In Our View: Unite Around Our Veterans

This year’s excruciating election season has, for better or worse, led many Americans to examine their nation and its values as we grope for some shared values to which we can cling.

And while there are few things upon which we seem able to agree, today’s Veterans Day observances should serve a universal purpose for the nation. Regardless of how one feels about various military conflicts in the United States’ past and present, those who have served honorably in the defense and protection of this country are deserving of solemn and humble thanks.

There are more than 20 million veterans of the armed forces in the United States, including about 600,000 in Washington state and about 1.4 million nationally in active service. According to media reports, the last living American veteran of World War I was Frank Buckles, who died in 2011 at the age of 110. But numerous veterans of World War II, the Korean conflict, the Vietnam War, and more recent conflagrations remain in the United States; equally important are those who served during times of peace, preparing to sacrifice for the benefit of the nation.

World War I, then known as “The Great War,” provided the impetus for Veterans Day. Upon the holiday’s founding as Armistice Day in 1919, in commemoration of those who served in World War I, President Woodrow Wilson said: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the council of the nations.”

Over time, Armistice Day has morphed into Veterans Day and has been designated to honor all who served, while Memorial Day in late May is set aside in remembrance of those who died in service of the nation.

While today is a time to give thanks to those who have served, it also must stand as a reminder that every day should be Veterans Day. The nation’s commitment to those who have served should not be limited to a designated spot on the calendar; when somebody makes a declaration to serve and sacrifice for the good of the nation, they are signing up for what should be a lifetime reciprocal commitment on the part of their fellow citizens.

The depth of that commitment has been called into question in recent years through persistent problems with medical care for veterans; through the fact that roughly 50,000 veterans are homeless; and through a 2013 report from the Department of Veterans Affairs indicating that an average of 22 veterans a day commit suicide.

As cities across the nation grapple with an increasing homeless problem, many have given priority to getting veterans off the streets, and the targeted policies have greatly reduced the incidence of homelessness among veterans. That represents a good start in living up to the country’s obligation to take care of veterans, but it is merely a start.

Meanwhile, we can welcome Veterans Day as a bit of a catharsis. The recently concluded election served to exploit the differences among people in the United States, but honoring our military today can serve as a unifying force. In the end, we are all Americans, and we all should be grateful for those who protect and defend our way of life.