VETERANS DAY SPEECH
November 11, 2019
We, the veterans of Monroe Township, thank all of you for making the effort to attend
this Veterans Day ceremony to celebrate our veterans and acknowledging their contributions
on behalf of each of us.
This speech that I am about to give will be different from the Veterans Day speeches
that we are accustomed to hearing. Over the years, I have heard many cutting remarks about
veterans but the one that distressed me the most has to do with who qualifies as a veteran.
It appears that for some people those of us who participated in combat or at least
served in combat areas are true veterans and those of us who served in non-combat areas or in
the Reserves or in the National Guard ought to not be viewed as legitimate veterans. I have
heard this viewpoint from many people in the military who had served in combat, from people
who had not served in the military at all, and from people who had served in non-combat areas
or in the Reserves and National Guard. These people have pointed out to me that those who
had put their life on the line in combat, who were wounded or seriously injured as a result of
being in combat, or who had perished in the line of duty had experiences that were different
from those who hadn’t faced trial by fire. That distinction is generally accurate and valid. All of
us, both in the military and in civilian life, should acknowledge that distinction. We view those
who had been in combat as our heroes and we are mindful of their unique sacrifices so that all
of us can live in safety. Also, all of us should spare no effort to support and assist their reentry
into mainstream society so that they too can pursue the American dream.
But how does valuing the service undertaken by those who have been in combat
disqualify the contributions of those who had not been in combat. Our nation was founded on
the noble principles that people matter. And these principles, which have been the benchmark
of our democracy, have from the outset, been fulfilled, supported, and protected by our citizen
army. Our citizen army, also known as the militia, consisted of farmers, ranchers, attorneys,
merchants, and people in other vocations. These people served part time in their militias and
worked in their vocations the rest of the time. Even today this country depends heavily on its
citizen army.
If the only criteria for designating someone a veteran is that he or she served in combat
than most of us who served would not meet that criteria. Let us remember that everyone who
was drafted or enlisted agreed to defend our country, our community, and our way of life. In
the military, our first and primary MOS, our military occupational specialty, was and remains
that of combatant. That’s what all of us learned in basic training or boot camp. Upon
2
completion of that training we moved on to more advanced combat training or other specialties
that the military deemed essential for our nation’s missions. To make this point clearer, I will
use the analogy of the human body. Some of us became the fists, others the heart or the lungs,
others the brain, the eyes or other parts of the body. Each part of the body is essential. And,
for the body to function well, each part of the body must be integrated with the other parts.
This analogy also holds true for the military. All of us served. Some fought directly with our
adversaries, but most of us provided services critical to the needs and overall effectiveness of
our military missions. We also stood by ready willing and able to take our place as combatants
when duty called.
For people to denigrate and disqualify the service that we, who had not been in combat,
provided and continue to provide, even today, strikes a knife in our hearts. I have encountered
too many veterans who feel less of themselves and who wish to be invisible because they didn’t
meet this narrow criterion of who is a legitimate veteran. At the end of the Vietnam War, those
of us who served in Vietnam as well as those of us who served in non-combat areas such as in
the Mediterranean, in Europe or in the continental United States were made to feel ashamed
just for having served. Back then we chose to deal with the derision by becoming invisible.
Why, I ask, are we so quick to devalue others or ourselves? Why are we so ready, today,
to pit ourselves against one another; to divide one another into groups of them vs. us? Are our
differences over this question of who qualifies as a veteran an isolated issue or is it
symptomatic of a more pervasive phenomenon within our society? Could this be yet another
example of how we accentuate and latch onto the differences between us and then use those
differences to justify being disrespectful towards one another? Is it not enough that we have
enemies outside our borders? Do we have to make enemies of one another inside our borders
too? We’ve seen this scenario played out in our country many times before during our brief
history. And it always ended badly. Remember the phrase “United we stand, divided we fall.”
Please, let us reclaim the high road and noble principles upon which our country was
founded which we veterans pledged to defend and protect and for which many generations of
our men and women served, fought, and died. Let veterans who served in the past and those
currently serving in our armed forces, in whatever capacity, know that we support them and
appreciate their putting their lives on the line each and every day so that we can live in this land
we call home. Let them not think that they don’t matter or that their efforts were or are in
vain.
We thank all veterans for their service. Jack Kirschenbaum, Commander, American
Legion Post 522, Monroe Township NJ; email: alpost522@comcast.net
November 11, 2019
We, the veterans of Monroe Township, thank all of you for making the effort to attend
this Veterans Day ceremony to celebrate our veterans and acknowledging their contributions
on behalf of each of us.
This speech that I am about to give will be different from the Veterans Day speeches
that we are accustomed to hearing. Over the years, I have heard many cutting remarks about
veterans but the one that distressed me the most has to do with who qualifies as a veteran.
It appears that for some people those of us who participated in combat or at least
served in combat areas are true veterans and those of us who served in non-combat areas or in
the Reserves or in the National Guard ought to not be viewed as legitimate veterans. I have
heard this viewpoint from many people in the military who had served in combat, from people
who had not served in the military at all, and from people who had served in non-combat areas
or in the Reserves and National Guard. These people have pointed out to me that those who
had put their life on the line in combat, who were wounded or seriously injured as a result of
being in combat, or who had perished in the line of duty had experiences that were different
from those who hadn’t faced trial by fire. That distinction is generally accurate and valid. All of
us, both in the military and in civilian life, should acknowledge that distinction. We view those
who had been in combat as our heroes and we are mindful of their unique sacrifices so that all
of us can live in safety. Also, all of us should spare no effort to support and assist their reentry
into mainstream society so that they too can pursue the American dream.
But how does valuing the service undertaken by those who have been in combat
disqualify the contributions of those who had not been in combat. Our nation was founded on
the noble principles that people matter. And these principles, which have been the benchmark
of our democracy, have from the outset, been fulfilled, supported, and protected by our citizen
army. Our citizen army, also known as the militia, consisted of farmers, ranchers, attorneys,
merchants, and people in other vocations. These people served part time in their militias and
worked in their vocations the rest of the time. Even today this country depends heavily on its
citizen army.
If the only criteria for designating someone a veteran is that he or she served in combat
than most of us who served would not meet that criteria. Let us remember that everyone who
was drafted or enlisted agreed to defend our country, our community, and our way of life. In
the military, our first and primary MOS, our military occupational specialty, was and remains
that of combatant. That’s what all of us learned in basic training or boot camp. Upon
2
completion of that training we moved on to more advanced combat training or other specialties
that the military deemed essential for our nation’s missions. To make this point clearer, I will
use the analogy of the human body. Some of us became the fists, others the heart or the lungs,
others the brain, the eyes or other parts of the body. Each part of the body is essential. And,
for the body to function well, each part of the body must be integrated with the other parts.
This analogy also holds true for the military. All of us served. Some fought directly with our
adversaries, but most of us provided services critical to the needs and overall effectiveness of
our military missions. We also stood by ready willing and able to take our place as combatants
when duty called.
For people to denigrate and disqualify the service that we, who had not been in combat,
provided and continue to provide, even today, strikes a knife in our hearts. I have encountered
too many veterans who feel less of themselves and who wish to be invisible because they didn’t
meet this narrow criterion of who is a legitimate veteran. At the end of the Vietnam War, those
of us who served in Vietnam as well as those of us who served in non-combat areas such as in
the Mediterranean, in Europe or in the continental United States were made to feel ashamed
just for having served. Back then we chose to deal with the derision by becoming invisible.
Why, I ask, are we so quick to devalue others or ourselves? Why are we so ready, today,
to pit ourselves against one another; to divide one another into groups of them vs. us? Are our
differences over this question of who qualifies as a veteran an isolated issue or is it
symptomatic of a more pervasive phenomenon within our society? Could this be yet another
example of how we accentuate and latch onto the differences between us and then use those
differences to justify being disrespectful towards one another? Is it not enough that we have
enemies outside our borders? Do we have to make enemies of one another inside our borders
too? We’ve seen this scenario played out in our country many times before during our brief
history. And it always ended badly. Remember the phrase “United we stand, divided we fall.”
Please, let us reclaim the high road and noble principles upon which our country was
founded which we veterans pledged to defend and protect and for which many generations of
our men and women served, fought, and died. Let veterans who served in the past and those
currently serving in our armed forces, in whatever capacity, know that we support them and
appreciate their putting their lives on the line each and every day so that we can live in this land
we call home. Let them not think that they don’t matter or that their efforts were or are in
vain.
We thank all veterans for their service. Jack Kirschenbaum, Commander, American
Legion Post 522, Monroe Township NJ; email: alpost522@comcast.net
