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| Female Service Person from UnSplash. |
Today is Veteran’s Day in the United States. The day we salute our numerous numbers of military veterans who served and serve our country. Especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice with their life.
As most of you know, I am a veteran myself and survivor of
the Vietnam War conflict. Plus, I know I have plenty of other veterans who read
and respond to the blog. To all of you, I would like to thank you for your
service to our country.
In all my Veteran’s Day posts, I always make it a special
point to mention all of those who were serving as they were in the closet or
questioning their own gender issues when they lost their lives. It is suspected
that there is a higher percentage of transgender people who try to serve but can’t
or just hide it and go deep into their closets. I can’t imagine what that would
feel like.
In my case, I have a couple of different positives which
came from my time in the Army. First, infantry basic training taught me how to have
a deeper respect for myself and the pressure I could endure. Secondly, I was
able to travel the world on the military dime and learn how other cultures
lived. Thirdly, I was able to come out of my gender closet for the first time
and admit to close friends I was a transvestite after a Halloween party I went
to as a woman. And perhaps the most important positive I gained from my time in
the military was the chance I had to meet my first wife who was in the “Woman’s
Army Corps” in Germany. She went on to be the mother of my only child (my daughter)
who turned out to be one of my huge support systems in the future, and now. The
gift that has kept on giving from the Army.
While I am on the topic of gifts, my continuing use of the
Veteran’s Administration health care system has been a tremendous help in my
life. It initially came at a time when I was financially broke and could not
afford to buy my depression medications and gave me life giving hope especially
when I sought out hormone replacement therapy and mental health help. So, as
you can tell, I have been repaid many times for the service I gave to the
country.
I am but one example of what is possible for veterans, but
the fact remains that too many veterans young and old are suffering from PTSD
or are homeless on the streets. If our country can afford to fight wars, it can
afford to take care of those who fight them.
On this Veterans Day, please pause for a second and remember
(or more importantly thank) those around you who have served our country or who
are serving.
