In 1918, Veterans Day started as a remembrance to the end of World War I which ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month and at the time, the holiday was referred to as Armistice Day. Later, in 1975, President Gerald Ford signed the Veterans Day into law to coincide with Armistice Day and create a tradition of veterans looking at the many cohorts of soldiers that came before and after them. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day specifically focuses on veterans who are alive today and as such, the topic of this infographic addresses the very real problems veterans face.
Veterans hold respected positions in law, public office, business, and the non-profit world. The world of military benefits often offers veterans a number of tools to help them ease into civilian life and while some appear to successfully transition, most veterans carry a tremendous mental strain. There’s been particular concerns over veterans and their mental health as younger veterans return from war and are experiencing high rates of homelessness. However, even older veterans are at a higher risk of suicide as 65% of all veteran suicides were committed by those 50 years or older.
On the issue of homelessness, veterans make up roughly 11% of the adult homeless population, but of that 11%, 45% suffer from a mental illness and 70% from a substance abuse problem. Government offices, like the VA, offer as much support as they can, but issues of homelessness, poverty, and mental health issues plague much of American society for veterans and non-veterans alike. However, since 2005, the VA has reduced veteran homelessness up to 70%.
This Veterans Day, we encourage you to get involved with your local veteran groups and either donate money or time so that these organizations can continue to support veterans. Additional ways to help include calling your local government representatives and understanding if they’re voting on policies that will help veterans and getting your loved ones to support your efforts.
