While the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are drawing down, some servicemen and women won’t be settling back into civilian life. They are among the thousands who gave their lives for our nation during those wars.
Today’s young people face an array of societal pressures. The dissolution of the traditional American family, illegal drug use, TV shows and movies filled with obscenities and indecencies. There is an alarming increase in bullying, aided by the spread of smart phones and social media.
To those who have sworn with their lives to protect America against enemies near and far, national security is a deeply held value. The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 exposed this nation’s vulnerabilities and magnified the importance of this value - not only for military veterans, but for all Americans.
At the conclusion of World War I, U.S. veterans returned home to parades but little else.
There was no comprehensive medical care, disability compensation, vocational training, effective treatment for “shell shock” or brain injuries, or pensions for veterans’ survivors.
And there was no national organization dedicated to helping war heroes.
The concerns of female veterans have always been a high priority for The American Legion. And now that women are forced into combat roles in areas that lack clearly defined battle lines, they are returning home with the same injuries and wounds as male veterans - yet they have unique concerns about how the existing VA health-care system is adapting to their needs.
