Letter: A Navy vet’s thoughts about Veterans Day

Posted on by Letters
Graphic by Lori Deaton

If half the money and energy that is spent putting American flags on graves was spent on helping living veterans, we would live a lot longer.

Both the media and the public love covering and actually putting the American flag on our graves every Veterans Day, while so many living veterans are alone or homeless or both. Both of them do this every year because it makes them feel good, especially politicians who want to get reelected.

Meanwhile, many veterans are on the street or at home by themselves thinking about how hungry or in pain from isolation and injuries they are (avl.mx/auh).

Asheville has a very large number of homeless vets, and if you don’t believe this, just ask the VA or BeLoved Asheville and the rescue mission. By the way, God bless the charities and the VA employees who help us every day. I am not saying don’t honor us with the flags after we are gone, but do something to help us living veterans as well.

— John Penley
U.S. Navy Air Traffic Controller
Petty Officer Second Class, 1972-76
Las Vegas

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Letters
We want to hear from you! Send your letters and commentary to letters@mountainx.com
View all posts by Letters →

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Letter: A Navy vet’s thoughts about Veterans Day”

  1. Grant Millin

    The majority of our homeless are vets. Pray for them and a national solution so each community carries the load.

Leave a Reply to Grant Millin ×

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.