Saturday is a day of ritual and reward for our nation’s many veterans, marked by somber ceremonies and celebrations, discounts and giveaways.
This should send a clear message. As fractious and divided as Americans may be these days, most of us are united in our conviction that military veterans — particularly those who served in active combat — deserve all the support this nation can muster.
Now more than ever, veterans’ needs go far beyond amenities like free breakfasts and discount tickets, or ceremonies and parades in towns across Florida.
Those perks are greatly appreciated by the vast number of veterans (more than 1.3 million of whom live in Florida) who, after their service, become productive and valuable participants in the economic and civic well-being of this state and nation.
As a group, their contributions are often overlooked due to the focus on those who need help. Perusing any list of corporate and community leaders reveals a significant number of people with military backgrounds.
First and foremost, Americans should realize that military service carries benefits for this nation that extend far beyond the time spent on active duty or in reserves.
Vets are everywhere
That dividend benefits Florida, which is fortunate to be home to a disproportionately high number of veterans, including approximately 600,000 who enlisted after the Sept. 11 attacks and have returned to raise families and serve as teachers, first responders, health care professionals and valued employees of private companies.
More than 212,000 veterans live in South Florida, including more than 77,000 in Broward County alone.
For many, the respect and recognition of their fellow Americans will be all the reward they ever seek or need. Others will benefit from educational opportunities and preferential status extended to veterans as part of the compensation for their service.
Keeping these promises makes sense not just because they benefit veterans, but because those veterans go on to benefit the communities and employers to which they return. As an increasing number of women join the ranks of veterans, that mission should also extend to child care and family leave.
The unexpected sacrifices
But there’s no denying that many veterans still suffer from sacrifices they never expected to make: Those whose family relations strained to the snapping point from months spent half-a-world away, and those who struggle to readjust to civilian life and the often brutal unpredictability of modern civilian workplaces.
Those who suffer from the aftermath of devastating emotional and physical trauma. Those carrying the unrecognized but very real pain of medical personnel who fought to put together broken bodies and heal broken minds. Too often, their needs go unmet. Suicides by veterans average 17 per day.
Those tragedies aren’t confined to veterans and their families: We all bear the burden of lost potential and the grief that accompanies it.
Others need help with devastating physical injuries. Medical technology has advanced, but it still can’t replace missing limbs, reduce the impacts of traumatic brain injuries or heal the damage done by chemical agents.
Modern mental health care is gaining a better understanding of veterans’ needs, but it often never reaches those whose needs go unacknowledged. Across the nation, hundreds of nonprofit organizations help veterans with emergency housing, health care, counseling and other services — and many report far greater need than they can meet. That shortfall must be addressed.
All of this gives this Veterans’ Day acknowledgements greater significance. This nation may never be able to fully comprehend or compensate veterans for the sacrifices they made — sacrifices that active-duty personnel and reserves are still making.
But it’s important to spend a day reminding ourselves how much this nation benefits from their service and where we still fall short in acknowledging that.
The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Editorial Page Editor Dan Sweeney, editorial writer Martin Dyckman and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Editorials are the opinion of the Board and written by one of its members or a designee. To contact us, email at letters@sun-sentinel.com.