Veterans Studies Interest Group Listserv Issue #1 September 7, 2016 Colleagues - Based on a number of discussions I have had this year, including at the Presidents Luncheon last December 7, the visit of VA Secretary Bob McDonald and others, I am certain that there is substantial interest in academic issues related to veterans on the Georgetown campuses. For this reason, I am starting a listserv which I am calling the Veteran Studies Interest Group to be distributed monthly. The contents of the listserv will be works of modest length (essays, blogs, scholarly papers, etc.) related to veterans. There will be special attention to works by Georgetown faculty and a “Stats Section” (see below). For this first offering, one link is to an essay by National Book Award winner and U.S. Marine Core and Iraqi War veteran, Phil Klay. The essay surveys the relationship between those who fight our wars and American citizenry when they return home. It sent to me by David Maxwell, as he said a long read but worth it, and was also was the basis of a Brookings Institution event hosted by Gen. John R. Allen (USMC, Ret.) The other link is to a blog about Gulf War illness by Michael O’Hanlon and myself, based on a symposium cohosted by Brookings and Georgetown University Medical Center. While many have heard of Gulf War illness, fewer know much about it, how it has affected Desert Storm veterans and how officialdom has dealt with it. I hope these are of interest to you. Please forward any comments, inclusions you might think of interest or any other suggestions. Email address is [email protected] Many thanks. Joel Kupersmith, M.D. Director, Georgetown University Veterans Initiatives Professor of Medicine Stats Section Past, Current and Projected Number of U.S. Veterans from 1950-2010 and 2014 to 2030 Numbers are from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (ultimately from the U.S Census Bureau - limitations here) Note: The 1950 number seems low in view of returning World War II veterans. Veterans Studies Interest Group Listserv Issue #2 October 7, 2016 Colleagues - The subject of the Veteran Studies Interest Group LIsterv for this month is post-9/11 veterans. Included are a link to a profile of Post-9/11and organiza and to a survey of the members of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, an advocacy organization that represents this group. Profile of Post-9/11 Veterans This profile includes many comparisons between post-9/11 and other veterans and between male and female post-9/11 veterans. Some examples: The highest proportion of both men and women post-9/11 veterans are in management/professional occupation. Men are more likely to be in the private sector while for women government and private sector careers are about even. Post-9/11 veterans are less likely to be at poverty levels and more are in the upper level of income than non-veterans. The group is more racially diverse than previous veteran groups. IAVA Survey – Select Findings Note: This survey was taken of IAVA members who comprise 420,000 of over 2.6 million post- 9/11 veterans. Post-9/11 respondents have a high level of political engagement (page 9) with 37% that have considering running for office. Many have In fact run for office and there is now a congressional caucus of this veteran group. While they feel supported by the public, in general, the group did not feel that the public understands their sacrifices (page 10). There is a higher percentage of women among post-9/11 veterans than in other categories and 87% of these women feel that the public does not understand their contributions, as against 70% of men and (page 11). Seventy percent supported the all-volunteer force while 23% want the draft to return (page 12). Health and mental health are on pages 14-21. Eighty percent of respondents did not think troops and veterans are getting the mental health care they deserve with 49% knowing a veteran whom they think needs such care (Page 14). Their perception of their own health is on page 18. Thirty–four percent of women and 1% of men reported that they are survivors of military sexual assault and a majority were reluctant to report it (page 20). Satisfaction with VA benefits was variable with 57% satisfied with G.I. Bill/educational benefits, 46% with disability compensation and less for pension, insurance and vocational rehabilitation/employment services (page 22). Regarding use of the educational benefit, the highest proportion was for state schools while 19% attend “not-for-profit schools” (page 27). Time spent on obtaining VA disability benefits and appeals decisions are registered on page 23 Unemployment among these veterans dropped over the last few years and, in a favorable statistic, 85% consider their current employer veteran-friendly. Over 60% are satisfied with their current job (page 28). Financial and transition issues loom large among these veterans. The 3 biggest challenges for transition were considered to be loss of identity and purpose (#1), finding/keeping employment (#2) and, mental health concerns (#3)(pages 30, 31). Finally: As we focus on addressing the problems of veterans, we should also note that both the profile and survey show that post-9/11 veterans are an accomplished group. Look around the campus and you will come to that same conclusion. Please forward any comments, inclusions you might think of interest or any other suggestions to [email protected]. Joel Kupersmith, M.D. Director, Georgetown University Veterans Initiatives Professor of Medicine Stats Section Total number of veterans as of 9/30/15 and number over age 65 and female who are proportionately 45.8% and 9.4% of veterans respectively (from VA) Ethnicity of veterans as of 9/30/15 (from VA) Veterans Studies Interest Group Listserv Issue #3 November 7, 2016 Colleagues: November 11 is of course Veterans Day, the subject of this month’s Veterans Studies Interest Group Listserv. • Veterans Day remembers the Armistice of World War I which occurred on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month 1918.The Treaty of Versailles that ended the war was signed on June 28, 1919 • The combatants in World War I had agreed to an armistice at 5 AM on November 11. However, the later 11 AM time related to an ultimatum to end the war that had been given by the allied commander, Marshall Foch, A coincidental and unfortunate number - almost 11,000 soldiers died in those 6 hours when many of the allied forces launched attacks for various purposes. • Henry Gunther, of Baltimore Maryland, was the last soldier to die in World War I at 10:59 AM, November 11, 1918. • Red poppies worn on Veterans Day derive from the poem “In Flanders Fields” by Canadian John McCrae, 1915. • In November, 1919 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day • On June 4, 1926, Congress officially recognized the end of World War I and passed this concurrent and hopeful resolution: Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples • Another congressional act on May 13, 1938 made November 11 a legal holiday to be known as “Armistice Day”, primarily honoring veterans of World War I. • In 1945, Alabama World War II veteran Raymond Weeks suggested that all veterans be honored. He was later given the Presidential Citizenship Medal in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan. • On June 1, 1954 Public Law 380 made November 11 a day to honor American veterans of all wars and it was the renamed “Veterans Day”. • Like other holidays, Veterans Day was at first moved to assure three-day weekends in 1968 and to the fourth Monday in October in 1971, but it was moved back to November 11 no matter what day of the week by law on September 20, 1975 (effective 1978). • Every year the President, Vice President or high government official conducts a Veterans Day National Ceremony at Arlington Cemetery at 11 AM with a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier who was buried on November 11, 1921. I have attended several of these and it is a moving ceremony. • Veterans Day occurs one day after the birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps, November 10 (1775). • There are Veterans Day celebrations in a number of other countries including “Remembrance Day” on or near a November 11 in Commonwealth nations and on the following Sunday in the U.K. It is common to include one or two moments of silence at 11 AM. • Another remembrance of Work War I, ANZAC Day (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) in the two countries commemorates their landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey on April 25, 1915.The protocol of ceremonies begins at dawn, the time of the initial attack.