Never Forget

           Kayla Williams hit the nail on the head in her article in the Christian Science Monitor entitled “Will America Forget its Veterans?” As a former military gal herself, and with a husband who was severely injured in Iraq while serving, Williams knows all too well what happens when a veteran returns home and must reintegrate into society. Williams and her husband have endured many hardships in returning home from war, and she wrote this article hoping to get the word out to the citizens of the U.S. … do not forget our veterans. The beautifully written article, calls to attention the lacking in attention to the care of our veterans. “I worry that as the visible reminders of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan fade from popular consciousness, so will the attention paid to troops, military families, and veterans. Yet the needs of US veterans will not end when the war does; they will just be beginning.” This statement alone tells us of how we fail to remember to pay attention to things, unless they are being shoved in our faces by the media.

                Williams writes of how her husband sustained a penetrating traumatic brain injury from a roadside bomb in Iraq. She tells the story of how her husband did not receive much care from the U.S. Army; medical, mental, or otherwise. However, they stuck together and pushed through the hard times. Finally, “It took six years before Brian could read a book again, but last month, he began using the GI Bill to attend college.” Williams also tells her readers about the difficulties of a soldier trying to find a civilian career. The military taught them many skills, but it is up to them to learn how to apply and present those skills in the civilian world.

                This heart rending article has reminded me that just because they are no longer in war, does not mean a soldier’s life is in any less danger. Between suicide, PTSD, and debilitating injuries sustained during war, the lives of these veterans are still at risk. This is what Kayla Williams wants the citizens of the U.S. to remember. She wants her readers to be supportive and become actively helpful in assisting our veterans as they return home to us. I would like to end this blog post with Williams’ last words in her article, as I can find no better way to say it… “We never forgot about you while we were deployed. Don't forget about us when we come home.”