Remember Our Veterans this Summer

Commentary by Raymond Jacobs

There are a lot of young men and young women who chose to join the military. Many of them are poor. These young people give up their lives and freedom to serve our country. Being in the military is not easy. Soldiers risk their lives fighting in wars and going in dangerous areas. Our soldiers are away from the people they care about for long periods of time. Some soldiers die and others get injured. Many Soldiers deal with scars, injuries and tragic memories for the rest of their lives.

When people are active in the military, people look at them as heroes, but once a soldier’s time is up, no one seems to care. There are a lot of veterans out there who are homeless, deal with mental illnesses and can’t get a job. Why do those who served their country have to be homeless, unemployed, or go without their needs being met? People who come to America from other countries get treated better than our vets. When a young person gives up their life to serve our country, they should still be looked at as a hero long after their time in the military is up.

When you see vets, thank them for their service. If a homeless vet asks you for help, help them if you can. Homelessness can make a person feel bad, but having someone thank them for their service can make them feel better. Honor vets on Veterans Day. Remember the vets who lost their lives on Memorial Day. Just in case you didn’t know, Memorial Day is not the beginning of summer; September 21 is the last day of summer.

Editor’s Note:  President Obama pledged to eliminate veteran’s homelessness by 201. We have made substantial progress in Cleveland with only around 200 homeless veterans left in 2016.

 Copyright Cleveland  Street Chronicle April 2016 Issue  23.2 Cleveland Ohio