Veteran's Day is hallowed for all
those who have worn the uniform
By Gordon Garnos
AT ISSUE: In just a few days
South Dakotans as well as most Americans will observe Veterans Day
and recall the sobering numbers that underscore this hallowed
occasion. It will also be the time to reflect on the historical
significance that has brought this day about.
FROM THE AMERICAN Revolution
through the current fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the longest
period in which our country has been at peace has lasted only three
decades. And the price that American men and women have paid--for
231 years--to keep our nation free and safeguard our way of life is
staggering.
Steven D. Westerfeld, communications
specialist for the Veterans Administration, has provided statistics
that cover the period from 1775 through this year. The numbers
include:
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More than 650,000 battle deaths.
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Nearly 1.5 million wounded.
-
More than 43 million having served
in our armed forces. That includes nearly 1.4 million now in
uniform.
ALL OF THE ABOVE cover the
Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War,
the Spanish-American War, the two world wars, the Korean War, the
Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War and today's fighting in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
In addition to the men and women on
active duty today, there are nearly 24 million living veterans who
have served during periods of both war and peace.
TOM BROKOW, a former South
Dakotan, termed those who fought during World War II as "the
greatest generation." Sadly, they are a rapidly disappearing group
of veterans. While there are about 3.2 million of them who are
alive, they are aging fast and leaving us at a rate of 1,000 to
1,200 a day. At some point within the next few decades, their
numbers will be as few as today's very few veterans who viewed the
First World War.
Today, those American service men and
women who remain in faraway places, including our very own South
Dakota friends and relatives, where their lives are on the line
every day deserve the strongest possible support that we at home can
give them. Especially, on this Veterans Day next Monday the central
purpose should be to honor those who have made the ultimate
sacrifice for our great nation.
We must also reflect on the great
sacrifices made by the families of those now serving or have served
in Iraq and Afghanistan.
SADLY, OUR NATION remains divided
as the war in Iraq is in its fifth year. But that is an issue that
can be solved only through our country's time-tested political
process. But the day will come when the bulk of the U.S. military
will leave the Middle East and Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, the stakes in America's
involvement in the war against terrorism are extraordinarily high
and decisions regarding withdrawal must be made carefully and
objectively.
We will welcome the time when the job in
Iraq and Afghanistan will be done and American men and women in
uniform are able to come home to observe future Veterans Days with
their loved ones.
ARE THE VETERANS' organizations
in your home town planning a Veterans Day observance and, most
importantly, are you going to be one of those sitting in the
audience?.....
Gordon Garnos was long-time editor of the Watertown Public Opinion and
recently retired after 39 years with that newspaper. Garnos, a
lifelong resident of South Dakota except for his military service in the
U.S. Air Force, was born and raised in Presho.
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