I was informed by several readers -- with varying degrees of bluntness -- that in my last column, I'd left Veterans Day out of my brief mention of prominent November days this month before launching into some of the more offbeat "holidays" that fall in this month.
They didn't rub it in that my omission was especially egregious as I'm a soldier's daughter, born mid-20th century at what has been the first stop for many a raw Army recruit -- Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. They didn't point out that while my dad fought in World War II, my late stepfather was a Marine and a Korean conflict veteran who told the humorous story of being asked whether he wanted to enlist in the Army or the Marines and, when he responded "The Army," was told "Congratulations! You are now in the Marines!"
The scolding readers also didn't throw in that I have a brother and nephew who were also Marines; uncles who were also Army veterans and an aunt who served in the Women's Army Corps back in the day; a Navy veteran nephew; and a husband who -- although things didn't work out as planned -- spent his high school and college years as a Reserve Officers' Training Corps cadet in hopes of becoming an Air Force officer.
They didn't throw all these familial military connections into their "how could you ... ?" per my omission. They didn't know. So I thought I'd heap that coal on myself.
And, begging the pardon of all veterans, those within my family and without, I thought I'd do a tribute to veterans here and now. Which I figure isn't out of place, because -- to run the risk of sounding like a T-shirt slogan -- veterans are more than a day.
Funny how even with Veterans Day, with its parades, its solemn observances, its flying flags and its social-media tributes complete with photos of men and women in uniform, the veterans are still doing the giving. The holiday represents a day off for many of us. We in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newsroom are among those who still have to report to work. But the way I figure it, veterans served not just so that we could have a day off, but that we could go to work and make a living in a country that, for all its flaws, is still freer than many.
The editorial board of the Kennewick, Wash.-based Tri-City Herald would agree.
"Friday is Veterans Day, and we encourage people to treat it with the dignity it deserves," the board urged via a piece that ran in the newspaper on Nov. 10. "Coming on the heels of a divisive presidential election, Veterans Day this year provides an opportune time to remember that America is a country worth fighting for, and that we have our veterans to thank for our safety."
I'll add that: We should "thank a veteran" every day. And the homeless veteran, the disabled veteran, the veteran who's struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, the veteran who's grappling with civilian life once everyday military life ends, the veteran who can't find a job? We all need to do our part to give them a helping hand.
And, points out veteran Norris Burkes, offer a listening ear.
"This Veterans Day, I want you to do more than just thank a veteran," Burkes wrote in a Nov. 4 piece for the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader. "First, ask us what we did in military service ... Our stories aren't just about bombs and bullets. For instance, most of us have gone on more than a few humanitarian missions" all over the world.
"If you want to go deep," he adds, "ask them what it means to have served. If you listen well and they think you're interested, they just might tell you. But it's just as likely they won't be able to tell you. It's just as likely that there will be a hitch in their voice, a mist will form in their eyes, and they'll turn away."
This newspaper weighed in with its own Nov. 11 editorial: "It's too bad that the first time many folks will think about [Veterans Day] is when the mail doesn't come. Or maybe when they see the Bank Closed sign. ... But in a way it's their own fault -- the veterans -- that this holiday is much quieter and isn't given the due of a New Year or Fourth of July or even a Valentine's Day. The country is just so ... secure. Thanks to those veterans."
Veterans are certainly a worthy addition to a "things we're thankful for" list this Thanksgiving season, but we owe it to them to take our gratitude even further, day-wise and efforts-wise. Whatever our political leanings, whatever we think of the presidential election results, we can all agree that giving veterans their propers isn't debatable.
Email:
hwilliams@arkansasonline.com
Style on 11/20/2016