I served my nation 50 years ago and am a proud Army veteran.
Each Veterans Day I celebrate our democracy that honors those who sacrificed their lives and, far too many, their health in defense of this nation. We owe these folk everything.
After my service I joined a veterans group, but thought our membership was being manipulated for ideological and political reasons and left.
Then about 10 years ago on Veterans Day, I was bicycling the Riverwalk in Buffalo, and saw three silver-haired men walking with a wreath, up an incline on the other side of River Road. I turned back to join them at a small veterans monument near Riverside Park. They acknowledged me but prayed and placed a wreath at the memorial.
They were from a nearby American Legion post that is now closed. We spoke briefly. They were World War II vets and sadly acknowledged their dwindling numbers. Since that time, when I attend a Veterans Day event, I do so to honor my silver-haired predecessors as much as our serving band of brothers.
This year I attended an event at the T-NT Gateway Park. They had a nice and proper ceremony, a good speaker with local connections and launched a wreath to commemorate those lost in our nation’s wars.
But I noted that the dignified veterans on the bridge all were older folk. I could see by their hats and insignia that they were mostly American Legion and VFW representatives and no Vietnam War representatives.
Later, I stopped at the Vietnam Veterans Office on Main Street. They assured me they would have participated in the veterans ceremony but were not invited. They said they had made contact but were informed that the sponsor of the event, the Marine Corps League, did not think their attendance was appropriate.
This is sad. All veterans should team together and not focus on anything but policy affecting their brethren. Veterans are especially unwise to support any politician or party, but should focus on the impact of service and war on their brothers.
In Iraq, for example, soldiers who must do two and three tours of duty mostly emphasize a lack of detailed planning that could still be corrected. For veterans, national policy is not as important as the impacts of war on the soldiery.
I hope that all who have read this far will take action to support veterans. A check or contribution to the Paralyzed Vets of America (http://www.pva.org) or the Disabled American Veterans (http://www.dav.org) is a good place to start.
The folk who put aside their own small and sweet lives to put on the uniform and go forth to defend liberty deserve more support than annual ceremonies.
It’s also a good idea to make the plight of veterans a larger issue with your congressional representatives. We have focused on the war and too many have lost focus on the participants.
Art Klein
City of Tonawanda
Letters to the Editor
December 7, 2006
LETTER: Honoring veterans should strengthen, continue
- Letters to the Editor
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- Women's Equality Agenda long overdue
- LETTER: Rent subsidy change a good idea
- GUEST VIEW: KMH at mercy of corporate greed Corporate greed is affecting the hospital's bottom line in negotiating a fair contract for the nurses.
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LETTER: Remembering Opportunities Unlimited founder
Niagara County lost a special woman recently – Edith Hunter. Nearly 60 years ago, Mrs. Hunter helped found the agency known today as Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara, a not-for-profit agency providing a wide range of services for individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities residing in Niagara County, as well as neighboring communities.
- Newton a home run for TCSD
- READER LETTER: Niagara election board failed voters Last month I moved from New York City to Niagara County, and found that the voting address change I submitted at the DMV wouldn’t be valid for the general election. I called the BoE to find out what I needed to do, and thus began two weeks of frustration.
- LETTER: Job well done on Rojek article Thank you from our Board of Trustees on behalf of the more than 7,000 supporters of the North Tonawanda History Museum for the wonderful article in the Oct. 16 Tonawanda News by Ed Adamczyk about Stan Rojek's induction into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.
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LETTERS: Restino not fit for Assembly; Niagara County smoking rate alarming
The facts are, Robert Restaino was removed as a judge for failing to conduct himself in a manner expected of one who holds an office of trust.
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READER LETTERS: 911 dispatcher bungled EMS call
Thank you to our wonderful North Tonawanda Fire Department and our quality rescue team for their quick response to a first aid call Saturday evening in one of the Bishop Gibbons parking lots, when an elderly neighbor from other senior housing along 19th Avenue came out of nowhere and almost collapsed in our arms.
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SOOS: Local pols played politics with Walmart
I take exception with Senator George Maziarz touting the grand opening of the Walmart Supercenter in North Tonawanda.
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