Eighty years ago, the beaches of Normandy, France, were a hellish place. The sea literally ran red with the blood of Allied soldiers torn apart by German Wehrmacht defenders. But American soldiers pressed on, step by step, making great sacrifices.
On the day of the Normandy landings, these young men stormed Hitler’s Atlantic Wall, showing total loyalty to their country and not caring about themselves. Thousands of them gave their lives to liberate Western Europe from the greatest evil the world had ever seen, and the remains of those brave men lie in France to this day.
After World War II, returning veterans were rightly hailed as heroes, but beyond that momentary acclaim, nearly an entire generation of American men had a common bond and an unspoken friendship they could rely on.
An implicit support system for veterans naturally emerged, complementing existing organizations like the VFW and the American Legion, as well as new initiatives like the GI Bill of 1944. Readjusting to civilian life was not easy (and some never did), but society tried to help as many veterans as possible recover from the trauma of the war.
The same cannot be said for those who fought in Vietnam.
They were greeted by hostile crowds, filled with false anger. The veterans were jeered and spat on. There was no culture of gratitude across the country for their sacrifice, and no strong network of agencies to support veterans as they transitioned back to civilian life.
Drug use and suicide were rampant among Vietnam veterans trying to make sense of the horrors they witnessed and why so many of their compatriots were ungrateful.
The post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have shed new light on the phenomenon of post-traumatic stress disorder, with increased suicidal thoughts especially among veterans returning from the Middle East.
But our agencies have been slow to recognize the problem and even slower to act. A 2013 VA study found that the suicide rate among our military members is 1. 22 veterans — Not once a year or a month, but every day. That means almost once an hour.
While deaths overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq are deplorable, they represent only a fraction of the suicides caused by soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in those conflicts after they return home. By 2021, four times In the post-9/11 wars, as many veterans died by suicide as were casualties of the wars themselves.
America went from caring for veterans to ignoring their descent into opioid addiction, isolation, and bankruptcy, as the institutions, both public and private, that supported veterans were weakened over time.
In fairness, many wonderful private charities have been established in recent years to care for as many veterans as possible and literally save their lives.
But our public institutions have much room for improvement, especially when it comes to veterans’ financial struggles, long wait times for treatment, and inadequate mental health supports. It is long past time for us as a society to address these inequities.
On the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings, I spoke with Dr. Claude Gatignol, a former French member of parliament, in Sainte-Mère-Église, near the church where John Steele, the American paratrooper played in the 1962 film The Longest Day, witnessed the carnage on the ground.
As the Confederate national anthems were played, the crowd sang America’s “The Star-Spangled Banner” with fervent conviction and reverence, followed by the French national anthem, and the entire square joined in unison. We nodded to each other, tears of pride streaming down our cheeks, knowing it was meant to be.
This powerful display of unity and pride, forever etched in my memory, symbolizes the fortitude and sacrifice of those who came before us. In moments like these, we are reminded of the high price of freedom and the shared values that bind us. In fact, this is how it should always be.
As we look back 80 years later on the Normandy landings and remember those who gave their final sacrifice, we must honor their memory by caring for their brothers — not just blood brothers, but comrades in arms, a bond that transcends time.
It is our duty to provide our veterans with all the support they need.
No more excuses. Let’s remember those we’ve lost by cherishing those who still remain.
Tom Lack is the award-winning author of Sacred Ground, A Tribute To America’s Veterans.
The views and opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Daily Caller.
