A veteran in Huntington Beach contributed to The Library of Congress' Veterans History Project, reported the Huntington Beach Independent. Harold Tor, 88, served in the 11th Airborne Division of the U.S. Army during World War II and earned a Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts and other commendations for his service. Tor deployed to the Philippines and, on Feb. 23, 1945, participated in the Raid at Los Banos, an allied military offensive that resulted in the liberation of over 2,000 civilians and military prisoners from a Japanese prison camp. He was wounded twice during the war and was discharged after losing his arm, from the elbow down, during an ambush.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Tor enlisted when he was only 16. Even today, he remains thankful that the recruitment officer looked past his falsified enlistment application.
"They only had two requirements to get into the military back then," he told the newspaper. "The first was you had to be able to walk through the recruiting office door, and the second was you had to be breathing."
Tor took part in a narrative collection drive organized by his local American Legion Post 133 in Huntington Beach. Jim Seiler, a Vietnam War veteran and employee at the post, brought the Veterans History Project to the attention of his superiors who then encouraged members to donate their stories.
"It's a means of preserving their story," Seiler said in an interview. "When they're gone, their story will be available for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It'll also be available for future historians, students and anybody that is writing a book about anything and wants some background. In some sense, it's a form of immortality for the veteran."
Congress, in 2000, passed legislation that established the Veterans History Project, reported The New York Times. The Library of Congress' American Folklife Center runs the initiative which, as of last month, has collected more than 100,000 stories from former military personnel.
First lady Michelle Obama, on March 2, recognized female veterans during a reception in Washington, D.C., reported ABC News. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi organized the event to celebrate Women's History Month.
At the reception, Obama encouraged women ex-servicemembers to share their stories.
Retired Air Force Brigadier Gen. Wilma Vaught joined the military in 1957, almost 10 years after Congress passed the Women's Armed Services Integration Act, which allowed women to enlist in the armed forces. Vaught left the Air Force in 1985 and went on to serve as president for the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, reported RealClear Politics. The nonprofit lobbied the federal government to construct a monument to female veterans. Workers broke ground on the project in 1995 and completed it two years later. Vaught retired from the organization Jan. 1, 2016.
The first lady honored Vaught by presenting her with the American flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol on that day.
"Thanks to brilliant, fearless women like Gen. Vaught, today more than 200,000 women are serving our country in just about every role and rank," Obama said. "They are flying fighter jets, training new recruits, they're graduating Army Ranger School – and I met those graduates. They are awesome – fierce. And as you've already heard, they will soon be welcome in every combat unit in our armed forces."
Former U.S. Army Reserve photographer Kate Hoit served for eight years and did multiple tours in Iraq. Upon returning home, Hoit and a fellow male veteran went to register at their local Veterans of Foreign Wars office. Staff at the VFW branch mistook her for a military spouse.
"I was pulled aside and asked if I needed the military spouse application," she told ABC News. "I asked why, and they said, 'You know, you're a younger woman.'"
Hoit now works for Group 6, an advocacy group committed to changing perceptions about female veterans.
Obama addressed the problems young women like Hoit still face when they return home from service. She renewed the Obama administration's commitment to support female veterans by shining light on women servicemembers and continuing to expand military benefits for women. Under President Barack Obama, over 2,400 healthcare providers have established specialized services for female veterans.
"When these women have sacrificed so much and served so bravely, they should never have to hide their accomplishments," the first lady said. "They should never have to worry about whether their service will be valued equally. And just like every veteran who has served this country, they should be getting every single one of the benefits they've earned."
After they get out of the service, many veterans turn to different kinds of entrepreneurship as a means of making a living. Often, these efforts go quite well, but sometimes they might need a hand, and that's where a new government program in Indiana comes in.
The state recently launched its Indiana Grown Homegrown by Heroes, as a means of promoting agricultural businesses run by veterans throughout the state, according to a report from the Associated Press. Altogether, about 15 veteran-run businesses are already part of the program, which will spread out more in the future.
"It supports local farmers, and it helps support veterans," Glenn Hile, a Marine Corps Reserves veteran and beekeeper who was one of the first to sign up, told the news organization. "I just think it is a great idea."
Programs such as these, as well as veteran-focused organizations, often go a long way toward helping veterans get back on their feet and find success in civilian life. As such, they are worthwhile investments both privately and publicly, and can help former servicemembers in a number of ways.
Many veterans come home from combat with serious physical and mental scars, and those are issues that need to be addressed on an ongoing basis. As such, many groups have cropped up in the last several years to help ease that transition back to civilian life, including an unconventional one in Indiana.
Operation Combat Bikesaver helps connect with veterans by giving them something very practical to do: rebuilding beat-up, old motorcycles, according to a report from the Chicago Tribune. The organization has only been open for about a year, and was started by a veteran who found that rebuilding a bike of his own relieved his stress and gave him something to focus on.
"I know it helped me," Jason Zaideman, an Army vet and president of Operation Combat Bikesaver, told the newspaper. "It lit a fire. This helped me, it could help someone else. We would like to be a resort or retreat where people battling PTSD, [traumatic brain injury] or depression can come out when they need to."
The group crowdfunds its efforts to buy and restore old motorcycles, and has already drawn significant interest from donors and veterans, the report said. Right now, there are 15 people on the waiting list to rebuild a bike, but there is not enough space for the organization to accommodate them. Because of the demand, it is hoping to expand in the near future, into a garage space that can house more than one project at a time. Right now, the space the organization uses is the garage at Zaideman's house.
The more that can be done to help veterans deal with the effects of combat after they leave the service, the better off they will be as their lives move forward.
Legislators in Kentucky have introduced a bill that would help veterans in the state start small businesses, reported The Associated Press. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green, calls for state administrators to waive registration fees and reduce annual report-filing payments for veterans looking to start small businesses in life after service.
Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes pitched the legislation to Richards and promoted the bill, HB 367, in front of the Kentucky House Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety. The group, on March 2, authorized HB 367 and passed it along to their colleagues in the House of Representatives for review.
"Kentucky is proud to be the home of 50,000 active military men and women, and importantly, over 300,000 veterans," Grimes told The State Journal. "A top priority of mine as secretary of state has been to honor the service and sacrifice of our military women and men."
The legislation, if passed, would form the basis for a veterans business initiative tentatively called "Boots to Business."
"When the Secretary came to me with the idea for this legislation, I immediately agreed to shepherd it through the House," Richards said in an interview with WBKO. "We owe a great debt to our veterans, and this is the perfect opportunity for the Commonwealth can say, 'Thank you.'"
Currently, Kentucky charges $40 to prospective business owners looking to obtain articles of incorporation. Annual report-filing fees are $15.
The state offers help to veterans who wish to start a small business under its Veterans Business Assistance Program. Additionally, the Department of Veterans Affairs, in partnership with Business USA, provides startup resources to former servicemembers.
According to the Small Business Administration, veterans make up around 10 percent of all U.S. small business owners.
A documentary portraying Tlingit veterans of the Vietnam War won the Big Sky Award at the Big Sky Film Festival in Missoula, Montana this past week.
This noteworthy documentary, titled "Hunting in Wartime," was chosen as the winner among the other 140 shown at the Big Sky Film Festival, according to Indian Country Today Media Network. In this film, directed by Samantha Farinella, 28 Tlingit veterans from Hoonah, Alaska open up about their time spent in Vietnam during the war. Their touching stories revealed how they survived, how they served their country with pride and how they handled living in a society that oppressed Native people.
"Their stories give an important human face to the combat soldier and show the lasting effects of war on individuals, families and communities," Melinda Booth from Wild & Scenic Film Festival, Kathy Kasic, a filmmaker and Eileen Rafferty, a photographer/media artist, remarked about this film.
Through this documentary, viewers are able to see the challenges and painful times these men endured during their experiences in Vietnam, including how taking the lives of other men impacted them. It also narrows in on the struggle to get back to normalcy once they were finally able to return home. These men dealt with unimaginable circumstances that drove them to change.
Job security is at a premium in the United States, which makes getting a job difficult in this competitive market. However, there is good news for Americans. 2016 has started off on a positive note with the rate of employment increasing, according to Military Times. For the nation as a whole, unemployment rates have dropped. This fortunate decrease in unemployment is reaching the veteran demographic as well.
Information gathered by a monthly survey, known as Current Population Survey, concluded that for veterans who served from Sept. 11 up until this point have been among a group that has seen a decline in the unemployment rate. Veterans from post-Sept. 11 have experienced an unemployment rate of 5.7 percent, which has been the lowest since 2008, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America stated. It is important that veterans have job opportunities for a greater chance at success and the ability to support a household and afford an education after the military. The hope is that veterans will continue to have a high rate of job stability after serving in the military.
On Feb. 27, almost 200 veterans gathered at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center in Roxbury, Massachusetts to show support for local Muslims, reported The Boston Globe. The participants, many of whom belonged to the group Veterans for Peace, said they believed the divisive 2016 presidential race had engendered a troubling undercurrent of Islamophobia within the country.
"When you listen to what's going on in presidential politics there is a lot of misinformation and some people are really misrepresenting what this religion is," Bob Funke, an Army veteran and coordinator for Veterans for Peace, told the newspaper. "They're using it as a wedge issue and they're scaring people. It's the politics of fear."
Many in the U.S. echo Funke's sentiment. According to the Pew Research Center, 48 percent of Americans believe the relationship between followers of Islam and Westerners is damaged.
The veterans who attended the rally carried homemade signs that read "Muslims Are Not our Enemies" and "Stop The Bigotry." Members of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center, the largest mosque in New England, mixed in with the ex-servicemembers and offered similar sentiments.
"We really appreciate that someone is standing up during this time to reflect what's right and stop bigotry," Mariam Mahmoud, a local mosque-goer, said in an interview with The Globe. "It takes a lot of courage and bravery."
Boston Police Commissioner William Evans also attended the rally and reassured local Muslims that his department would do all it could to protect them in the face of culturally-motivated violence.
The mosque prepared lunch for the supporters and hosted an informational session for those who wanted to learn more about Islam. Some even participated in afternoon prayer.
"It's like breaking walls down," Armida Commesse, a Muslim from Foxborough, told The Globe. "My heart is just so filled with love."
Sewing the seeds of conflict
The rise of the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations has led many Americans to fear Islam and its followers, reported The Wall Street Journal. In December of last year, collective trepidation over the religion seemed to hit a fever pitch when self-radicalized followers of the Islamic State carried out large-scale attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California. Soon after, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump floated the idea of banning Muslims from entering the U.S. until federal agencies could improve domestic security and institute harsher immigration policies.
According to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll conducted at the time, almost 57 percent of Americans objected to Trump's proposal while 25 percent supported it. However, nearly 40 percent of conservative voters agreed with the plan.
Muslims, allies react
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which supports the estimated 2.75 million Muslims who live in the U.S., called Trump's remarks "outrageous" and "reckless," reported Reuters. Groups like the United Nations and the Southern Poverty Law Center expressed similar reactions. President Barack Obama also offered criticism and told Americans to be tolerant of their fellow citizens.
The veterans who showed up at the mosque in Roxbury last month offered similar thoughts and emphasized that they were protesting an ideology, not a single individual.
"Hate speech is not acceptable," Barry Ladendorf, president of national chapter of Veterans for Peace, told The Globe. "We're not against Trump. We're against the speech."
Support for the sales of agricultural products grown locally by U.S. military veterans turned farmers is all made possible in the state of Indiana thanks to the Indiana Grown program's Homegrown by Heroes initiative.
Indiana Grown was implemented a year ago as a way to raise awareness and increase sales for products grown by local farmers in Indiana. Homegrown by Heroes, founded in 2013, helps to assist farmers, who once served in the U.S. military. It enables the products to display a familiarized branded logo that enables consumers to see that the products were produced locally by these veterans. Some of the individuals who were a part of this initiative were veterans. To go even further in supporting local veteran farmers, Homegrown by Heroes officially became a part of Indian Grown's program on Monday Feb. 29, according to News-sentinel.com. This exciting news was announced by state officials at the War Memorial, located in Indiana's capital. Several qualified veterans have already applied and been accepted into the program, which will enable them to be able to use the Homegrown by Heroes logos to promote their products.
"It supports local farmers, and it helps support veterans," Glen Hile, a beekeeper who served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, said to News-Sentinel.com.
Having the Homegrown by Heroes program on board with the state of Indiana is extremely comforting for veterans trying to make a living after serving in the military. Homegrown by Heroes gives veterans an opportunity at a successful career. It can be challenging trying to find a job after serving in the military, but with this initiative, veterans have the support they need to take on their own business. With the access to labels and signs displaying the Homegrown by Heroes logo that veteran farmers can place on the goods, their products can stand out among other competitors. Because Homegrown by Heroes has become recognized on a larger scale nationally throughout the years, having this brand awareness associated with products can help tremendously with sales.
Indiana is now one of the eight states that is associated with the Homegrown by Heroes initiative,through the Department of Agriculture. Other states include Kentucky, Louisiana, Illinois, South Carolina, Arkansas, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
When a natural disaster hits, having the aid and emotional support from a strong group of leaders can help significantly. Team Rubicon, an organization made up of many veteran members, does just that. This natural disaster relief program began in response to the Haiti earthquake in 2010. Team Rubicon is back at it again, this time helping in a relief effort of the most recent natural disaster: a tornado that destroyed Tappahannock, Virginia this past week.
The severe and deadly storm hit Virginia and caused a significant amount of damage in the area. It destroyed houses down to the foundations, including more than 25 homes, according to NBC 12. Team Rubicon is a group of first responders. Veterans make up 75 percent of its membership and their military skills are invaluable to the team's efforts. Veterans are experienced in deploying in emergency situations. In Virginia, the members began by removing debris and cutting fallen trees.
This natural disaster relief team has been helping people for the past six years, since a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked Haiti. Because of this earthquake, millions of Haitians became homeless. There was an immense amount of services needed, like medics and clean water. Marines Jake Wood and William McNulty wanted to be on-site in Haiti to lend a hand. After forming a six-members team of first responders and veterans, they headed to Haiti with medical supplies and money. Despite the danger ahead, they were able to treat thousands of patients. Team Rubicon has continued its mission ever since.
"For the veteran's side of it, we found a renewed sense of community, purpose and identity…Sharing that with veterans and first responders really helps our veterans find a passion for life again," Bob Bledso, Team Rubicon's Virginia state coordinator, said in a statement to NBC 12.
Bledso, who served in the Air Force for two decades and has been working with Team Rubicon for the past four years, mentions that this team allows veterans to find that sense of camaraderie and brotherhood they experienced while in the military. This team is passionate about working with veterans to help aid in disasters.