What we owe our veterans

Senator-elect James Webb included in his campaign a call for a new Veterans' Bill, similar to the one after WWII.

I personally pledge to work to get returning vets their mental health care. We sent them over there to hell, we owe it to them to care for them upon their return.

By the way some older vets are developing screaming nightmares and other PTSD symptoms--Vietnam, Korea, even guys from WWII. Norske help me out here, you know about this.

And not just mental health; physical health. And not to need food stamps--a disgrace! And respect. And no more stop-loss.

My father was in WWII, Navy. Both grandfathers were in WWI, Grandpa Mc got shot at in France. Other ancestors were in the Civil War, 1812, and the Revolution. MrEgregious' father was in WWII, and the grandfather was in both WWI and WWII. We have his aviator cap from the former, the War To End All Wars. If only. This used to be a rite of passage for manhood. Highly recommend Webb's book Born Fighting, which talks about the military in America.

My grandfather Sp. was President of the American Legion for our city. When I was young it was great watching them march every Memorial Day from the town center to the cemetery. Of course in those days I didn’t really understand the cemetery part.

He must have suffered to see me openly oppose the Vietnam War. But he never said anything to me. We have to try to do what we think is right in each generation. For many young people, serving with honor takes them into the military.

We count on them to be there, but if we continue to abuse and neglect them and send them into vanity wars, they might change their minds about participating.