Friday, November 11, is Veterans Day, a holiday that had its origin in World War I.  In 1919, Armistice Day was set aside to observe the end of World War I, which officially occurred with the signing of an armistice on November 11, 1918.  It was called, “The war to end all wars.”

     On June 1, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a veteran himself, signed an Act of Congress, “To honor veterans on the eleventh day of November each year.”  Every November 11 was to be observed “as a day dedicated to world peace.”  Except for seven years during the 1970s, when Veterans Day was observed on the fourth Monday in October, this has been a national tradition.

     But world peace has been an elusive goal.  Since President Eisenhower signed that Act of Congress, America’s Armed Forces have been engaged in no less than twelve military operations overseas, both major and minor.  These have been in Latin America, the Middle East, the Far East, Africa, and Europe.  The debt we owe our veterans “for services rendered” is enormous, and it continues to accrue.

     The largest program for veterans is medical care.  Veterans are eligible for medical care for combat-related conditions, as well as illnesses that became aggravated due to military service.  These definitions are interpreted broadly (as they should be)

     In the opinion of South Boston Online, this is not just the right thing to do, it’s the only thing to do.  If a man or woman sustains an injury while serving in a military capacity, he or she deserves complete care “for services rendered”.  And that includes psychological wounds – the kind that once were lumped under names like “shellshock”.

     Surely, we cannot forget those who were hurt while serving their country.

     And VA medical programs have benefited all of us.  Roughly half of all U.S. doctors and dentists have received some of their training from VA clinics and hospitals.  Also, most life-saving emergency and trauma procedures were developed in military hospitals.

     Until the last GI Bill was ended in 1989, the veterans programs devoted to educational assistance were the largest segment of Veterans Administration benefits.  The three GI Bills began when 16 million veterans were mustered out after World War II.  In some respects, the GI Bills were the most comprehensive pieces of legislation ever enacted. 

     Certainly, America’s “civilian soldiers” deserved assistance after their lives were interrupted for several years.  The best way to do this was to give them the opportunity to become better educated – to become more skilled and employable in a job market that otherwise might have passed them by.  Even more certainly, wounded or disabled veterans deserved education that would allow them to be successful in civilian life.

     For those who wonder if the GI Bills were worthwhile, please consider this fact:  the GI Bills literally created America’s middle class.  This is the middle class who could aspire to the “American dream” of owning their own homes, educating their children, and enjoying a measure of job security and economic opportunity.  The investment in the educations of returning veterans has paid off so many times over that it can only be termed a “political miracle”.

     There are many other benefits available to veterans, so we’ll conclude by offering a suggestion to our reading public:  please don’t call them “benefits”.  They are actually payments “for services rendered”.