Americans honor military service men and women and veterans living and deceased, in so many visible ways, with flags and wreaths, and sometimes canned expressions of “thank you for your service.” These can be important gestures. Still, it can be disconcerting to see all these dollars spent in commemoration and political leaders blathering their purported appreciation, all the while ignoring the growing financial and healthcare needs of our military service people, the nation’s veterans and their families.
The military pay and other compensation approved by congress are rarely adequate to support these heroes, and veteran disability and survivor dependent benefits are woefully deficient. The application procedures for these benefits can be extremely complicated, requiring the applicants to hire experts to assist, with approval or appeal decisions often taking half a year or more – in particularly stressful times for service members and their families.
Veteran healthcare services lag. Admittedly, Congress has taken a recent step to honor the nation’s heroes by proposing more significant pay increases for 2025, but the amounts and effort pale in comparison to the fixes needed. For every wreath or flange you purchase or display as a tribute, considering donating time or money to a military service/veteran service organization. It is not charity; it is payment for a huge debt.
Thank congressional leaders for their oral expressions of thanks for service, but be sure to ask about and insist upon more tangible steps in addressing military service member and veteran needs.

Mike Fetzer
Clarkston