fall morning. Have a seat and share a few moments with me on this holiday. It’s always been a special day for me as my father - a Marine in the South Pacific during WWII - also served this country. As a veteran (Army/Vietnam) I’m honored to have served. What does this day mean to you? Please feel free to comment below.

On Veterans Day, Americans cheer newly returned veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan and honor them with parades. Jobs would be better.

Veterans who served since 9/11 have been hit particularly hard. The unemployment rate for them is 12.1%; the national rate is 9%. The hardest-hit group is male veterans ages 20-24. One in three are jobless. The problem may get worse as more men and women return from Iraq and Afghanistan. The White House projects 1 million will enter civilian life in the next five years.

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For a good read about Veterans try this:

          “Building on the Dignity of each Veteran”

by Ken Smith

“The Department of Labor (DOL) has a “Homeless Veterans Reintegration Project” that is operated out of the office of the Assistant Secretary of Veterans Employment and Training. 

Currently the position of Assistant Secretary is vacant, so the Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) of DOL-VETS , who is a good guy named Junior Ortiz runs the agency.”

Here’s another good article:

Honor a Veteran; Understand PTSD -

By P.J. Skerrett, Editor, Harvard Health

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I’ll never forget those men I served with in Vietnam. Some never came home. Some did, but forever changed. They’re all ghosts now. Once vibrant young men. I was 19 years-old when I did my tour in 1970. Now I’m 61, but the same heart beats in this chest as that 19 year-old kid who survived chaos.

Why me? Part of me never left that land where bad things happened. I hear that young man’s gasps of horror at the sight’s he witnessed. The sights that would forever change him (me). I remember…

Time to walk on down the road…

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1 comment:

skippy said...

Thank you, Dave, and to the Vets for the service you've given. My appreciation goes out to you, your families, and those who have fallen.

http://humboldtsentinel.com/2011/11/11/weekly-roundup-for-november-11-2011/

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