Veterans Day: More than a Holiday

By Christina b. '23

Each year, on November 11th, our nation dedicates Veterans Day to those who have fought for its honor. The country holds an official wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Initially known as Armistice Day, Veterans Day originated on November 11, 1918 during World War I. That day, the Allied Nations and Germany signed an armistice at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Since then, many nations, including the United States, France, and Australia, have celebrated this holiday. In May 1938, the United States declared November 11th a legal holiday, and in 1954, the word “Armistice” was officially swapped with “Veterans.”

While the United States honors past servicemen and servicewomen at times such as Veterans Day, many veterans still lack proper housing and support resources. Defined in the Mckinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, homeless people are “those who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence”,  a definition that tens of thousands of veterans fit after returning from war. Veterans comprise eleven percent of the homeless population in the United States, despite only making up seven percent of the total population. This overwhelming amount of homelessness stems from poverty, lack of support networks including compensation for service-related injuries and mental health support, and miserable living conditions such as cheap hotels and overcrowded housing areas. Most suffer from mental illness, substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders alongside their struggle for proper housing. COVID has hurt homeless veterans even more due to their lack of basic resources such as health care and control methods for infection prevention. 

The need for change is apparent once faced with the facts, but the question of how to help remains pertinent. The majority of surveyed Bryn Mawr students strongly believe that veterans receive inadequate resources and know there are ways in which the community can help. However, almost half of them do not believe they can personally improve a veteran’s life. This is not the case and to improve veterans’ lives, our community must become aware of all the ways we can help. For example, buying or wearing red poppies on Veterans Day not only pays respect to the soldiers of World War I, but also raises money for veterans. Many organizations, including the Department of Veterans Affairs and Habitat for Humanity, accept volunteers to support veterans through actions such as building houses and driving veterans who lack access to transportation. Whether making a donation or volunteering time, anyone can help the nation take a step forward towards ending veteran homelessness and suffering.