Do you have anything special planned for Veterans Day? Did you even realize that tomorrow is Veterans Day?
Sadly, in much the same way that the wars we are fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq have been pushed to the periphery of our national conversation, the day set aside to honor America's veterans usually gets short shrift.
Despite all the lip service paid by politicians and pundits to supporting our troops, the needs and struggles of those returning home are rarely in the spotlight.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 107,000 veterans were homeless each night last year. That's an improvement on the 131,000 who were homeless in 2008, and the 154,000 in 2007, but it's still a very troubling figure.
And there is more bad news: veterans are twice as likely to commit suicide as the general population. According to VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, "on average, 18 veterans commit suicide each day. Five of those 18 are under VA care at the time they take their lives." And between 2005 and 2009, a soldier on active duty committed suicide every 36 hours.
What's more, roughly 300,000 vets have come home from Afghanistan and Iraq suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
As devastating as these numbers are, the flesh and blood stories behind the statistics are even more compelling -- as are the inspiring stories of the work being done by people dedicated to helping veterans.
To honor the sacrifice and service of the men and women of America's armed services, HuffPost Impact, in partnership with Causecast, is launching Salute to Service -- a week-long series highlighting the stories of veterans who have committed their time, energy, and effort to helping serve their fellow soldiers.
Starting today, Salute to Service will feature first-person blog posts from veterans who have become active in serving their community. The soldiers movingly recount their experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq, what their lives were like upon returning home, and why they became involved in community service. The posts also feature a specific call to action, what each of the soldiers would like to see the rest of us do to help America's vets -- on Veterans Day and beyond.
These posts also contain a customized Salute to Service widget that makes it easy for you to take action -- either by donating, volunteering, or learning more about the remarkable organizations geared to helping vets. There's even a button that makes it possible to instantly donate 25 cents per click to a selected veterans organization.
It would be a fitting tribute if Veterans Day could become a national day of service devoted to giving back to those who have given so much in service of our country -- as well as a day that inspires us to make sure that the plight of America's vets stays on the radar all year long.
Click here to read the first Salute to Service post.
P.S. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) has launched a Facebook campaign to get the country engaged in supporting new vets. Click here to join IAVA's online march.
Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff
Alana B. Elias Kornfeld: Veterans Day: 'Thank You' Isn't Enough, But a Reverse Draft Might Be
Lt. Dan Choi: Veterans Day: How Gay Veterans Are Fighting a War at Home
Paul Rieckhoff: Veterans Day: Today, Let's Show Our Vets We've Got Their Backs
What is the excuse when men voluntarily enlist knowing what they will be sent to do for no remotely ethical or moral reason?
too many Americans do not understand the mindset of Terrorists who are still trying to attack us:
and Europe---they hate Democracy and Freedom:
if they get a nuclear weapon--they will use it on us--make no mistake about it
Obama changed his tune real quick---when the C.I.A. told him this--30,000 more troops sent to Afganistan
Do you really think it's Lady Gaga that drives them?
Bless you,
You are are one of the few who relly care.
I am Navy so I help our local Marines.
The mission is no more suicides,
Every American should help to make the mission a success.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/margolis12.html
I would happily return to the 2000 tax rates simply to demonstrate I am not a slacking, could care less, where's my Medicare LOSER! For good's sake America. Grow a spine!
it cost a lot of money and lives--same thing as WW2---democracy is started in the Mid-East
Chickenhawk Republicans want soldiers to fight wars but when soldiers leave armed forces, they are discarded. It is the Democrats that truly care for the veterans.
GWB and now Obama are guilty of not only war crimes but guilty of harming the body and mind of our brave volunteer army.
Nurse Nightingale saved lives and changed lives of wounded soldiers but she neither started nor stopped one war. Politicians start wars. We need volunteers to stop the war as well as heal the wounded.
Why no call to demonstrate against the very wars that harm our veterans? Volunteers heal. Volunteers to become politicians and demonstrators could bring peace and justice. We need both.
We cannot allow Democrats and Republicans to keep us at war. Please volunteer to heal but do not forget to demonstrate against war criminals no matter who is in office. Wars kill and maim. Obama has no rational reason to keep expanding our wars.
Volunteering without objecting to these wars is supporting the slaughter of thousands.
Bring them home NO More Political Wars
Congress voted to fund 2 wars originally---and continues to do so--arrest them all ???
http://www.servicenation.org and http://www.serve.gov
About ServiceNation (from website)
ServiceNation, executive director Greg Propper, is a campaign to increase service opportunities and elevate service as a core ideal and problem-solving strategy in our society. Reaching an estimated 100 million Americans through over 270 member groups, ServiceNation played a leading role in drafting/April 2009 enactment of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which authorized the greatest expansion of national service in America since the creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression.
Convened by Be the Change, Civic Enterprises, City Year, and the Points of Light Institute, ServiceNation launched September 11 and 12, 2008 with the ServiceNation Presidential Candidates Forum /Summit in New York City, where Presidential Candidates Obama and McCain publicly endorsed the policy framework developed by ServiceNation and its coalition. The Act itself was unveiled by Senator Orrin Hatch and Caroline Kennedy, speaking on behalf of her uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy. The Summit was attended by over 750 leaders and the Presidential Forum, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen.
ServiceNation coalition is working to inspire a powerful culture of service in America through the promotion of national days of service and strategic partnerships across the philanthropic, government, military, entertainment, retail and other corporate sectors.
There was no way in hell that the Vietnamese. Afghanistan , Iraqi or Iranian nations were or are in any way a danger to us.
Thank you for your input , you are 100% right.