Everyday should be Veterans Day. Everyday we should give what we can to organizations that support our troops and their families. November 11th shouldn’t be the only day to thank members of our military for their service to our country. I take this tiny obligation very seriously, all the time. By and large Vets I encounter appreciate the acknowledgment, particularly those who’ve served in the Korean War or Vietnam. Every now and then, my “thank you for your service” is greeted with a grunt. That’s okay, too. I still want them to know that they are valued and so many of us appreciate their role in the defense of our country.

That’s why America’s schizophrenia in its dealing with members of our military is profoundly troubling. Less than 1% of Americans serve in the military. Most of us don’t feel any direct impact of the two wars being fought right now. If you serve, the least the rest of us can do is make sure you have all the physical and mental/emotional health care you need and access to education and training that will support you in your pursuit of your ‘American dreams’ back home.

The Obama administration has made the well-being of our Vets a priority and that’s great. I’m glad to see our President taking time to deliberate on how best to expend our “blood and treasure” in the Afghanistan quagmire. On Wednesday, President Obama made an unannounced visit to Section 60 of Arlington Cemetery. It’s where the fallen of the Iraq war are buried. Here’s an excerpt from a powerful account by a New York Daily News reporter who happened to be visiting at the same time:

The President and First Lady Michelle Obama emerged from their armored limousine hatless in the frigid downpour and took a slow stroll into the soggy rows of white marble headstones.

They stopped first at the grave of Medal of Honor recipient Ross McGinnis, an Army private who threw himself on a grenade in Iraq three years ago to save four buddies.

A sad-faced woman reached for Obama’s hand and pointed him to a nearby plot.

The face of another woman – who had grimly sat in a folding chair for hours next to a headstone she’d arranged flowers around – suddenly broadened into a smile as she stood to embrace Obama and thank him for paying his respects.

She was so overcome with emotion that a soldier from the Army’s Old Guard had to console her afterward.

Read more — Source: My solemn meeting on Veteran’s Day with President Obama at my friend’s resting place in Arlington, James Gordon Meek