America officially chooses one day of the year to honor their patriotic heroes: November 11th. But how well are the country’s veterans treated every other day of the year?  Veterans Day is unquestionably important in facilitating the education and appreciation of veterans, but today’s holiday can hide the full picture of how veterans are treated in American society.

The Department of Veterans Affairs states that its mission is “to fulfill President Lincoln’s promise ‘to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan’ by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s veterans.”

However, scandals in 2014 and 2017 reveal a misalignment between the VA’s stated mission and its actions.

In 2014, at least 40 veterans passed away while waiting for medical attention from a VA facility in Phoenix, Arizona. Further investigation revealed that 120,000 additional veterans never received care. Additionally, employees of the VA were trained to manipulate data to hide performance bonuses. The VA had kept $142,000,000 for themselves.

Not only do veterans not receive consistent care in VA facilities, but a scandal in 2017 revealed that veterans who seek help from non-VA facilities do not always receive the proper insurance. Within six months, 17,400 veterans were forced to pay out of pocket for medical expenses that the government should have covered. Moreover, a total of 53.3 million dollars was wrongfully withheld from our nation’s heroes because they received care from a non-VA facility.

Considering the department’s manipulation of data and tendency to prioritize profit over people, it is no surprise that only 46% of veterans say that the VA is doing an excellent or good job in providing care for veterans.

Additionally, the American public often overlooks the challenges that veterans face when they start the challenging transition back into civilian life. 47% of post-9/11 veterans say that the transition into civilian life was difficult, compared to only 21% of pre-9/11 veterans.

Additionally, veterans who experienced traumatizing events while serving are much more likely to have an even harder time returning to civilian life. 53% of veterans who witnessed traumatizing experiences and 66% of veterans who suffered from post-traumatic stress say that they had a more difficult time returning to civilian life.

In fact, post-9/11 veterans have reported over twice as many cases of post-traumatic stress than pre-9/11 veterans.

With the mental health of American veterans declining, it is essential that the government prioritizes the quality and accessibility of mental health resources for America’s heroes. Additionally, the military must do more for their members as their service time comes to a close. At present, however, only half of our nation’s veterans believe that the military prepares them well for the transition into civilian life. Although it is important for soldiers to be prepared for life in service, it is just as important to end their service with the confidence that they can re-integrate into society.

An expression of gratitude for the sacrifices of our veterans is even more important now because of the controversial wars of Afghanistan and Iraq. Sadly, a majority of veterans do not believe that either was war worth fighting, and post-9/11 veterans are less likely to feel proud of their service than their predecessors.

A simple “thank you” today can remind veterans of the honor of their service. But it is also imperative throughout the year to furnish the country’s patriots with the dignity and care they deserve. Not only must the Department of Veterans Affairs be held accountable to its stated priorities, but all Americans should be reminded of our duty to assuage the pain of post-traumatic stress that many our veterans face.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Editors’ note: All opinions expressed on The Uproar are a reflection solely of the beliefs of the bylined author and not the journalism program at NASH.  We continue to welcome school-appropriate comments and guest articles.

This story was originally published on The Uproar on November 11, 2021.