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US Troops are Not Getting The Heroic Welcome Home They So Richly Deserve

Last year I attended the Veterans Day parade in New York City. I took my dogs all dressed up with American flags to Madison Square Park where the Veteran Day parade began. I had the honor of meeting some of these troops and watched more than two thousand freshly returned from Iraq and Afghanistan preparing to march. Some of them were badly injured. All of them noble and proud to get ready to march back in their homeland, some of whom were struggling to just walk.

I was so proud of my country's heroes and happy to be able to thank them en mass so I walked up Fifth Avenue with the flags and the dogs as the soldiers began their march. It tore me up inside. Next to no one joined me to honor our troops on Veteran's day. Blocks and blocks were empty, with just the slap of soldier's feet echoing.

Our troops risked their lives and lived for years in utter misery for this country and the citizens didn't feel it worthwhile to greet them on the one day meant to honor them. No clapping. No one waving but the patriotic few. It was the ultimate slap in the face. The ultimate sacrifice they made met with total apathy.

It tore me up inside to see this. I cannot imagine how this made them feel. What kind of broken heart they must suffer, having given the ultimate sacrifice for a country that resoundingly rejects them. I cried for these precious heroes who placed their lives on the line for this country. Only 8 years since having been directly attacked and yet the people of New York offered them next to no respect for having fought for us. I would guess the lengthy parade had maybe less than 1,000 spectators all in all. The politicians only showed up at the very end to shoot some photos.

I can't believe the people of this country did not come out in great numbers to say thank you to those who just returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. They are our nation's heroes.

"It's not a popular war" one guy said to me as my heartfelt broken from seeing the eyes of the returning soldiers in uniform marching up empty streets. So little changes, I thought. It's Vietnam all over again.

A few years ago I attended a benefit for war heroes who had sustained brain injury. I spoke to a strapping young man with half of his head missing form a road side bomb. He was proud of serving the country, and happy to be alive and said he would do it all over again.

"I had seen what happened at the World Trade Center and I watched radicals cheer in celebration of the terrorist attack and burn our flag" he said, "so I signed up for the Marines the next day to fight for this country."

To think this man returned home after his service, valiantly marched up 5th Ave in New York City where we were attacked, and next to no one showed up to welcome and thank him. Imagine him trying to comprehend the emptiness and apathy during their march home.

No matter how popular or unpopular a war effort is, the American Public needs to rally behind the troops returning. They risked their lives for the US for us. And for that we need to give them a true Hero's welcome because they fully deserve that. We need to help them reintegrate into society and make sure they have emotional support, physical, and mental health care to process some of the terrible things they have seen.

Congress controls the purse strings of the veteran's benefits, which is still insufficient even with a projected 15% increase. Veterans are not receiving the best medical and psychiatric care, and many are forced to seek out alternative solutions for traumatic brain injury, physical therapies, psychiatric and other ongoing medical care after they return.

But Congress gets their cue from the citizen voters- who are moved by the media coverage- and incredible lack of it. So I place a great deal of blame on my fellow civilians who are turning a blind eye and presenting a cold shoulder to our returning soldiers fighting unpopular wars.

Voters just aren't telling Congress or the White House how important our war heroes are, and they aren't giving them the kind of welcome they undoubtedly have earned.

You don't see footage of the war in Afghanistan or Iraq much in the US unless you go out and look for it on Google, or bother to read the particularly glum and often slanted war stories under the world section in the papers. The wars have become highly politicized and polarizing for the nation and our soldiers have taken the brunt of this division.

I want the general public to be more engaged and educated on this issue and more appreciative of the lives being put on the line out of love and honor for this country. We are so fortunate in the US to have the quality of life we have. Our soldiers helped make that happen.

I want my fellow citizens to thank our veterans deeply for their fearless service for our country, particularly while fighting unpopular wars.

Heather V. Wolf
Pound Ridge NY
HeatherVanWolf@MAC.com