My Iraq Veteran son.

On this Veteran's Day, I can't help but think of our brave warriors in Afghanistan, Iraq or other places far from home. I also can't ignore the veterans who have returned to face bigger challenges as a result of their service to the country; struggles that never would have been there if they had not served. How many lives have been lost? How many lives connected to those lost have been altered with an uncertain future alone? How many veterans have returned with irreparable damage, whether physical or mental? Do they wonder if what they gave was worth what was accomplished or what will eventually be accomplished? Can these wounded look in the mirror and find the pride needed to know that their sacrifice was appreciated and worthy? Have those in charge justified the deaths and injury of these warriors?? And what about the General in charge? Though he has requested and requested more troops knowing that so many depend on more manpower, how does he feel every time more soldiers are lost? He has made plans and he knows how to lead his people to victory but one arm is tied behind his back as he waits for his Commander-in-Chief to agree to his requests. How frustrated and angry he must feel with each death and every wound afflicted. How many more of the troops over there are feeling this same thing. Anger at being ignored! Anger at the lack of equipment and people? Anger when they lose another friend to death or injury? Anger that the government is so focused on a healthcare take-over and giving stimulus money to failing businesses while they are wounded and dying in a country that could care less. When another bomb goes off and more soldiers are picking up the dead and dying, is the righteous anger brewing deeply? How could it not?

More than 600 injured this year in Iraq. 1800 wounded in Afghanistan. Spinal injuries have increased and head trauma is becoming so prevalent that many warriors are going home with permanent brain damage. Healing from the initial injury is the easy part but dealing with the permanent life-altering change in the future of these warriors is another issue. It would be understandable that many will be consumed with anger. And branching from that comes broken families, divorces, fatherless children, unemployment, disability and possibly a life of loneliness. Drug abuse and alcoholism will continue to rise as well. The horror is bad enough with all of that but factor in the devastation of the rise in suicide. The ripple effect is mind-boggling. The result of this is anger!

I realize that there will be plenty of you reading this that will become angry and rightfully so. You should become angry. However, the anger will be of varying degree and I accept that there will be many whose anger will be at what I write. For those people, I understand and accept that anger as valid. It is out of anger that I write this. Anger is an emotion that we use, 9 times out of 10, to mask what our true emotion is. Anger is more familiar and easier to handle than the true emotions that we feel like grief, profound sadness, helplessness, guilt, or fear. Fear being the worst to face. Sadness and grief hurt deeply so anger, being a more active readily available emotion, is always the winner in the battle of the emotions. Guilt and helplessness hide hand in hand in the far reaches of our minds. We would prefer that they stay hidden. Anger will sustain us but it is illusion or denial of a real emotion we are just not ready to deal with. Anger will keep you busy. Anger can get you to move when you were at a standstill. Anger can get you to stand up for yourself when normally you would be walked on or overlooked. Anger can get you out of a dangerous situation or make you fight harder to achieve. So for those reasons, I applaud Anger and I am thankful for it. As long as at some point, in the calm moments, you take a deep breath and allow yourself to be open to the honest real emotion that has waited patiently to be recognized. Those who ignore it and hold anger as close as a lover, clinging to it desperately, you will become poisoned by it. Your mind will slowly die from the lack of the balance that the deeper emotions give. Without facing the other emotions, you are doomed with imbalance. So during these tremendously erratic times of violence and economical stress along with governmental unrest, you must find balance between anger and the other healthy emotions. In order to help yourself and others who are affected by a wounded warrior or the loss due to a warrior's death, there is a need for compassionate strong support. There is hope that with the right attention to the medical and mental needs of those affected, a recovery can be reached. A precious life can find meaning and purpose.

Veterans, thank you for what you have given. Families, thank you for what you have scarificed, as well. Those words are so small compared to what Veteran's have given to us. There are no words equal to explain all the emotions associated with your service and the life you gave for others. I can only make a promise as my gift to you. A promise that I will never forget. A promise that I will always speak of you with respect as my eyes mist. I will always thank God for the gift that you gave us. And for what it is worth to you, I will always pray for all veterans and their loved ones. I pray that they will find hope to soothe the anger and the support needed to face all those other emotions that need equal attention. And with that hope you will find balance which will always lead to peace within. I will pray for you to never ignore the touch and help of others. I will pray that God will continue to fill you with strength and an inner knowledge that you can find your bliss. That is my continual prayer. God bless you all.