Veterans Day falls on Nov. 11 every year, and it’s celebrated as a chance to honor those who served in our armed forces. Flowers are left on graves, schools are closed and various ceremonies are held throughout the country.
It’s a beautiful commemoration of those who lived and died defending our home.
But one day doesn’t make up for the constant mistreatment countless veterans face every single day.
We as a country claim to honor those who served, but 46,733 veterans were reported to be homeless or unsheltered in 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The numbers are thankfully dropping since the HUD began recording the information in 2009, but it’s absolutely ridiculous that a group making up only 7% of the U.S. population makes up more than 5% of the homeless population.
Veterans also make up a disproportionate number of annual suicides and self-inflicted injuries in the U.S.. In 2021, the suicide rate among veterans was 33.9%, according to a report by the VFW, and the majority of these deaths were of men between 18 and 34 years old.
According to the American Addiction Centers website, some of the leading factors of this high percentage are PTSD, depression, anxiety, addiction, mood swings and insomnia. Many veterans also face lasting impacts from injuries sustained during their service.
Some veterans struggle with readjusting to civilian life, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA). Problems veterans face back home include a lack of productivity, difficulty interacting with others and unpredictable mood swings.
The DVA also says many showed increased struggles when met with less support or stability upon their return home, and that isolation and injuries made readjusting more difficult.
These are just a few of the troubling statistics surrounding the men and women who served our country. Those who have risked their lives and sacrificed so much are so often met with little to no compensation, recognition or assistance when they come home, and they remain one of the most vulnerable groups in our society.
And yet, we as a country send the message that one day is enough. We make a few posts on social media, put flowers on some graves, make a few speeches and call it good. These gestures, while sweet on the surface, don’t truly honor and support our veterans.
We have a responsibility to do better.
Maybe it’s by creating more nationally recognized days of remembrance.
Maybe it’s by raising awareness about the plight so many of these people are in.
Maybe it’s by donating more to the organizations that try to protect and preserve the lives of our veterans.
Maybe it’s by visiting nursing homes more frequently than just the second week of November.
Maybe it’s by reaching out to our friends and family and neighbors every once in a while, just to check in.
There’s no shortage of ways we could improve the way we interact with veterans, and there’s no effort that’s too small in bettering the lives and livelihoods of those people after they’ve returned home.
But no matter what, we must do something. We owe it to every single man and woman who has risked or given their life in the name of protecting our country. They deserve better.