Honoring All Who Served

Friday, November 11, Alder Foods will join the rest of the country in honoring the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country’s armed forces to help defend the freedoms we all enjoy today.?Veteran’s Day is an official U.S. public holiday that is observed annually every November 11th.?This day also coincides with other holidays, including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, celebrated by other countries that mark the anniversary of the end of World War I.?Major hostilities of World War I formally ended at the 11th?hour of the 11th?day of the 11th?month in 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect.?The holiday was officially renamed Veteran’s Day in 1954.?

There are currently over 19 million men and women in the United States that are currently or have previously served in the six branches of our nation’s armed forces.?The importance of this day can not be underestimated.?It is a chance to thank servicemembers for risking their lives to defend our nation as well as a chance to reflect on the importance of peace.?

While our nation dedicates this day to showing gratitude to so many, a very important way to celebrate their contributions to society is to accept them back into it.?

Another important aspect of Veteran’s Day is to draw attention to the challenges facing many veterans when returning from active duty.?

• It is estimated that about half of all service members transitioning into civilian life have faced a period of unemployment within 15 months of separation.?????
• Depression and suicide rates are higher among people who have served in the military.?Many service members suffer from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) after serving, which can lead to poor mental health, drug and alcohol addiction, and physical handicaps.?
• It is estimated that 30 percent of our nation's homeless population are veterans.?

There are many ways we can make a difference in helping Veterans, from gestures of gratitude to actions such as sponsoring a companion dog for veterans with PTSD (https://puppiesbehindbars.com), donating frequent flier miles to veterans and their families to bring them closer during hospitalization of a loved one for a combat injury, illness or disease (https://fisherhouse.org/programs/hero-miles/how-to-donate-miles/), or send a care package to current serving members??(https://www.operationgratitude.com/).