Veterans Voices: A vet reflects on American Veterans Day

Imagine …  2014.  It has been 100 years since 1914.  I’ve lived through 90 of those memorable years.

Why “memorable”?  One of the most memorable automobiles was Henry Ford’s “Model T Ford.”  It was also the time when Ford doubled his workers’ daily wage to $5.00 per day.

1914 was also memorable because two people in Serbia, Europe, were shot to death which led to the start of World War I.  America stayed neutral until 1917.  Then, many millions of young Americans became involved  in that horrendous, bloody, and costly war.

WW I was the beginning of the combinations of American military personnel who became the victims of severe wounds, scars, body losses, impaired health, and death.  Fortunately, many millions of our military warriors returned safely to the U S A.

All became known as “VETERANS.”  My dad and uncle were two of them.

Happily, WW I ended when an Armistice was signed.  That memorable day on November 11, 1918, became known as “Armistice Day” and ultimately became “Veterans Day.”  That day is commonly referred to as “the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, of each year.

Wondrous and miserable days became memorable through the 1920s with the passage of Women’s Rights, the rise of radio and the silent movies, “The Roaring 20s,” and the 1929 Wall Street Crash that brought on the “Great Depression” followed by the introduction of the Social Security System, and the most miserable era of the mid-1930s Dust Bowl

Journalist Tom Brokaw’s book, “The Greatest Generation,” described “the generation who grew up in the United States during the deprivation of the Great Depression, and then went on to fight in World War II, as well as those whose productivity within the war’s Home Front made a decisive material contribution to the war effort, for which the generation is also termed the G.I.”

When WW II started, The United States stayed neutral but supplied war materiel to the Allies until that memorable “infamous ”Sunday, December 7, 1941, when Japan launched a surprise, sneak-attack on Pearl Harbor.  Our nation lost more than estimated 418,000 veterans and civilians.

During, and soon after the war, over 60 million people were killed worldwide, but with the support of our Allies, our American Veterans including the meritorious effort and abilities of our women’s military organizations such as the WACS, WAVES, WASPS, etc. liberated hundreds of millions of people in their own countries.

Due to World War II’s tremendous production requirements, the USA realized and enjoyed great economic gains and high labor employment.  Millions of women became gainfully employed.  They became one of our country’s greatest assets; however, their gainful employment also negated job opportunities to the returning military veterans.  Most of the women wanted to continue their precious employment.

Fortunately, to alleviate the veterans’ unemployment situation, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, with the powerful voices of several veterans’ organizations, primarily the American Legion, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, helped Congress to pass the “The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944.” This “GI Bill of Rights” provided a wide range of educational assistance to service-members, veterans, and their dependents.  Many millions of male and female veterans flooded the colleges and trades-schools to improve and increase their future employment opportunities,

These highly-educated and trained veterans became teachers, nurses, doctors, accountants, lawyers, bankers, secretaries, retail store, factory and office employees, managers, plumbers, mechanics, engineers, carpenters, painters, actors, etc. which all led to greater national prosperity.

With the assistance of the G I Bill, millions of new businesses, factories, and office buildings were constructed.  Hundreds of thousands of veterans became farmers and ranchers.  Millions of people married, and many others needed housing, so millions of new houses and apartments were  built, along with the manufacturing of all the new furniture and home furnishings that would be required.  Millions of new automobiles and trucks were manufactured and sold. The G I Bill was one of the greatest government assistance programs ever devised.

According to “Congress’s Joint Economic Committee’s detailed cost-analysis in 1988,”(figuring in 2006 dollars,) in educational benefits alone, of the $51 Billion spent by Congress (PEOPLE’S TAX MONEY) created $260 billion of increased national productivity, AND a RETURN INVESTMENT of tax dollars of $93 Billion, which amounted to a gross profit of 353 billion dollars.  ($51 Billion spent; 353 Billion returned; figures out to $7 returned for each $1 spent.

Not only have the MILITARY VETERANS contributed their physical bodies, limbs and minds to protect and save our super-great nation, but have immensely added to the economic growth and prosperity of these GREAT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Unfortunately, too many people have “switched” the small letter ( i )  in the word “UNiTED” so the word becomes “U N T i E D.”

As true AMERICANS, let’s all forget about “red states” and “blue states.”  Let’s add “white” and become the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”  That’s the super-great nation we civilians worked for , and we veterans fought and died for,  ever since the Revolutionary War.

I intended to include a list of our local communities’ departed comrades who have “REPORTED to a HIGHER COMMAND,” but the list would overflow this column.  TRUE PATRIOTS will take a bit of time to acknowledge and commemorate our MILITARY VETERANS on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014.

You can place an American Flag emblem on your lapel or collar, and/or fly an American Flag at your home or business-place; or visit a cemetery, view a parade, or attend one of the VETERANS DAY CEREMONIES in your, or nearby city.

Tuesday, 11 November. 11 a.m.

One of the ceremonies closest to Seal Beach is the VETERANS DAY CEREMONY in Eisenhower Park near the Seal Beach Pier, on Ocean Avenue, at the ocean-end of Main Street. This Ceremony Program will be conducted by and include members of American Legion Post 857, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4048.  The “Young Marines” will also participate.  The Program will include patriotic songs and a few, short speeches Past Commander Dan Schmaltz will be the Master of Ceremonies.


If you are a veteran and want to share your story with Veterans Voices, call Bill Thomas at 562-431-7795 or email him at vvbthomasvets@gmail.com.