The veterans of the wars of U.S. invasions and occupations of much weaker countries in the formerly colonized Third World do not enjoy this kind of stature.
And an ever increasing percentage of these veterans of undeclared wars in Korea, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Panama, Grenada, Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq now realize they were lied to in order to gain their participation in crimes against humanity.
Can anyone imagine how veterans, who are ashamed of having being taken in by lies to willingly go and cause loss of life in nations that never attacked the United States, feel on Veterans Day?
No! Only those of us who feel anguish for the dead and maimed civilians, the à ‚¬Ëœenemy' soldiers and our own misled buddies can imagine such feelings of misery and betrayal.
For us, many of whom are members of anti-war and anti U.S. foreign policy lies organizations like Veterans For Peace, Veteran's Day is a bitter experience of listening to patriotic speeches of politicians, anchors and commentators, who have never seen combat, waxing on about ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms, aiming their words at the young and impressionable, eager to prove themselves and follow in our footsteps in far away exotic lands, unaware of the continuing treasonous deception.
The sympathetic reader is referred to OEN articles of previous Veterans Days:
November 12, 2008
The Day Veterans Felt Shame
(8 comments) Veterans experience a hell of emotions different than those expressed in speeches of praise for veterans of all America's wars, without regard to the justness of any of these wars. How 'bout the veteran who killed an Iraqi, maybe a child, in what Obama rightly called a "dumb war" - a veteran who has seen dead Afghani civilians after an air-strike. Vets don't need a day! Already have Memorial Day. Vets want a War Victims Day!
November 11, 2007
A Vet With His Face Burned Away Is Visited By His President & Commander in Chief
(8 comments) On Veterans Day, there will be foolish pride in smart looking uniforms, but millions of veterans have woken up to having been used! Used to kill and maim and be maimed for some few desperate, pathetic and immoral rich folks to get richer. Those vets who realize they have been taken for a ride, will not be not be further taken in by 'honors' bestowed upon them by citizens asleep to murder for money hailed 'defending freedom'
November 12, 2007
Veteran Awareness of The Real Hero of the Vietnam War, Champion Muhammad Ali
During Veterans Awareness Week, lets finally be candid about who deserves to be called a 'Vietnam War hero.' Ali is an honest American hero of the Vietnam War who inspired millions How wonderful if America could take a time out and recognize the suffering of the non-American victims of its many wars and CIA crimes in third world nations while Champion Muhammad Ali is still alive and with us as a continuing American inspiration.