Do We Really Need Separate Veteran’s Days?

Does every group that has served in the Military get to have an official Veterans Day dedicated solely to them now, as some Women Veterans now seem to want?

Oregon joins 3 other states marking June 12 as ‘Women Veterans Day’

Does this mean they will no longer be part of the November 11 recognition that they have been? Or do they receive special treatment and recognition with multiple days of honor others aren’t entitled to?

Do we set a special date to recognize Black Veterans, Native American Veterans, Gay Veterans or Foreign National Veterans that crossed borders to serve in our Military?

What about former WWII Nazi’s that joined in our Military to serve our nation after the war, such as the former Waffen SS soldier turned Green Beret currently buried in Arlington Cemetery?

Should we reach back in time to hold special honors to former Confederate soldiers that enlisted in the U.S. Military after the Civil War and fought for America in battles?

What about Draftees that were conscripted to serve and did not willingly enlist? Will they merit some special recognition some feel denied?

A Veteran is a Veteran, regardless of race, gender or even nationality, if they served in our Military. All served and all are due respect and honor for their service. Equal respect and honor!

One of the aspects of Military service I recall was the efforts to remove all notion of separateness in Basic, all of us being equal in training and treatment, right down to shaving off our hair and sending all civilian clothes we wore to the Army back home.

Yes, historically some have been barred from serving in a capacity they might have wanted to.

In the early days of the Civil War, Frederick Douglass penned an essay, “Fighting Rebels With Only One Hand” complaining of Blacks not being allowed to serve in the Union Army, when there were Blacks armed in the South.

Sometime later they were permitted to serve and served with distinction, as seen with the Buffalo Soldiers. However, they were not permitted to serve alongside White Soldiers, which remained in place until the mid 20th century.

Women have served as well and even though barred from combat service before, some have sacrificed their lives and others have taken up arms if need be.

We fully recognize that women have traditionally played an important role in our defense and it was only of late they were granted the right to be recognized and honored alongside the men, which is what I have thought the goal was, to be treated equally as the men that served.

But is it really equal that they be granted a special day of recognition others are not included in?

And as I asked above, what about the others honored on November 11? Are they now to be granted a special day just for themselves, above and beyond the rest?

Is there a legitimate reason to drive a wedge between Veterans by granting a special day to just a few?

We’re all Veterans and accepted as such, even though society is still adjusting to having female warriors. We stand together, shoulder to shoulder, side by side on Veteran’s Day as is seen today on the battle fields.

In the end I fear this special day for women Veterans will see a backlash come November 11 as those that have been opposed to women serving all along will discount recognizing them alongside their brothers at Veterans Day recognition, claiming they already had their day.

Many of us welcomed women into our ranks over the years. Even most that were initially opposed have come to accept women in more traditional male roles. Don’t spit in our faces now by declaring yourselves somehow more deserving or entitled to special recognition above and beyond the rest.

My apologies to all of you women not wishing to participate in this extra day and speaking out against it.