A Veteran Died Today…

We are losing 17 veterans a day to suicide, that IS a drop from the previous years, but still horrific…

If you know a vet with problems, talk to him/her and get them some help!

Almost all of our WWII vets are gone, along with many Korea and Vietnam vets.

He was getting old and paunchy, and his hair was falling fast; and he sat around the post home, telling stories of the past. Of a war that he had fought in the deeds that he had done; sharing exploits with his buddies, all were heroes, everyone. And though sometimes to his neighbors, his tales became a joke, all his comrades listened, for they know whereof he spoke. But, we’ll hear his tales no longer, of ol’ Bob has passed away, and the world’s a little poorer, for a Veteran died today.

No, he won’t be mourned by many, just his children and his wife, for Bob lived a plain and ordinary sort of life. He held a job, raised a and quietly went his way, and the world won’t note his passing, ‘tho a Veteran died today.

See, when politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state, while thousands note their passing, and proclaim that they were great. Their life stories are grandly told, from the time they were young, but the passing of a Veteran goes unnoticed, and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution to the welfare of our land, some jerk who breaks his promises and cons his fellow man? Or the ordinary person, who in times of war and strife, goes off to serve this Country and offers up his life?

Now, the politician’s salary and the style in which he lives, are sometimes disproportionate to the services he gives. While the ordinary Veteran who offered up his all, is paid off with a medal and, perhaps, a pension small. It’s so easy to forget them, for it was so long ago, that our Bobs, Jims and Larrys went to battle, that we know. It was not the politicians, with their compromise and ploys, who won for us the freedom that our Nation now enjoys. Should you find yourself in danger, with an enemy at hand, would you really want some “cop out” with his wishy-washy stand? Or, would you want a Veteran who swore he would defend GOD, COUNTRY, FAMILY, and would fight until the end.

Yes, he was just a common Veteran and his ranks are growing thin, but his presence still remind us, we may need his kind again. For when foreigners are in trouble, then the Military’s part, is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.

So, if we cannot do him honor, while he’s here to hear the praise, then at least let’s pay him homage at the ending of his days. Perhaps a simple headline in the paper that might say.

OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING FOR A VETERAN DIED TODAY.

Comments

A Veteran Died Today… — 18 Comments

  1. Good!

    Fifth paragraph, second line — “raised a” ? “raised a family” I think.

  2. We lose more than a few teens and young adults to suicide on a daily basis. Not counting the “attempted suicides” that show up in ER all the time. There is a mental health apocalypse in America these days with more and more people looking at what’s going on and deciding they can’t take it any more.

  3. A nice, simple post about simple men doing yeoman’s work.

  4. We do well to remember these, for we are reminded by the greatest book ever written: “Greater love hath no one than this, that a man lay down his life….

  5. All- Thank you. Due to ‘issues’ with the blog, I can’t fix the missing words as I still can’t ‘see’ the posts once they go up. This is also why I’m putting the posts up the night before, as I cannot schedule any posts. Still working on the issues.

  6. Regarding the number of Vet suicides, I’d like to see stats on how many of them were on pain medications for chronic pain, but were swept into the VA’s “Wellness” program. I and many others see it as nothing more than VA trying to get rid of opioids, regardless of the effect on the Vet. I’ve avoided the move, but God knows what I’d do without the pain killers. Sitting in another group or having some social worker expert tell me it’s all in my head is NOT going to go down well. The nerve damage reports are pretty clear, but it doesn’t stop them from trying to move me — and they try EVERY THIRTY DAYS.

    I firmly believe some portion of the Vet suicides are CAUSED by the VA.

    • BobF, I agree. I am a disabled veteran, with chronic pain, and I’ve had to fight with civilian pain clinics. I hope you get an outcome as good as the one I am working toward, with Butrans and lidocaine patches, and CBD oil.
      Some wounds are invisible, unless you know how to look.
      I thank God for programs like https://k9sforwarriors.org/
      They supplied my firstborn son with a service dog, at no cost, and with extensive training.

  7. I too am borrowing this post and will be reading it at a Flag pole ceremony in Grand Lake, Colorado, on Memorial Day.