It occurred to me when I began to contemplate this week’s column that it would be published somewhere between Veterans Day and Thanksgiving.  The two very separate holidays on this month’s calendar should have a good bit of overlap.  Veterans Day is, after all, a day where we give thanks and show appreciation to those who have served our country in a military uniform.

Many of us have grown accustomed to saying “Thank you for your service” when we encounter a member of the armed services in uniform or someone who is identifiable as a veteran.  I recently had an encounter at my gym where another member struck up a conversation by mentioning his time in Vietnam.  I thanked him and said “I know you didn’t get the thanks for that when you needed it.”

“Yeah. Too late for that…” he replied and then took a long pause.  He then began to tell me more of his story, and what it was like both serving in Vietnam and what it was like for him and his buddies when they came home.  I was glad to have the opportunity to listen, and took the time to let him talk.

Giving “thanks” was not high on the agenda for many when encountering Vietnam vets throughout the seventies and well into the eighties.  Hostility was too often the norm.

The Vietnam war was deeply unpopular – including among many who fought in it.  Most didn’t ask to.  It was the last war when the U.S. used a draft system to decide who would be sent a half world away to fight.

The world had changed by the time the U.S. re-entered large scale military operations in Kuwait, then Afghanistan and Iraq.  The draft had ended.  Veterans of the more recent wars have been volunteers.  A much smaller, self-selecting percentage of our country have been carrying the burdens of defending our country. 

We have coupled the detachment of many Americans from military service with the unfortunate notion that war is relatively easy.  The lead up to the first Gulf War included political debate that questioned if our post-Vietnam era military could even beat Saddam Hussein’s army in the “mother of all battles”. 

There was real consternation that the war would bog the U.S. down in the desert for years and cost the lives of tens of thousands of Americans.  The need to resume the draft was openly discussed.

Instead, the objectives of that operation were achieved in roughly a month once combat operations began. It seemed too easy, and perhaps laid the ground work for entering both Afghanistan and Iraq years later with significantly less clear military objectives.  Our eventual retreat from Afghanistan was a less than stellar way to say “thank you” to those who volunteered to serve in order to hold back the forces of terrorism in the world. 

With the brutal attacks by Hamas on the innocent citizens of Israel on October 7^th, we’re again reminded that the world is a dangerous place.  Additional follow on attacks have occurred not just on Israel but on American interests in the region.  While America is attempting to lead with diplomacy, the precarious state of factions within the middle east – along with continued aggression by Russia and destabilizing actions from China – remind us that we could be involved in a major military conflict at any time 

In addition to the questions we are having in Congress about the funding levels of our own military as well as continued military aid to our allies and humanitarian aid to those in war zones, this may also be a time to openly begin a discussion of our all-volunteer military.  Perhaps more need to have a stake in military actions and outcomes.

We’re constantly reminded how divided we are as a country. There was no greater force to unite Americans into one people behind one objective than the role that the U.S. military played in the middle of the last century. 

If the thought that our sons and daughters would have to leave their current roles to defend our country is too disturbing to contemplate, then the point at the beginning of this column has hopefully been made.  We all know that we need men and women ready to fight to defend our country at a moment’s notice.  

We should be much more regular in our thanks to those who have served, and continue to serve.  We unfortunately also have to be much more aware that they’re likely to be needed again in combat operations sooner rather than later.