Reflections of a vet on Veterans day

One hundred years ago, Europe was plunged into war, a war like no other. In the four years it marched across the world’s stage with blood stained boots, 16 million military and civilian personnel died along with about 20 million wounded. A sad grand total of 36 million souls lost or mangled for life in the “War to End All Wars.” World War I would never live up to that claim. It was in reality one of the deadliest conflicts in human history. And it would prove to be the dress rehearsal for a far deadlier clash of arms some 20 years later: World War II.

It was war on a truly industrial scale with the fight taken to our enemies on the land and sea. It would soar above the clouds in primitive biplanes and deep below the surface of the oceans in submarines. Modern warfare had come of age. The horrors unleashed upon the combatants were staggering. Machine guns tore bodies to shreds in charge after charge across no man’s land toward enemy trenches. Poison gas would kill and maim in unspeakable ways. Artillery would pound the opposing entrenched positions with high explosive death, some of the barrages lasting for days.

Yet at Nov. 11, 1918, at the 11th hour those guns fell silent. The planes grounded, ships returned to their ports. Millions of battle-scared soldiers rose out of muddy, rat-infested, blood-soaked trenches that reeked of death to begin the long trek back to their home countries.

To this day people pause to remember all those living or dead who have served. That takes place on the 11th month, the 11th day at the 11th hour. Established at the end of that war so long ago was a tradition born from a war-torn and ravaged world in the hope that by remembering that war and those that have served, we would find peace. It didn’t work out that way. Wars sadly still continue to oppress the human race.

Veterans Day as it has come to be honored here in this country serves as a way to say thank you to all who gave some and to those who gave all over the years. We extended that thanks to clear back to the Revolution and as far forward to encompass those who served Iraq and Afghanistan, two of the nation’s longest conflicts in its history.

This day also serves as reminder to the public of the problems every veteran faces each day. Problems I face as a veteran of the Cold War and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The list of what we face is a long one to be sure. Some I’ve listed here:

Suicide tops it. We still have the highest rates at 22 per day as of 2013. It may be even higher now according to some news sources. So being a veteran is a big risk for that, living in Alaska the state with the highest suicide rate in the country doesn’t help either.

PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, has continued to plague us in many ways. It was called “Shell Shock” in WWI. Little was known about how to treat people afflicted by it back then. Many went untreated and some went completely mad as a result. Today we have counseling programs through the Veterans Administration and other related groups to help cope with PTSD. Learning how to live with PTSD remains a challenge for many, including myself.

Then there are the wounded, the survivors of bullets, bombs and artillery that ravaged bodies and tore limbs off in brutal fashion. WWI produced millions from both sides. Their medical treatment was primitive at best. Just on the subject of prosthetics, those used back then were clumsy and uncomfortable for the user. Today they are something from science fiction in their efficiency and materials used to make them. What the users have done with them is something to marvel. The term handicapped is fast becoming passé.

Then there are the crises hitting us here in Alaska that affect the veteran. The current lack of doctors and nurse practitioners at the Valley Veterans Administration clinic is one. There are currently no doctors at the clinic, the last doctor left in August. That is being investigated at the congressional level and many of the veterans there have been transferred to the Alaska Native primary care clinic off Knik-Goose Bay Road. I’m one of them. While the care there is first class, it kind of burns that our clinic, so new to the Valley and so hard fought for is now something of a sad joke. But myself and other veterans are not laughing.

VA care here in Alaska is far better than VA care in other states. The problems down there such as in Phoenix, Arizona, are not happening here as of yet. I hope that scandals rocking the VA from this summer never find their way up here.

Then there is the equally sad scandal rocking the Alaska National Guard — rocking it to its core. I read with dread every story this train wreck has generated. Feelings of disappointment, frustration and deep-seated anger flow through me in waves. What happened is a travesty. Why was it allowed to fester? What is being done about it is another travesty. That it has taken this long for anything to be done about it galls me. I have served in the active duty Army, the Army Reserves and last but not the least, the National Guard during my career, which spanned more than 21 years. I retired from the guard side of the house. All are family to me. To witness this scandal is like getting slugged.

On this Veterans Day I will honor the fallen and pray for the survivors of war. I will say a special one or two for those serving in our national guard. I hope that the scandal is resolved, that justice prevails and the victims find closure and peace.

I am proud to have served this nation for so long. I wasn’t perfect but I was dedicated in my service. I have honored and will continue to honor all who have served and those that are serving on Veterans Day every year without fail. I will honor them every day draw I breath. Their struggles are mine. Their pain I share. Their cause I honor. I am a Veteran.

Wasilla resident Daniel D. Grota retired from the U.S. Army after more than 21 years of service.