Veterans Day: Not for Sale

This Veteran's Day, Nov. 11, many of us will gather in town squares, main streets, and school gymnasiums across the country to observe a great American tradition of paying homage to all those who have served our country as members of our Armed Forces.

The rest -- unfortunately, the majority -- will go shopping.

If you're like many people, this should make you blush with guilty recognition.

I'm hoping it also jolts some to act and help transform Veterans Day back to its original mission.

In the beginning, Veterans Day was not for sale. Fifty-five years ago, inspired by a group of storekeepers in Emporia, Kansas, Congress upgraded Armistice Day to Veterans Day and made it a national holiday. The local Chamber of Commerce got 90 percent of Emporia's merchants to agree to close their doors on Nov. 11, and the idea caught on across the country. On the day set aside to remember those who served and those who died, business-as-usual felt disrespectful.

Those merchants were honoring a profound truth expressed by George Washington more than two centuries ago when he wrote, "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation."

Veterans Day was always important in my family because a number of relatives served in uniform, including my two sons who both joined the Army, one in military police criminal investigations and the other jumping out of airplanes. But it became intensely personal eight years ago last month when my youngest son, Kristofor, was killed in a helicopter crash in Pakistan. He was one of the first American soldiers to die in the war on terror, just 38 days after the 9/11 attacks.

My grief channeled itself into action and all these years later I was chosen to serve as president of the American Gold Star Mothers, an 81-year-old organization of women who have lost children in uniform. Our mission is to provide services and support to injured or ill veterans.

My journey has been an eye-opener and one of the things I see clearly is how a ritual that was once held sacred in every corner of America has lost its meaning just about everywhere. Even as our best and brightest are patrolling and dying in the deserts of Iraq and the far-off mountains of Afghanistan, at home Veterans Day means an extra sleep-in, traffic-disrupting parades, and the launch of the Christmas retail season with noisy, patriotic sales pitches, which really do nothing for those who have served our country but go a long way to increasing the retailers' bottom lines.

Societies and cultures evolve and we no longer have with us most of the 16 million veterans of World War II. And somewhere along the way, America's retailers, not to mention the majority of our country's citizenry, lost their bearings and Veterans Day became just another promotional opportunity.

We may not be able to go back to the way things were. But we shouldn't be throwing out the baby with the bathwater. So I'd like to offer a challenge to my fellow citizens and to America's retailers, especially those national chains that wrap themselves up in the flag and run all those red-white-and-blue Veterans Day ads, to stop saying they support our troops and actually do something tangible to demonstrate that support.

At the individual level, I recently heard ABC News journalist Bob Woodruff, who suffered traumatic brain injuries covering the war in Iraq, speak about helping veterans this year by urging all Americans to each donate $1 in honor of the 1.6 million men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I want to raise the stakes. Let's make it $11. Just imagine the profound impact we could have on the lives of the courageous men and woman who have volunteered to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan if 11 million of us also volunteered, in this case to each donate $11 to support them on Veterans' Day. The incredible nature of such a collective act on Veterans' Day, the 11th day of the 11th month, would be unprecedented in terms of raising awareness of the plight of returning veterans, particularly those who continue to suffer the invisible wounds of war, all while raising millions of dollars to ensure that these veterans get the help they need and deserve. To ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of such an "11-11 campaign," there is already in place a grassroots coalition called Beyond Tribute that comprises eleven organizations dedicated to assisting veterans of all generations deal with the challenges of civilian life.

As it pertains to retailers, they need to select a legitimate veterans-related charity and allocate a percentage of every sale on Veterans' Day to that organization. Customers will appreciate it because it'll make them feel they're contributing, and it'll be good for business.

Retailers need also to spread the word of the plight of veterans. In every shopping bag, they should place some educational literature about the national and local organizations that serve our troops. Millions of consumers will be reminded what Veterans Day is about, why it matters, and how they themselves can demonstrate their appreciation or become volunteers.

America's retailers also should fly the flag. They can follow the example of Wal-Mart and hang a banner in a visible place in every store showing how many employees are currently serving in the military. The more visible our service people are, the more Americans will become aware that while they are enjoying the freedoms of modern life, not to mention an extra sleep-in day, thousands of their neighbors are giving their best to keep it that way.

Ruth Stonesifer is the National President of American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. Her son, SPC Ranger Kris Stonesifer, was killed in action on October 19, 2001.

 

Comments

[viperhawk2k4]

To all my fellow Vets. Have a great Veterans Day? and thank you!

[dadw5boys]

I recently saw a Preacher use a stick pin to hold a small peice of paper on the wall at our V.A. Hospital lab waiting area.

The strip of paper read " Those who do not work shall not eat ".

I ripped the paper down and called security as I followed him around the hospital and took down more of his strips of paper.
Guess he needs people to come to his Veterans Day Sale. Security told him to leave.

If a Veteran was posting something like this on walls what do you think would have happened ?

[texastrixie]

We can never show our appreciation and gratitude to our Veterans enough. We should have been paying a special military tax since the beginning of this war, set aside specifically to make sure we have the money to provide support for every veteran and every military family. I think it needs to be a special tax so that every time we pay it, we are reminded our military fights (and unfortunately also dies) for us every single day.

[Michael Lindung]

God bless our men and women in uniform, and pray for those who have fallen.

[ljkcan]

In Canada we call it Remembrance Day. We wear poppies sold by the Veterans. On the the 11th day of the 11th day at 11am we stop and honor those who have and are serving for several minutes of silence. It happens in work, schools and of course at ceremonies all over the nation.

The poppy is from the first world war poem " In Flanders Field", and of course the time and date is the armistice of the first world war so called the war to end all wars. Too bad it was not the war to end all wars.

It is not a holiday here with the exception of govt and banks, I think it should be a stat holiday perhaps people would stop and take that moment to give thanks or watch the aging veterans that still march in towns and on Capital Hill.

[ljkcan]

We do not buy poppies we donate money to the veterans. And I meant the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour.

[goedel]

If there is any mission for Veterans Day, it would be to end the militarization of the US that has taken place since the start of the Cold War.

That mission could be best fostered by restoring the significance of the day, calling it again, Armistice Day, that day in 1918 when the first world-wide hostilities ended. We can look back to the promises of that day, how empty they were, and realize how greatly we failed since, repeatedly. Stop the parades! Stop the speeches! Disband those veterans' organizations that lead the cheers for our misguided Presidents who return a military salute but never shouldered a military weapon.

Yes, let's celebrate Armistice Day and the end of the war to end all wars, if we can!

[MRPhilly]

It’s hard to imagine that anyone can forget that there are men and women fighting every day for their country, but we don’t think about it nearly as much as we should. A holiday like Veteran’s Day should give all of us a reminder that we need to honor these men and woman and offer our thanks for their service, not another day to get a great deal on a TV. I actually saw that a company called Prescription Audio is offering their product for free to help servicemen and women who may be suffering from the effects of what they have been through in their service to our country. More companies should be giving to the veterans, rather than trying to profit from them. These brave men and women deserve to be given our thanks, I can only hope that they all feel appreciated for more than just this one day.

[DavidVersus]

In reference to Stonesifer's terrific challenge - "(A)ctually do something tangible to demonstrate that support."

Here's an alternative idea on something tangible to do to demonstrate support for those who don't have $11 (like me) -

After WW II, the ECC created the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Art 6(1) is Right to a Fair Hearing.

4.2 million New Zealanders do not have Right to a Fair Hearing: Butterworths Student Companion Public Law 4th ed 2006 pp 116-118.

If (like me) you don't have $11 to contribute, you can do something tangible in honor of WW II veterans by sending a message to wake up 4.2 million New Zealanders to their Right to a Fair Hearing. See www.DavidVersus.org.

[DavidVersus]

Correction: http://www.DavidVersus.org

[KEV 2010]

Excellent post! Have we forgotten the purpose of Veterans Day? Check this out for a simple reminder: Happy Veterans Day! http://www.usba.com/veteransday2009/

[Artos]

I have said exactly this for quite some time, and as a Veteran it incenses me when I see Businesses that use these holidays as just another way to make a buck. If these businesses were as patriotic as they make out, then they wouldn't be slowly putting America in a grave by denying Americans Jobs and selling out those jobs to nations we fought, as an example Vietnam. I fought there, and while I bear no ill will whatsoever to the Vietnamese North or South, It disgusts me that these Businesses take away jobs from Americans and give them to the Vietnamese. They aren't really doing them any favors either since the jobs never pay as well. So in essence not only are we getting shafted but so are the Vietnamese. The only ones who make out like fat cats are the Rich guys who own the businesses. So much for Patriotism and the sanctity of these Holidays.

[Ben Dixon]

Do you know when people forgot the meaning of Veteren's day? It was when we went to the all volunteer force in the nation. Since then fewer and fewer people have served and know what it means to be a veteren and to give to be part of this county. The all volunteer force may be good for the military, but its bad for the Republic.

[Mnemanth]

Of course it's for sale! We're a capitalist nation- haven't you heard? Everything is for sale!
And why shouldn't it be? Freedom is what we're told we're fighting for, right? That's what Iraq and Afghanistan are about, right- defending our freedoms and safety and God and country and all that!
Oh, wait... Iraq and Afghanistan are privatized "wars" that benefit corporate pockets!
It's always- always- about the dollar. That's what we're going to fight and die for anyway, so why not celebrate those sacrifices with blow out sales, and greeting cards, and collectors junk, and the list goes on and on.

[according2mark]

Wonderful article. This is definitely one to share with your family and friends. I posted a short article over at the Examiner (http://bit.ly/4k8crk) on homeless veterans. There is still a lot of work to do to fully show our support for the troops.

[RustyPatina]

America no longer has a soul - it only has a pocketbook. Everything is "just another promotional opportunity".

[Katzencats]

Thank you for this post, Ruth. My condolances on the loss of your son.

I'm 53, so Nov. 11 has been "Veteran's Day" my entire life. However, I've always thought of it as Armistice Day, perhaps that's how my parents referred to it? Because of this, I always stop & think of that day in 1918 when "The War To End All Wars" ended; the hopes on one side, the humiliation on the other, and all that's come after.

I agree about the commercialization of this day, it upsets & annoys me to see the patriotic themes used. However, it occurs to me that some might actually buy into it - after all, after September 11, didn't the President tell everyone to "go shopping", to show their patriotism?