I totally agree. Everyone on this forum should go down to the local VA and volunteer for a year and spend time with the returning vets. Dealing with the ones who are physically whole is hard enough but dealing with the ones who have lost a body part or more is simply unimaginable. When I come back from one of these visits I am not myself for several days afterwards.
It is simply indescribable to explain what these people have gone through and to explain how utterly callous and self centered the rest of the society is to their sacrifice.
I was, for many years, a volunteer with Veterans Bedside Network. That’s a group of theater people who entertain and interact with sick vets (mostly the mentally ill and drug abusers) at VA hospitals around New York City. We went into the locked wards. Never have I had such a rewarding experience. Those vets were wonderful people - some very ill but they always perked up when we got them to enact little playlets. It’s a two way street when you volunteer - they help the volunteer just as much as the volunteer helps them.
That would have an enormous effect, and I agree with you. Since it is now mandatory to do ‘charity’ work of some type to graduate high school, I think a requirement to spend even a few hours with the Vets would give them insight that so few seem to have.
Thank you for what you do and offer to the vets, Lord knows they need all the compassion and assistance they can get. My heart goes out to them.