As part of its fifth annual Protect America Month, Heritage will honor those who have bravely served our nation and kept us safe from innumerable threats and enemies with an event on “Serving Those Who Serve.”
Our veterans are the finest the U.S. has to offer. They have been tested under fire and are truly leaders who know what it means to serve others. Honor, selflessness, and dedication are just a few of the many attributes our veterans bring with them to civilian life. They are truly a blessing and an asset to America.
These incredible individuals also face challenges. Many suffer from visible and invisible wounds. Today’s service members have on average spent more time in combat zones than at any other time in U.S. history. Such service has come with sacrifice and cost: Ten percent of all personnel deployed to Iraq were wounded, many seriously. Many of our veterans also suffer from mental and emotional wounds that make adjusting to civilian life difficult. Sadly, thousands of America’s veterans end up homeless, and too many have taken their own lives.
Americans, however, are up to the challenge of supporting their veterans. According to the Department of Defense, there are more than 400,000 registered websites for organizations established to assist our veterans and service members. The Wounded Warrior Project and Esprit de Corps are just two of many such organizations. Esprit de Corps, led by Heritage’s own James Carafano, is especially interested capturing the stories of veterans to “inspire all of us to give back to those who gave their all.” Indeed, its film Veteran Nation recently won an award at the GI Film Festival.
Please join Heritage tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. ET for an event that discusses how we can serve those who have served. By reaching out to our veterans, connecting them with other veterans, and integrating them into our communities, the U.S. can take advantage of all the skills and talents our veterans have to offer while honoring them for their service and sacrifice.
