We should remember every day

At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the guns fell silent. World War I — the “war to end all wars” — was over. The slaughter of millions had ended and the healing could begin.

Or so we thought.

Instead, it merely sowed the seeds for a far greater conflict, World War II. Both conflicts killed millions. We should never forget. We should never forget that war is a tool of last resort, that war exacts a terrible price from society, one we paid in the loss of human life and the wounded and mangled bodies of our soldiers. So we pause on this day and reflect on the lessons learned from past wars in the hope that never again will a soldier fall on the battlefield, bereft of that last full measure.

On Nov. 11, I will be standing at the Veterans Wall of Honor in Wasilla, like I do every year, to honor my fallen friends. Every day I strive to honor and help those like myself who survived the wars we fought in. You see, one doesn’t “live” through a war, one only survives.

Many do not live through any war, and we must never forget that sacrifice. But we should not set aside the survivors of war either, only to pull them out twice a year to honor their service to our nation. Too many times the unspoken message is “thank you for your service, but please forget about it and carry on like nothing happened.”

I wish I could do that, but like so many veterans from prior wars, and those who served with me, we cannot forget what we survived. We will never forget those we lost. War is an experience that has been seared into our memories. It has shaken us to our very souls. And for many, the personal fight to survive will never end.

People say we should remember our veterans every day, but ask how can they pay their respects. I suggest giving veterans a chance at good jobs, making the Veterans Administration honor its promise to provide only the best health care, or just by being there to listen and help a vet in need. We are more than just a number, statistic or the meaning behind the Veterans Day. We are not whacked-out freaks ready to explode. We are people who have some unique problems, an unwelcome condition of our survival.

Some have it worse than I. Some seem to have nothing wrong. Some have lost limbs or sustained disfiguring injuries. Some were touched in ways invisible on the surface. Yet, their injuries and the deep hurt are there carved indelibly on their psyches.

We all share one thing in common: we wore a uniform and served our country to the best of our training and abilities. Our reasons for enlisting or gaining a commission are as varied as the individuals. Yet we all served, and for some of us we went into harm’s way, to war — hell, as some call it. If we were lucky, we came back forever changed. The struggle to cope with those changes is our own war. At a personal level, my brothers and sisters in arms fight this enemy every day. It will continue, at least for myself, for the rest of my life.

In my own small way I am still trying to serve my country and fellow GIs. I hope by sharing my thoughts and experiences here with readers that maybe it will help gain some small measure of respect and understanding for what we survived.

As the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq wind down there will be a huge increase of new-generation veterans added to the existing flood that has returned from these conflicts. We must prepare. We must make sure those in government honor the commitments they made to soldiers for serving their nation and not bury them under miles of red tape, endless paperwork or double talk.

This is a worthy challenge for our great nation. It affects all Americans, civilians and veterans alike. We must stand with our returning soldiers and do all in our power to help them acclimate to life at home. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your sacrifice every day.

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