Commemorating the Sacrifice and Survival of Veterans: Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year 1918 the allies and Germany agreed to the armistice that officially ended the First World War. In commemoration of the armistice, then President Woodrow Wilson established November 11th as Armistice Day in the United States, a reminder of the sacrifice of thousands of young men who served in defense of France during World War One.

Today, we refer to the same holiday as Veterans Day and remember the sacrifice in much the same way, however the spirit of Veterans Day is necessarily different from that of another military day of remembrance – Memorial Day – a day dedicated to those lost on the battlefield.

Instead, Veterans Day is the day that we commemorate the sacrifice and survival of our beloved veterans. Though not nearly as hallowed as Memorial Day, Veterans Day serves as an opportunity to reflect on the courage of those who went into battle and survived, who live out the remainder of their lives with the memory of conflicts both recent and distant etched into their memory, and those who still sacrifice on a daily basis faced with PTSD, battle scars, or other post-conflict reminders of their service.

It is an opportunity for those of us lucky enough to serve as legislators and elected officials to remember that we have a responsibility to our servicemen and women and owe a duty of care to our veterans, thanking them for their service and making good on a promise of care and compassion upon their return. In just the past few years, as many soldiers return home from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the country has again been tasked with how to assist those who survived on the battlefield survive re-integration back home.

I am proud to be a part of a legislature that has worked hard on veteran reintegration, I have voted favorably on legislation that makes it easy for our veterans to transfer skills learned in the military to skills for jobs to support their families once home, ease licensing restrictions for our veterans, and making available services that our most affected veterans need.

Upon returning from WWII, our veterans were welcomed home as heroes, emboldened by a federal government and state government that were behind them and looking to help them succeed as the greatest generation of Americans with legislation and programming like the GI Bill. I am proud of my colleagues in the Michigan house for carrying forth the spirit of the GI Bill in order to assist our nation’s veterans today.

It is my sincerest hope that today, and always, we not only never forget the sacrifice of our nation’s Veterans, but welcome them home with tools and the support necessary for them to succeed in society, lending them assistance as a way to thank them for their brave and valiant service in the Michigan National Guard and United States Armed Forces.

Sincerely,

Rep. Klint Kesto,

State Representative, 39th House District