Supporting Those Who Pay Freedom’s Price
Veterans Day is long since over. But those who pay freedom’s price, while rejoicing at past successes, know that freedom continues to hang in the balance and feel the need to give and receive ongoing support, especially during the holidays.
An exemplar in this regard is American Veterans Center.
At its recent national conference in Washington, D.C., one of several annual events they sponsor, including the National Memorial Day Parade, American military heroism was on poignant, powerful display, helping troops — past and current — heal from continued acts of heroism.
Members of the legendary Doolittle Raiders, Band of Brothers, and Tuskegee Airmen, as well as Major League Baseball players who fought in WWII, and decorated veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, and their families, all came to share and mentor.
Their stories were gripping.
Ed “Babe” Heffron, veteran of E (Easy) Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th parachute infantry, assigned to the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, recounted that day during World War II when he and his team parachuted into Holland to liberate the Dutch people from Hitler’s reign of terror. Called Operation Market Garden, their heroics were immortalized in the Cornelius Ryan book A Bridge Too Far and its 1977 movie version, and more recently, in the HBO series, Band of Brothers, based on Stephen Ambrose’s book.
Dutch resistance members with troops of the US 101st Airborne in front of Eindhoven cathedral during Operation Market Garden in September 1944. One of those he rescued, Heffron said, compared losing his freedom to when, as a little boy, his mother got pushed off a bike, depriving them of their means of transportation. The profoundly grateful Dutchman reminded Heffron, “When you hear the word freedom, think about losing it. It’s when you lose it that it means everything.”
As to their own feelings that day, Heffron said:
“Everyone had the same idea (in the plane): what the hell am I doing up here? I could be back home having a soda or standing on the corner with the guys, (but) when you saw the faces of those Dutch people and the children, you knew (raising his voice) why you were there, you knew why you did what you had to do. I’m telling you, if you ever get in that predicament, you’ll know why you’re there. Just the look on their faces was everything.”
While it’s important to reflect on past heroics, Medal of Honor recipient Marine Colonel Harvey C. “Barney” Barnum, honored at the closing awards banquet for his valor in Vietnam, reflected on the present, emphasizing “we’re still at war.” And, he urged everyone to “say a prayer for those soldiers, seamen, airmen and marines who are on point tonight.”
Thank you for the article. We ought to remember our veterans and service members every day.
My wife and I donate to http://www.specialops.org/ and https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/Default.aspx?tsid=66&source=WEBSITE now that we cut all foreign donations off.
We’re lucky to have our children (one still serving) returned to us almost intact. Thank God for that. We will never, nor do our children, forget those who were not as fortunate. We Americans owe to these young people more than money can buy.
http://www.americanveteranscenter.org/ will receive our donations this Christmas season.
I hesitate to mention this due to so many people being hurt in war right now, but these organizations need to remember there are plenty of soldiers, like myself, permanently injured during “peacetime” while operating in theaters where we were always under terrorist threats. mid to late 80′s in Germany had a lot of groups plotting and trying to harm military bases, especially those with NATO nuke sites.
I did fulfill my full contract(out in 89) but due to injuries could not re-enlist, and there are MANY like me. Due to DAV status I was not allowed to enlist after 9-11 either, I tried to see if I could get a rear echelon type of job just to help.
these organizations need to make sure to respect these people too as that would greatly enhance their political sway.
With all these 501(c) organizations popping up everywhere to support our veterans, one has to do some serious research on the organizations and be aware that most are in place to give the people that run them income/jobs.
It’s more important to donate to more established organizations like the DAV(Disabled American Veterans), the VFW(Veterans of Foreign Wars and The American Legion (the VFW and the American Legion aren’t just a social clubs for veterans and are advocacy groups just as much as the DAV. They have established contacts within the Washington establishment and can get things done.
Don’t accept mission statements as facts. Ask for statements of where and how much of your donations actually goes the veterans they say they support. Look and ask for track records.
Look at and ask your local veterans organizations and ask how you can help, more so than on a national level. The three organizations I mentioned above all operate on the local levels too so, be skeptical of those groups that have only sites in Washington or operate out of a single state.
As a totally disabled Vietnam veteran, I will say that it was the DAV that has given me the most support and you’ll find a DAV representative at every Veterans Administration facility. While I’m not a representative of the DAV, I’m just a member, they have been there when I needed help and my experience with them goes back to 1970
Great piece!