veteran's day

this is my vet. he served with the oregon national guard in kuwait/iraq in 2003-2004. dealing with the repercussions of combat has not been easy and is an on-going issue four years later. rob has been diagnosed with PTSD. and it is odd to actually honor a vet on veteran's day the last few years. before rob went overseas i had no interest or care about vets. my, how that has changed. i care greatly about vets now. i truly understand the sacrifices made by the vets themselves as well as their families and that is who i'd like to honor today.

please say thank you not only to the vet, but if the vet's spouse or children are with them, express gratitude to them as well. they too have sacrificed for this country. they are separated from the soldier for long periods of time. their families (especially for guard/reservists) have to maintain the household and sometimes a business as well as care for the children, if there are children to care for. they too experience periods of loneliness and difficulties.

it is when the soldier returns home that can be so hard. that soldier is not the same person that left to go to war. most soldiers have been profoundly effected by war. particularly disabled vets (mentally and physically). the role of spouses or parents caring for their disabled vet hasn't been addressed at length that i am aware of. there are a stories of a parent quitting their job and moving to the state that their soldier is being cared for in to help. they sacrifice an income and time. spouses must learn to re-adjust to a disabled vet. this is not easy, especially when the vet refuses to get help. or is struggling despite the help being given. for men, being disabled (particularly if its not a disability physically obvious) can be emasculating and relying on their wife is difficult and hard to accept. it can be overwhelming for spouses and parents alike who are thrust into the role of caregiver.

so i ask. please give consideration to the families directly involved in a disabled vets life. they quite possibly are feeling a lack of appreciation for the sacrifices they make as a result of war and what their country has asked them to do.

i do hope to honor those very people by assembling a collection of stories (past and present) of how families have managed or are managing life after a soldier's experience in war.

thank you.