Today is Remembrance Day in Canada. In other countries November 11 is celebrated as Veteran’s Day or Armistice Day and is acknowledged each year as we remember the soldiers who have fallen, paying the ultimate price defending their countries and allies in various wars.
Last year I posted this video that I saw on the Moments Channel because it moved me so much. I thought I would share it with you again as a picture is worth a thousand words and sends the message more eloquently than I ever could:
Every year we buy poppies, and for one day with great pomp and ceremony we remember and acknowledge those men and women who have fallen in battle to defend our freedoms and those of our allies. But it’s just as important to remember also that there are thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands around the world, who may not have paid the ultimate price for their countries but are suffering every day due to serious physical injuries which prevents them for getting jobs and thus have a more fulfilling life; most important, they experience mental damage due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Many veterans are homeless because their governments refuse to acknowledge PTSD as a treatable medical condition, and they end up on the street since they have no means of financial, medical or emotional support. They can’t find jobs because they have no place to call home, and a shower and clean clothes before a job interview is difficult, if not impossible, even at a shelter. So the next time you see a homeless person, be kind, as he or she may be a veteran who can’t find a job or get medical care to turn his or her life around.
Here is one (hopefully) happy ending for a 54 year old homeless veteran who may be able to get a job at last with the help of a makeover (in time lapse photography), arranged through a non profit veterans’ organization.
How do you picture a hero? The following video may change your mind:
https://www.usaa.com/inet/pages/ent_all_vetsday_landing_mkt?adid=pd_brd_upf_100044
Let us remember all those men and women who sacrificed not only their lives but their health to defend
their countries, comrades and fellow citizens. These soldiers suffer chronic unemployment, poverty, depression and physical and mental injuries. When we remember the dead on the 11th hour, 11th day, 11th month let us also remember those heroes who survived death only to be treated like the living dead.
Remembrance Day ceremony at Toronto’s Old City Hall 2013
Thank you to our soldiers for their service. Semper Fi.
I’m crying now. The words, the pictures, and especially the video, really hit home. Thanks to all our armed forces, past and present, for serving our country.
Eden
Thank you for commenting. I always remember those who have paid a high price to serve their countries, not only on November 11 but on occasions when I see a homeless person and I wonder. I try to be kind and sometimes I ask them about their lives and why they ended up on the street. Their stories will break your heart, which is why every year I write a post about Remembrance Day.