This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, June 11, 2013 - During the United States’ 200-plus years, military veterans have at times been honored and at other times forgotten.
After World War I, perceived mistreatment led veterans to camp out in Washington. After World War II, Congress -- and then-President Harry S Truman, a World War I vet -- crafted the GI Bill and other measures to help veterans readjust to civilian life.
The nation and its communities need to keep that past in mind, says former U.S. Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo., to make sure that veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq are treated correctly, particularly after more than a decade of combat.
“We’ve never had so many people in almost continuous combat for so long,” Talent said in an interview Tuesday.
Talent, an expert on military and defense issues, is in town to help promote “Veteran Nation," a 30-minute documentary that looks at how veterans have been treated in the past – “from Bunker Hill to Baghdad” – and offers suggestions to communities seeking to help their hometown vets.
“Every generation is different,” said James Carafano, a co-producer and co-writer. "How you treat veterans is a decision you make as a generation."
The documentary was being shown at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Joe Buck’s down, followed by a question-answer session with Talent and Carafano.
Both men are with the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, but both emphasize that the film doesn’t deal with politics. The foundation’s involvement came from the fact that the documentary had been conceived by several of the foundation’s veterans, including Carafano, a graduate of the U.S. military academy at West Point.
The St. Louis screening is the latest of about 100 showings in recent months, Carafano said. He emphasized that the aim was to help veterans and promote community awareness of their needs. Carafano also is president of a nonprofit group, “Esprit de Corps," set up “to educate the public about veterans affairs.
Carafano said the film is being offered free to pro-veterans groups around the country who want to hold their own screenings to promote ways to help veterans.
Talent said he wanted to make clear that the documentary was aimed at promoting awareness, not a point of view. “This is not the conservative reform agenda for the VA’s policies," he said.
