By: Michael Harris, MPVA President
Many Veterans Day activities throughout Michigan, like many public events, were cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That included the annual Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America (MPVA) “Salute to Veterans” luncheon. Instead of our traditional event where people come together physically, we opted for a “Salute to Veterans Virtual Run, Walk, Wheel” event. We also partnered with Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea–Plymouth Green location for a fundraiser. I am proud to say that both efforts were a success, especially provided that it was the first time we have done something like this and that it was a challenging year for so many! The two combined events raised nearly $10,000 which will go on to support the MPVA’s mission.
Since I did not get the opportunity to speak publicly at our event, I wanted to share my remarks about Veterans Day here:
Lessons for Veterans Day 2020
As we pause to remember our past, let us also remember our present, where at this very moment our servicemen and women are putting themselves in harm’s way for the cause of freedom and democracy. We salute their courage, strength, and dedication to these high ideals. We pledge our gratitude for the sacrifices they will make; and we vow to never forget.
Veterans are ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary things. They are young and old, rich and poor. black and white-–and nearly every category in between. They are men and women who served or still serve America. Many have endured the great hardships of separation from family and drastically altered lifestyles. Some have been scarred physically or psychologically. All sacrificed something so that we could enjoy the freedoms we have today.
There is no group of people I hold in higher regard than veterans. Because of veterans, we live in the strongest, freest, greatest country in the world. Throughout history, our country has been blessed to have men and women willing to answer the call to duty and accomplish great things for the benefit of their fellow man.
It is our responsibility to ensure that our children and grandchildren appreciate the sacrifices made by those serving our country and never forget them. Each year, as the percentage of our population who has worn a uniform declines, fewer and fewer individuals and families have a personal connection with the military. Instilling in America’s youth an awareness of the contributions of veterans past and present becomes even more important.
Even though many Americans will not serve, knowledge of those who have served is essential. The traits we learn from veterans – courage, honor, duty, sacrifice, patriotism, heroism – are characteristics that make us better citizens. Their everyday acts inspire us to reach beyond our limits. Their losses remind us to live a life worthy of their sacrifice. And through their service on our behalf, we remember the obligations we owe. These are important lessons only a veteran can teach us.
WWII Memory & Current Service Connection Fades
Every day, memories of World War II—its sights and sounds, its terrors and triumphs—disappear. Yielding to the inalterable process of aging, the men and women who fought and won the great conflict are now in their late 90s. They are dying quickly—according to US Department of Veterans Affairs statistics, 325,574 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II are alive in 2020.
It seems like yesterday that the last World War I veteran from the United States died at the age of 110 in 2011. Soon we will be saying the same thing for World War II veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimated in September 2020 that just over 10,270 Michigan World War II veterans were still alive out of more than 600,000 who served.
During the past two decades, as the military has been engaged in the longest period of sustained conflict in the nation’s history, just one-half of one percent of American adults has served on active duty at any given time. As the size of the military shrinks, the connections between military personnel and the broader civilian population appear to be growing more distant.
While most Americans today have family members who once served or are currently serving in the armed forces, as we move forward the generation gap is getting larger. More than three-quarters (77%) of adults ages 50 and older said they had an immediate family member –a spouse, parent, sibling or child – who had served in the military. For many of these adults, their military family members are likely to have served prior to the phasing out of the military draft in 1973.
However, adults under the age of 50 are much less likely to have family members who served in the military. Some 57% of those ages 30-49 say they have an immediate family member who served. And among those ages 18-29, the share is only 33%.
In the future those numbers will continue to get smaller.
Volunteerism: Service to Your Country
Over the years people have thanked me for my service and regretted the fact they did not serve. I always remind them that you do not have to wear a uniform to serve your country. People can honor veterans throughout the year by serving in the communities in which they reside.
Volunteering and service are woven into the fabric of our country’s history. We are a nation of people who care for and look out for each other. Community service is also a way to connect with our neighbors and use our skills for the common good. Helping people in your community makes that community stronger and healthier — and makes you stronger and healthier in the process.
With the disconnect currently going on in our country, community service has the power to bring young people together from different races, incomes, faiths, and political backgrounds to work on pressing problems facing U.S. society today. In the process, they get to know each other around something positive—the shared work of participating in a common goal that makes a difference in the life of someone in need of their support.
Imagine for a moment a large-scale commitment to offering young Americans who are black and white, rich and poor, Republican and Democrat, and Christian, Jewish, and Muslim opportunities to work side by side, serving their country together. The focus of their service year would be teaching, tutoring, and mentoring disadvantaged students; cleaning neighborhoods in need of renewal; renovating homes in blighted areas.
Beyond the valuable work they would do to improve their community, young Americans would develop the powerful habits of citizenship. A service year that teaches young Americans the habits of citizenship and the power of working in teams to build trust is one of the most powerful ways this generation can help restore political and civic responsibility.
While I may not be the first to thank our veterans for their service, I ask each of you to ensure that I’m not the last one who thanks them today and every day throughout the coming year.
For those who served our country I want to thank you for your service!
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