HOW POLITICIANS CAN HONOR VETERANS

This area is well known not only for the presence of military forces
but also its widespread appreciation of military service.

While honoring service and sacrifice is part of the fabric of local
life, however, Veterans Day activities often were overlooked in years
past.

Part of the reason could be where the holiday falls on the calendar -
between Marine Corps Birthday celebrations and Thanksgiving. It has
only been in recent years that a genuine recognition of the day has
taken a firmer hold on the public's conscience.

This year's Veterans Day Parade in Jacksonville was perhaps the best
attended of the last several years. It took a lot of hard work and
concentrated effort to make that happen, but groups such as Rolling
Thunder Chapter NC-5 are to be commended for taking over the lead and
elevating these festivities to a more appropriate level.

One of the undeniable virtues of Veterans Day is that it has not been
subjected to the modern American craze for three-day weekends,
regardless of historical significance.

Veterans Day is rooted in Armistice Day, which is rooted in concrete
history. Sadly, the Great War did not turn out to be the "war to end
all wars," and the holiday was expanded to become Veterans Day - a
day to honor all American military veterans.

It is also appropriate to honor veterans by assuring that they are
not asked to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice except in
causes and conflicts that are worthy of their heroism, conflicts in
which a clear set of criteria for victory and success are laid out
and a practical and comprehensible strategy for achieving those
objectives is in place.

That is especially important in the context of a war in Afghanistan
that civilian policy-makers may be preparing to escalate.

It is also noteworthy, as the Drug Policy Alliance documented in a
recent report, that veterans with substance-abuse problems, which
tend to increase during periods of active conflict, are not being
treated intelligently.

Some 30 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans show symptoms of
post-traumatic stress, and many "self-medicate" with alcohol or
drugs. Instead of treating such problems with substitute drugs like
methadone (not covered under the military's Tricare health benefits
program), all too often we put such veterans in jail.

However wise or foolish the policies of civilian governments are, the
bravery and dignity of veterans - especially in an era of a volunteer
military - is worthy of honor and respect.

Those who serve do so of their own choice. We all can honor that
choice by making sure our elected representatives ensure the cause
and conflict they willingly sacrifice for is worthy.