Veterans Day 2021

Just days ago, I attended a wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery honoring one of America’s best known and most beloved warriors, Gen. Colin Powell. As the golden sunlight gently faded across the alabaster Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, I could not help but to contrast the difference between Gen. Powell’s universal reputation and the fate of being “unknown.” The announcer at Arlington assured us that advances in DNA technology mean that there will be no Unknown Soldiers in the future.

But there are unknown soldiers in our midst even now. Alas, our unknown soldiers live among us. They are our unknown veterans.

It seems as if much of America has simply forgotten about our veterans. Those veterans are unknown to many elites in Washington, moguls in New York, celebrities in Hollywood, and “influencers” in cyberspace.

Only two members of President Biden’s cabinet served in the military. President Biden deferred his way through Vietnam.

Only a small percentage of Members of Congress are veterans: 63 Republicans and 28 Democrats—the lowest percentage since World War II. Many elected officials are obviously out of touch, like Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, who notoriously opposed improving the VA health system through competition and privatization. Many veterans would disagree with her assessment that the VA system “isn’t broken.” They are the ones who depend on it.

We live in a time when a historically small percentage of our population at large has served in the active duty and reserve forces. Today’s newest veterans fought in the longest wars in our nation’s history, from the sands of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan. In many cases, their length and intensity of service are among the greatest in U.S. history.

How many Americans know of the fighting and deeds of valor at Tora Bora? Qala-i-Jangi? Umm Qafr or Tal Afar? Fallujah?

On Veterans Day 1989, Gen. Colin Powell charged Americans to honor our veterans. He argued that “the vital role of our veterans cannot be overlooked.” They testify to our values as they “proudly carr[y] the torch of liberty for all to see.” Veterans call us to vigilance: “Peace itself demands continuous effort and renewed commitment by all of those who served and are still serving.”

Veterans are vital to the fabric of our nation, in part because they come back from war dedicated to building a better America:

These veterans came home to continue to serve their country in peacetime. In war, they did their best to defend liberty. In peace, they sought to build a better world. Their quest was made even more meaningful by what they had experienced in the heat of battle. Freedom—to those who have fought for it—is a word with a very special meaning. This love for freedom—not just for ourselves, but for our friends and allies as well.

These words by Gen. Powell are particularly poignant against the dramatic backdrop of President Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.

How should we honor our veterans? First, we must ensure that they and their families have every resource owed them for their service to the nation. That goes for today’s troops as well, for they are tomorrow’s veterans. Second, we need to invest heavily in how we train our warriors’ bodies, minds, and spirits to ensure that they, and their families, are prepared and cared for. The best care is preventive care, and the rising rates of suicide in the ranks and among veterans suggests that we are not doing enough in this regard.

We honor veterans by listening to veterans. Gen. Powell rightly observed, “… [I]n times of darkness and danger, as well as in times of peace and prosperity, through untold courage and sacrifice, America’s veterans have secured the liberty which the founding fathers sought to establish here in the new world.” Their stories, including why and how they served, need to be mainstreamed into our national narrative. What a difference we would see if our national discourse focused more on real-life heroes than on outrage.

Veterans Day provides an opportunity to teach our children about the cardinal virtues of citizenship, which include self-sacrifice, duty, love of country, and care for one’s fellow man. Previous generations revered our military leaders’ grit and moral courage. We rightly honor George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight Eisenhower, and others. At least in times past, we honored our everyman GI Joes. Sadly, many of today’s schools tear down the good in U.S. history and denigrate our veterans.

Gen. Powell admonished us by quoting JFK: “A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.” There are millions of unknown veterans on our very doorstep. Today, and in the year ahead, let’s renew our national character by producing those who are committed to serve and by seeking ways to honor and remember this national treasure, our nation’s military veterans.