Our Opinion: Remembering veterans
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 10:11 AM PDT
The front page story in the Sunday Argus Observer regarding Nyssa veteran Archie Atagi was significant in a number of ways.
For one, the article celebrated the service of one of this area’s veterans. Atagi received a special plaque honoring his service in World War II from the Nyssa American Legion Post No. 79.
Yet Atagi’s story is one that is familiar to millions of Americans who served overseas during a time of crisis.
From World War II to Korea, to Vietnam and both Iraq I and Iraq II, millions of our best and brightest have put aside selfish motives and served this great nation.
Atagi’s story is one of triumph and honorable service. Yet there are thousands of men and women like Atagi out there who have completed their service or are back home recuperating from wounds received during combat operations.
And, there are a lot of young veterans now. And there will be many, many more.
The nation as a whole and communities like ours cannot ever forget the service these men and women performed for us.
That may be a difficult challenge after the guns fall silent and the nation moves on to other matters.
Not forgetting, though, means honoring people like Atagi, but it also means making sure our new veterans gain all the help they deserve while they transition back into civilian life.
That means holding the federal government accountable for the care of those veterans, and it will probably mean funneling more money into agencies like the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.
Either way, though, our veterans deserve to be helped, and not forgotten.
